For many professionals, presenting the monthly update feels less like communication and more like a ritual. It’s the last Friday of the month, and everyone sits in the same seats around the same table. The agenda barely changes, and one by one, people go around the room and say largely the same things they[…]
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How to Transform the Dreaded Monthly Update Into Something People Actually Want to Hear
Advice Jan 31, 2016
Authenticity is one of the most admired qualities in leadership and public speaking. When someone speaks with honesty and presence, we feel it immediately. It’s refreshing, human and memorable, but authenticity isn’t as simple as “just be yourself.” If only it were Audiences today are highly discerning. They can sense insincerity instantly and disengage the[…]
Who would have thought it possible to ‘wow’ your audience in less than 2 minutes So much has been written about the skill of speaking and presenting in public. I’ve written over 100 articles myself in the last year alone. I’ve written an entire series about the ‘Art and Science of Presenting’, opening, closing, storytelling,[…]
How to Turn a Boring Subject into a Brilliant Presentation
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Dec 26, 2015
Do you know how to turn a boring subject into a brilliant presentation? Here’s the truth most professionals never want to admit: There is no such thing as a boring topic, only a boring approach. You can speak about algorithms, algebra or actuarial science and still captivate an audience. Your presentation will only ever be[…]
The Future of High-Impact Presenting Is Mindfulness
Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 19, 2015
Search “presentation skills” on Amazon, and you’ll drown in more than 40,000 results. Google multiplies that into a billion, and yet, despite this ocean of advice, most of it still circles the same shallow waters: – Keep your hands out of your pockets. – Don’t fidget. – Just be yourself – Make eye contact. It’s[…]
Think back over the last three months. How many business presentations genuinely gave you what you needed, clearly, concisely, and with respect for your time? How many were padded with: – information you already knew – unnecessary detail – repetition – self-promotion – content that wasn’t relevant – very little actual value If you’re like[…]
Presenting With Impact: The Power of Presence
Advice, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 28, 2015
Presenting with impact doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it is within everyone’s reach. The key is presence At Mindful Presenter, we define presence as a blend of poise, self-assurance and emotional connection. It’s the ability to make people feel your message and understand it. Presence is credibility, authority and likability woven together; the[…]
In our training workshops, one request comes up again and again: “Can you help me answer questions with confidence?” Most presentations involve a Q&A, and for many professionals, it’s the part they fear most. After investing hours crafting their message, this is the moment they feel exposed. What if: – They ask something I don’t[…]
10 Traits of Highly Successful Speakers and Presenters
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 24, 2015
Highly successful speakers aren’t defined by natural talent alone. After years of speaking alongside them, coaching them, and watching them up close, one truth becomes unmistakable: they treat speaking as a craft. They work on it deliberately, consistently, and with a level of intention most presenters never consider. Here’s what they do differently. 1. They[…]
How to Stop Waffling and Start Presenting with Clarity and Purpose
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Aug 02, 2015
The internet is overflowing with presentation tips designed to help professionals eliminate bad habits. You’ll find advice on avoiding filler words, stopping the fidgeting, and resisting the urge to read every bullet point on your slides. One of the most damaging habits rarely gets the attention it deserves: waffling. Waffling is when a presenter speaks[…]
The Secret to Memorable Presenting Is PURPOSE
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 26, 2015
If you want to deliver a presentation that people actually remember, there’s one secret that sits above all others: PURPOSE. The next time you’re preparing to speak at work, ask yourself a simple but powerful question: “What do I want my audience to remember?” We ask this in every presentation skills workshop, and the most[…]
I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a sales pitch where the speaker calls the president “incompetent,” labels the competition “stupid,” and then proceeds to insult his own business partners, until now. That’s exactly what Donald Trump did during his rambling speech at the Phoenix Convention Centre last week. With an audience of thousands in[…]
Public Speaking Lessons We Can Learn from President Obama
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 12, 2015
There are many public speaking lessons we can learn from President Obama. As a speaker, I’ve never hidden the fact that he stands out to me as one of the most gifted orators of our time. Politics aside, what interests me is how he delivers a message: the structure, emotion, connection and the lessons he[…]
What Michael Gove’s First Speech Can Teach Us About What Not to Do
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 04, 2015
When Michael Gove delivered his first public speech as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice at the Legatum Institute, he offered every aspiring speaker a valuable lesson, not in what to do, but in what to avoid. Whether you’re a CEO, a senior politician, or a project manager, giving your first[…]
How to Speak With Confidence: 10 Mindset Shifts Every Presenter Needs
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Jun 28, 2015
Every presenter faces the same paradox: your greatest enemy is also your greatest ally. The need to communicate with power and impact can quickly become a defining force in your career. One day you’re quietly getting on with your work, and the next you find yourself in entirely new territory: presenting to senior leadership, motivating[…]
If you’re a nervous presenter, there’s one thing you can be certain of: you are not alone. Public speaking anxiety is like a tax notice; it reaches all of us sooner or later. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do; eventually, it shows up at your door. For[…]
How to Close a Presentation With Power, Confidence and Impact
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 13, 2015
Closing a presentation can feel even more challenging than opening one. We all understand the importance of making a strong first impression, but the last impression is just as critical, and far too many presenters overlook it. Some of the best presentations are weakened by a few moments of hesitation at the end. A[…]
How to Make a Powerful First Impression When You Present
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 17, 2015
How long do you really have before your audience forms an impression of you? Five seconds? Ten? Longer? According to researchers at Princeton University, it takes just one-tenth of a second for someone to judge us the moment they see our face. It sounds extreme, but think about the last time you met a[…]
Storytelling in business presentations has the power to transform the way we influence others. Every one of us carries stories filled with insight, emotion, and lived experience. Stories that can inspire, persuade, and connect on a level that information alone never will. In a world overflowing with noise and distraction, your audience needs more[…]
5 Body Language Tips Every Presenter Should Master
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking May 01, 2015
There are countless body language tips we could offer presenters, but this article focuses on five of the simplest and most powerful. When there’s a mismatch between what we say and how we say it, the impact of our message is dramatically reduced. People won’t trust what you say if your body contradicts your words.[…]
How to Use Your Public Speaking Voice With Power and Presence
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 23, 2015
You’ve done the work, you understand your audience and have crafted the conversation you want to have, know your story inside out, and you’ve pictured what success looks like. Now comes the part many presenters overlook: how you use your voice. Effective communication is both verbal and nonverbal. The words you choose matter enormously,[…]
Most presenters start preparing by opening their laptops. They begin typing, tweaking, rearranging, and polishing. The presenters who consistently deliver powerful, memorable presentations start from a very different place. They start long before creating the first slide, long before the room fills, long before they stand up to speak. They begin by envisioning. Seeing Success[…]
Why the Best Presentations Are Built on Stories
Advice, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Mar 13, 2015
Turning a presentation into a meaningful story is one of the greatest challenges any presenter faces. Yet it’s also the most important. A story is how human beings make sense of the world. It’s how we learn, remember, and connect. Long before we had slides, charts, or meeting rooms, we had stories, and they remain[…]
Most presentations die before they even begin. Not because the content is weak or the speaker lacks confidence, but because the presenter starts in the wrong place. They open a laptop, summon a familiar template, and begin arranging boxes on a slide. It feels productive, even responsible. but it’s the fastest way to drain[…]
In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, presenting can be a daunting task. If you’ve ever found yourself standing before an audience, you know that making a strong first impression is crucial. The Importance of First Impressions Research from Princeton and the University of Glasgow suggests that we form judgments about strangers in just half a[…]
Effective Presentation Planning: Key Strategies for Success
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 01, 2015
Is presenting at work a source of anxiety for you? In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, many business meetings can be complex and demanding. When asked to speak, the first instinct for many is to fire up their laptops, only to fill slides with every piece of information they know on the subject. We call that[…]
12 Essential Traits of Great Presenters
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Feb 26, 2015
Is great presenting a skill you aspire to develop? History has shown us that all great speakers share common elements that contribute to their success. Here are 12 key traits that effective presenters possess. 1. They Don’t Say Good Morning Can you imagine Martin Luther King starting his speech with, “Good morning, I have a[…]
The Presenter’s Guide to Storytelling That Sticks
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Feb 08, 2015
Every great presentation hinges on storytelling. As a presenter, harnessing the art of storytelling can significantly elevate your ability to connect with your audience. The Value of Storytelling Throughout history, humans have shared stories to make sense of the world and our place in it. Well-told stories have the power to persuade, evoke emotions,[…]
What It Really Takes to Win Over a Tough Audience
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Feb 05, 2015
Have you ever had to manage a tough audience during a business presentation? You might have viewed them as challenging because: – They have more experience than you on the topic. – There are dissenters in the room. – A negative emotional charge hangs in the atmosphere. – You may face difficult or even hostile[…]
When it comes to public speaking, few can measure up to Barack Obama. Whether you agree with his politics or not, he is recognised as a masterful communicator. His ability to inspire and connect with audiences is unparalleled, and his recent State of the Union Address further exemplifies this skill. The Importance of Connection As[…]
