If you’ve ever sold or shopped for a house or apartment, you know that staging your home has become de rigueur for finding a buyer and getting a good offer. An article in the New York Times, “Ruthless Came the Home Stager” describes the art of staging. My take-away? A good home stager is a… Read More »
End-of-the-year performance reviews are here. Unfortunately it’s not all good news. How do you maintain your composure when you’re receiving negative feedback or criticism? How do you communicate that you are receptive to their critique? Here are six tips to help you through your annual review or any other occasion when you receive criticism. 1…. Read More »
William Zinsser, author of the classic book “On Writing Well,” wrote that the four basic premises of writing are clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity. Today, let’s examine “humanity,” defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “the quality or state of being human.” What does “humanity” mean in the context of writing a presentation? For me,… Read More »
Have you heard of “KISS?” (Keep It Simple Sweetie!) Here is what some famous authors have said about simplicity. They all support the notion that short and sweet is the way to go. “I never write ‘metropolis’ for seven cents when I can write ‘city’ and get paid the same.” – Mark Twain (1835-1910) “The most… Read More »
A recent client was preparing to give a PowerPoint presentation at an industry event. A freelance colleague of hers had done a good job helping her create a preliminary presentation, writing the copy for the slides and the notes sections. In a creative field, my client produced the visuals. Although they are both experts in… Read More »
When you listen to someone speaking in a monotone, how long can you last? Five minutes and most people are writing a shopping list, checking emails, texting, or simply leaving the room. Don’t be the victim of your own lifeless voice. Here are six tips that will help you effectively convey the meaning of your well-crafted… Read More »
I was working with an upper level designer for a fashion manufacturer who regularly had to present several lines of women’s fashion to the merchandising executives, her boss in design, and the president of the company. This included showing “boards” (boards with pictures of styles, swatches and other materials pinned to them) and samples of… Read More »
The other day my husband and I were negotiating the upcoming Saturday. He had a memorial to attend, I had an all-day seminar, and my son had his weekly soccer match. My husband asked if I could take our son to soccer. I said, in my blunt-New-Yorker-get-to-the-point manner that no, I could not: I had… Read More »
After reading an article that highlighted the techniques of some acclaimed conductors and which interviewed them on their craft, I saw very clearly how their skills parallel those of effective presenters. The presenter is the interpreter of the ideas, manifested in the content (words and visuals) and delivery of the presentation. He or she aims… Read More »
Do your presentations tend to wander? Are they a compilation of points and data that don’t have enough focus? Do you have a scaffold that works from start to finish? Some call it the main message, the big idea or the thesis statement. I call it your Point of View. Whatever you name it, it’s… Read More »