You probably know the Jerry Seinfeld bit, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death… This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” But why is that? I see two, often overlapping paradigms. For many… Read More »
By now, pretty much everyone knows that it’s much more effective – for audience understanding and retention – to use images (such as graphs, charts and illustrations) rather than text. It’s especially important when presenting numbers or other types of technical data and when explaining processes. Clients will obligingly replace their text-only slide with an… Read More »
One of the highest compliments you can pay to a speaker is to say he or she is “natural.” But what does that mean? When I think of “natural” speakers, I imagine people who feel relaxed and at ease with themselves up there. Their words flow spontaneously. They are conversational. Their tone, volume and level… Read More »
Do you suffer from “PowerPoint Misuse Syndrome?” That is, using PowerPoint for purposes it was never intended for. PowerPoint was officially released by Microsoft in 1990 as an easy-to-use method for producing visuals for presentations. It allowed people who would not ordinarily choose to use visual aids (note, that visuals are an “aid” to understanding),… Read More »
I recently received a link to a blog by renowned and esteemed communications coach T. J. Walker entitled: “How Every Manager Can Eliminate Awful Presentations and Speeches from Employees in 2015”. With his very witty and dry sense of humor, Mr. Walker advises managers to institute a a new policy: instead of sending PowerPoint decks… Read More »
When you hear a joke, what do you remember about it? For me it’s the set-up and the punch line. My poor joke telling skills center around having to fudge the middle because I simply can’t remember it. How about a story? I remember the beginning and the ending but please don’t quiz me on… Read More »
I read an article about a lawyer, Bill Alverson, who also coaches (very successfully) pageant contestants for their pageant interviews. Apparently his skill in prepping clients for trial has informed his pageant interview coaching. I liken him to a good branding/presentation coach. I respect his theories on the interview process and I think they can… Read More »
My second grade teacher, a strict and traditional Austrian transplant named Ms. Vriezen, used to tell us 7-year-olds to “stack your bricks” and “keep your hands on the table” when we sat in our chairs. I’m often reminded of those messages when I work with clients. I recently worked with a group of presenters from… Read More »
We each have a unique speech pattern. Some people speak with such a beautiful lilt that they almost sound like they are singing. Their voices rise and fall smoothly as if forming a melody. Other people speak in a monotone, rarely reaching beyond a narrow range of ups and downs. No matter your vocal range,… Read More »
Do you focus exclusively on the words you utter and not at all on your movements? Are you connecting with your listeners? “Much more of the brain is devoted to movement than to language….and I’m sure this was how people, human beings, first bonded, maybe chanting or dancing around the bonfire when there wasn’t much… Read More »