This past September marked the 50th anniversary of the famous “Daisy” television ad run by Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign. As presenters, we can learn a valuable lesson from the ad. The “Daisy Spot” was created for ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach by my father, Tony Schwartz. It is considered by many to be… 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 »
I recently worked with six executives from a large company who were preparing for their Investor Day. Each would give a 20-45 minute PowerPoint presentation to a live audience of about 100, with a simultaneous webcast. All of the presenters received from their Investor Relations VP the same general outline of what to cover. Once… 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 »
Don’t want to be too bossy in your presentations? Think again. When you give a presentation, it’s important to tell your audience what you’d like them to do…and why they should do it. Two reasons: From your point of view: You have an agenda…a reason for giving the presentation. Typically you want something of them…. Read More »
Would you notice a gorilla in the midst of a basketball game? That’s what participants saw in an experiment mentioned by Manohla Dargis in her article from the New York Times entitled “What You See is What You Get.” She describes a phenomenom called “Inattentional Blindness.” In terms of film, it’s when we don’t notice… Read More »
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 »
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 »