Belief Change
Public Speaking Confidence and The Inverse Tardis Effect
I’ve wanted to write a new post about public speaking confidence for a while now, but I was struggling to find the right angle to take. Then, I happened to be talking to a friend about the TV series Dr Who when the idea for this post hit me. Read more…
Read MorePresentation Design Tip – Dare to be Different with PowerPoint
In the corporate world it’s often seen as wrong to swim against the tide and challenging the way that things are done can take real guts. I’ve recently been working with a client to help him transform a bullet point heavy PowerPoint presentation into something that supports, rather than competes with, his clear and energetic…
Read MoreLife Lessons From The Movies – The King’s Speech
Can Public Speakers Learn from The King’s Speech? Every so often I watch a film that proves to be a fantastic source of learning and inspiration as well as entertainment. Recently I saw The King’s Speech and it really moved me. Afterwards, I started to wonder what it was that made it so powerful. The acting was…
Read MoreLeadership, music and presentations – watch this TED video
I love to watch and share presentation skills tips and especially great examples of passionate presenters. Today I am indebted to Nancy Duarte of Duarte Design and author of the fantastic new book “Resonate” for drawing my attention to this inspiring presentation. Watch it and enjoy conductor Benjamin Zander’s passion and his command of…
Read MoreIs your thinking holding you back?
When I was a sales manager I saw a number of potentially great communicators stall despite fantastic subject matter knowledge and great technique. It was no surprise to me that sending them on a skills refresher course didn’t solve the problem as I instinctively knew that the problem lay at the level of identity and…
Read MoreWatch this presentation and put your “big ears” on
This video clip serves four purposes for students of presentation and public speaking skills: It demonstrates the value of a clearly structured message It shows how things like eye contact, body language and vocal variety engage the audience It shows how simple visual aids with well chosen images add to the presentation It contains a…
Read MoreLearn How To Be More Charismatic – It’s Not as Hard as You Think
Updated May 2017… Charisma, some people have it and some don’t! How often have we heard that comment? Everyone agrees that is an important and desirable characteristic whether you are a salesperson, a team leader, a presenter or a teacher but it seems such an intangible thing. So what is it and how can you…
Read MoreHow do we believe in ourselves?
This post was promopted by a comment made by my wife Lyn after an early morning walk today. It was a beautiful morning here in the South of Hampshire. The sky was just starting to colour up as the sun rose and the air was crisp and fresh. After a few minutes of silent contemplation…
Read MorePerfection is not connection
Today I had the privilege of meeting up with my great friends and inspirational speakers Richard & Liz. We talked about all sorts of things to do with success, self-development and happiness and as ever, I left with a whole load of exciting new ideas and insights. I could write several posts on the outcomes of this…
Read MoreHow to be authentic when you speak in public
Why being more authentic leads to speaking success Every time I run a presentation skills workshop I get asked questions like; What is the “right” way to present? Should I use humour? Should I move or stand still? My answer is always the same. “You have to learn how to be authentic.” You see I…
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