Presentation Skills

I am always surprised by the number of presentations I see that start of well but just seem to fade out at the end leaving an awkward silence as the audience try to work out whether you have finished or not. Not only does this undermine all the good work that you did at the…

If you have ever stood up in front of a group you must have been faced by that age old conundrum – What do I do with my hands? Do I hold then in front of my crotch as If i am protecting my modesty? D0 I clasp them behind my back like Prince Charles?,…

If you have a fear of public speaking let me start by reassuring you – YOU ARE NOT ALONE! The good news is that many millions of people have already found ways to dissolve, diminish are control their fears so, if they can do it so can you – Right! One of the simplest and…

I was running a workshop on Making the Most of PowerPoint the other day and almost the first tip I shared with the group caused an audible WOW! throughout the room! Not a bad start to a days training. So what was the secret I shared? I suggested that instead of going to PowerPoint you…

Whether you a presenting to one person or one thousand, the ability to project authority and credibility is crucial. The question is how do you do it? Authority, or “gravitas” as some people call it, is a desirable yet nebulous characteristic that is closely related to charisma. We all recognise it, but are hard put,…

Just to let all my subscribers know that I have recently had by old static website converted to an easily up-datable one using word press. As a result the address of my blog has changed to www.inter-activ.co.uk/gavins-blog/ I hope the change doesn´t cause anyone too much inconvenience and that you will continue to enjoy reading…

This morning I was chatting to a friend called Bob Jury whom I met at a breakfast networking meeting in the lovely little town of Hartley Wintney in North Hampshire. Despite the early hour, Bob was on top form as usual. We were discussing how people “sell” themselves at networking events and in particular the…

Often people ask me about humour in presentations and how best to use it. Humour can be a powerful tool in public speaking but it is a bit of a double-edged sword. If it doesn’t work, the presenter falls flat on their face and often finds it difficult to recover their credibility. In the past…

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve sat through presentations where the presenter has continually had to walk in front of their projector to access the laptop keyboard and change their slide. Shirts or dresses don’t make good projection screens and it gives the impression of an unprofessional and ill prepared presenter. Another…

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…

Don’t forget to plan a strong conclusion

What to do with your hands?

Dissolving fear of public speaking by surrendering

Don’t start creating your presentations in PowerPoint

Projecting authority

Updated Website Using WordPress

A lesson from the world of entertainment

Should I tell a joke to start my presentation?

Why don’t more presenters use a remote control?

Perfection is not connection