Presentation Skills
Common Presentation Skills Myths Debunked
Are your beliefs about your presentation skills holding you back? “A belief is simply a thought that we have ceased to question Someone once told me that a belief is simply a thought that we had ceased to question and that started me on a voyage of discovery to explore my own beliefs to find out…
Read MoreGuest Speakers – Respect Your Audience Or Else…
A lesson on how not to respect your audience I attend a lot of presentations and am always on the lookout for what speakers do that turns me on or turns me off. Last week I attended a digital marketing show and was dismayed to witness one of the invited guest presenters committing one of…
Read MoreWant to be a better presenter? – Then don’t copy your colleagues
DON’T BE A MONKEY! I write lots of posts about how to be a better presenter or speaker but am continually frustrated that I still see so many poor presentations. Why is it that, despite being well into the 21st Century, many people still bore the pants of their audiences? The number one reason for…
Read MoreHow To Be A Better Speaker – Recognise Progress On Your Journey
If you want to be a better speaker, learn from my mistake Nobody becomes a better speaker overnight. Mastering the art of public speaking takes time and practice, but this means that, if your goal is to be a better speaker, every mistake or slip feels like a failure. Two years ago I decided to learn…
Read MoreMicrophone Techniques for Speakers and Performers
Why is handheld microphone technique so important for speakers? Have you ever seen someone speak into a handheld microphone and yet been unable to hear them clearly, you’ve probably been tempted to blame the PA system? But what if I told you that the cause of this all too common problem is the presenter’s…
Read MoreAudience Motivation Secrets for Speakers and Presenters
I was prompted to write this post after a question from one of my students. She worked in a college and asked me if I had any tips for engaging demotivated or disinterested teenagers. My suggestions seemed to hit home with her, and she even mentioned how useful they had been on the end of…
Read MorePowerPoint Presentation Tips – How to Avoid Common Powerpoint Pratfalls
“How Not to Give a Slideshow Presentation Guest Post by the SlidePro a French PowerPoint Presentation Design Agency who share some great Powerpoint presentation tips If you ever dread either listening to or giving a PowerPoint presentation, it’s worth asking yourself why that is. Is it because you always find yourself bored when listing to…
Read MoreWhat If You Were More Confident Than You Thought?
Want to look and feel more confident? Most of the people who come on my presentation skills training courses suffer, to some degree or other, with a fear of public speaking and would dearly like to feel more confident. I know this because they tell me things like: “I get this tremor in my voice…
Read MoreHow to write a funny speech – Part 1
WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN HOW TO WRITE A FUNNY SPEECH Understanding how to deliver a speech well will make you feel good but being able to weave humour into any speech will get you noticed. Today we expect speakers to entertain as well as inform us, so understanding how to write a funny speech is an essential skill for aspiring…
Read MoreCreating and using great rapport – how enthusiastic should you be?
Enthusiasm is infectious and so it is vital that aspiring public speakers and presenters learn how to use it to create great rapport. But I sometimes get asked, “How enthusiastic should I be?” I heard someone ask this question over twenty years ago while on sales training course and the resulting discussion has had a lasting impact…
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