storytelling
Storytelling for Speakers – Beware The Dark Side
Many people have written about the importance of storytelling for speakers from the perspective of the audience. They remind us that packaging information and ideas in the form of a story make it more memorable. But I have never seen an article warning presenters about how the stories they tell could be holding them back from…
Read MoreStorytelling in speeches and presentations
[cincopa AINAMtq8HsZ5] Stories are at the heart of communication. Ever since humans developed language we have used stories as a powerful method transfering knowledge. We teach our children through stories. We build relationships and bonds through sharing stories. We are entertained by stories. I would argue that we spend much of our non-work time storytelling.…
Read MoreBuilding humour into your speeches and presentations
Weaving humour into a speech can be a real challenge. In a earlier post I recommended that speakers avoid using jokes in favour of self-deprecating stories. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Jan Jack of PerfectVerse who used to be a corporate secretary but is now a professional speech writer, speaker and comedian. Jan specialises in writing humorous…
Read MorePublic speaking – setting free our human voice
As a public speaking and presentation skills trainer I am passionate about helping my clients find their voice and develop the confidence and passion to share their knowledge, opinions, hopes, fears, thoughts and feelings with the world. I came across this short video via youtube and its simple yet profound message just resonated with me.…
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 MoreHow to be funny in a speech or presentation
Southampton based Presentation Trainer, Gavin Meikle gives some some great practical suggestions for how to write a humerous speech or presentation.
Read MoreDare to share your story.
A brief post about the power of personal stories in a speech or presentation
Read MoreDon’t underestimate the power of storytelling in business and education
Stories are incredibly important tools for communicating all sorts of information. I have been an “unconscious” story collector now for many years and as a trainer, these stories have been incredibly helpful to my participants in bringing the material I teach to life. To be honest I tend to take them for granted because I…
Read MoreDon’t skimp on practice if you want to be great!
In this day and age it seems like everybody is looking for the quick fix without any effort. Whether it’s making money, getting fit, loosing weight or becoming a celebrity. Andit seems to me that this obsession for instant success is supported and encouraged by adverts for all sorts of products both online and offline…
Read MoreMatch the pace to your content – Changing gear in a speech or presentation
I was particularly impressed with the way Rich matched his energy and pace of delivery to the story he was telling. At the start his pace was slow and measured as he described the rather boring car journey where he was too small to see much out of the car window but clouds. Then, when he arrived at his gran’s the pace picked up dramatically as he described zooming into her house (an Aladdin’s cave for a five year old boy!) with his arms outstretched behind him pretending to be a plane. The pace stayed high as he described how he explored and played and then slowed a little as he started to describe the other family members present. The pace slowed further as he brought us up to the present day and how things had changed. How his granny wasn’t as energetic as she had been, how the food wasn’t as home cooked as it had been and so on. This “gear change”change of pace brought a poignancy and a sense of reflection to this speech that worked beautifully and lead us up nicely to Rich’s take away message.
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