Deliberate Practice – The Key to Improving Presentation Skill
We have all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect” but is it really true? Practice is a key part of any new skill acquisition, but there’s more to it than simple, mindless repetition. They way we practice is as important as whether we practice when it comes to improving presentation skill. The aim of this…
Read MoreA New Way to Become Fearless?
Recently I heard pop star Jessie J interviewed on BBC Radio 4. During the interview she talked about how the key to success was being fearless. She then went on to define what that meant for her. She explained that fearlessness was the acceptance that , making mistakes, getting things wrong, or being criticised by others were just…
Read MoreHow to Come Across as Credible With Your Audience
One of the most common fears associated with presentations and speaking in public is the fear of not being taken seriously. Whether you are presenting in front of a few colleagues at an internal team meeting, or standing up in front of thousands at a major conference, credibility is essential if you are to influence…
Read MoreHow to Make a Great PowerPoint Presentation
Why do you think so many people still ask me to tell them how to make a good PowerPoint presentation? Surely by now everyone would have worked out that the typical corporate PowerPoint Presentations don’t work! Well apparently not, judging by the number of appalling examples I still see on a regular basis. My theory for…
Read MoreOvercoming Public Speaking Fear – Embrace Your Vulnerability
One of the most common reasons for public speaking nerves is our fear of making a mistake in front of others. Maybe we’ll dry up, or say something stupid or … In other words, we are scared to let others to see that we are anything less than perfect. Interestingly, some of the best…
Read More(Q1xD)xQ2=R – A Formula for Sales Success?
Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that are the most useful. I recently attended a networking meeting and the group leader shared a formula which has helped me think more productively about my business. In this post I’m going to share this formula for sales success with you. To be honest, when (Q1xD)xQ2=R appeared on the…
Read MoreBoost Your Influence by Fine Tuning Your Intonation
In this post, I’d like to show you how a greater awareness of one particular area of your vocal delivery can boost your ability to influence others. Intonation is the way we change our vocal tone within a sentence, and it can dramatically alter the meaning of the words we speak. You can harness the power…
Read MoreWhat to do When Your Managers Suck
I read a recent article demonstrating the difference made by effective managers which seemed to sum up a lifetime of experience. It summarised a number of recent research articles looking at the value of effective managers within any organisation. Did you know that effective managers can increase productivity between 12% and 25%! Another study by Wharton business school,…
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 MoreOlympic Lessons for Presenters Who Want to be the Best
The dust has settled on the London 2012 Olympics and the UK can get back to normal but are there any lessons for presenters from the 2012 Games? I could be negative and have a go at the professional BBC commentators who managed to entertain us with a vast selection of bloopers, contrived alliterations, uhms…
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