It never ceases to amaze me how often professional speakers, presentation skills trainers, and public speaking coaches say that good communication “is not about you,” and then they proceed to talk about themselves.
So which is it? Should you talk about yourself or not? Continue reading Myth-buster: YOU matter
Have you ever felt like people aren’t listening to you? I hate that! If so, you have caught a rampant disease. The cure takes some practice, but the diagnosis is incredibly simple. The simple reason people don’t listen to you is that Continue reading Hold their Attention
Most public speaking programs focus entirely on WHAT you say. Unfortunately, improving WHAT you say won’t help you unless you also know HOW to say it. The first rule of professional speaking is simple: Continue reading Steal their Attention
Imagine your favorite singer performing your favorite song. That singer has worked with world-famous vocal coaches singing nothing but musical scales for hours. What would happen if that singer Continue reading Myth-buster: Unchained Melody
You’re getting bad advice. Ever since I was in elementary school, all of my well-meaning teachers have been telling me to Continue reading Myth-buster: Speed limit
I hate speakers that put me to sleep, I hate presentations with no purpose, and I hate it when the boss requires me to sit through an hour-long meeting that could have been condensed into an e-mail.
Unfortunately, many such presenters think they’re great, but are shockingly mediocre. Let me give you a simple test to know if you are one of those presenters. Continue reading One Question if You Hate Mediocrity
You know that uncomfortable feeling, when you know what everybody is thinking but nobody knows what to say? Should YOU say something? Continue reading To Broach or Not to Broach?
Most people are better speakers when they don’t use PowerPoint! Slides, pictures, and props have enormous power, unfortunately, most people are using them wrong. If you want to do it “right,” you only need two rules. Continue reading Visuals Done “Right”
Flattery works wonders! Any good salesman knows how to butter you up. On the other hand, the stereotypical “used car salesman” is transparently insincere. What if you could make people feel better about themselves, and better about you at the same time? Continue reading Covert Ego Building
So you’ve learned that most persuaders, most politicians, and most speakers are doing it wrong. By doing what they were taught in school, 95% of presenters actually alienate the audience. What are they doing wrong?
