Last month Peter asked, with the increase of on-line meetings and reduction in visual cues, whether I thought the language we use has become more important? And my answer is I don’t think it’s any more important than when on the phone or talking while using a flipchart, (and having to keep turning away from […]
Last month I was interviewed by Ash Taylor of The Business Club House on all things ‘presentation’. We discussed fear, presentation skills and overcoming stage fright – all very pertinent whether you are speaking from stage or in-front of a camera. You can hear the recording here or on Spotify here. Talking about what you […]
I’ve been out and about quite a bit this past month and watched a lot of people speaking at conferences, seminars and networking events. Generally, the calibre of speaker has been very high; event organisers are finding people who really know their stuff! If you are looking to expand your knowledge on a particular product […]
Have you noticed the difference in the way that other’s answer an easy or a hard question? Watch the next time there is a Q&A or you are at a meeting (or even if you are chatting to your family). When it is an easy question (or one the speaker knows the answer to) they […]
Have you sat through a lousy presentation recently? When the speaker literally read his slides out loud to you? I’m old enough to remember when we didn’t have PowerPoint and speakers didn’t use it as a crutch to lean on during their presentations. In fact, my first sales role entailed me turning up to a […]
Well to my mind, it’s to overrun. Time is our most precious commodity. You can’t make or earn more and once it has gone it can’t be replaced. Which means that as a speaker if you take more time than allotted you are saying that you don’t think that the audience’s time is important. And […]
When standing, if your feet are jiggling, crossed, moving without purpose, rocking, swaying or shuffling they are telling the person you are talking to that you aren’t as confident as you would like them to think you are. If you are presenting then this can really diminish your audience’s impression of you, which will make […]
I’ve talked previously about what to do with your hands when presenting so today I thought I’d discuss what NOT to do with them! We “leak” our emotions in our gestures, fiddles and fidgets telling those around us how we feel via our body language, and usually completely unconsciously! I’m sure you have been irritated […]
The question I am most commonly asked about when talking to people about their presentations is “What do I do with my hands?” Suddenly the appendages on the end of your arms become a major distraction … not necessarily to the audience but to you, the speaker. I think a part of it is your […]
A few weeks ago, at lunch with friends, we got onto the subject of how important a smile is and how you can “hear” a smile in someone’s voice. I recounted the story of how one of my first bosses made us put a sticker on the phone saying “Smile when you dial!” so that […]
