If you had some negative feedback to impart to a colleague, we were told to dress it up with something pleasant. So, you would find a couple of positive elements and then sandwich the negative comment in between. Imagine you thought a team member’s presentation was pretty good but that the slides they had created […]
How not to give feedback and what to do instead Read More »
As regular readers will know, I attend a lot of networking events, at which business owners and representatives can take the opportunity to give a short presentation. The topic usually relates to an overview of their business, the market they work in or some top tips for the audience to take away. As the speaker,
Five ways to ruin your presentation and what to do instead! Read More »
Some years back I was invited to be a guest on Business Connections Live The UK’s leading online business television channel. And I won’t lie … I was nervous! Over the past few months, a couple of our clients have been presenting in studio for programmes to be aired in- house and for TV channels with
How comfortable are you in a TV studio? Read More »
According to the German Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus you are likely to forget what you learn within 7 days. After 24 hours he concluded that about two-thirds of anything memorised is forgotten. Not great news if you are trying to memorise your presentation. However, there are some things you can do to help yourself retain information.
What does the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve have to do with your presentation? Read More »
A frequent question I get asked is how to remember a presentation. And it is often an excuse I’m given for why someone has to have bullet points on each slide … so they can remember what they want to say. Last month I talked about the HICCY method for creating a great pitch and
How to remember what you want to say. Read More »
The past few months we’ve been working with a number of clients who want their teams to create and deliver talks and presentations; specifically, as part of social media videos and campaigns. We’ve also been contacted by a number of business owners struggling to move back to face-to-face networking and deliver great pitches. They’ve become
How to create a great pitch so other’s take action. Read More »
When you’re presenting, there are lots of good reasons to get into the room before everyone else arrives. You can get a feel for the room; check the acoustics and generally make sure there are no surprises. If you are using a mic you can plan for how/if/when you need to be miked up and
Why getting into the room you are due to present in, before everyone else, is important Read More »
Over the years I’ve presented using most styles of microphone. On stage I’ve coped with a handheld heavyweight, a clip-on lapel mic and a headset that sat over my hair like a hairband. I’ve also spoken into a mic on radio, internet TV, on Zoom calls and most recently to record my audio book*. And
How to comfortably work with a microphone. Read More »
If you follow my articles, you’ll have heard me speaking about listening skills. The art of listening is key for good communication. However today I want to talk about what happens when the other person doesn’t appear to be listening to you! It can really throw your confidence and affect your ability to deliver your
How do you react if you aren’t being listened to? Read More »
I came across an interesting paper, while researching an upcoming presentation, called “Exploring Filler Words and Their Impact” by Emily Duvall, Aimee Robbins, Thomas Graham and Scott Divett. It’s a report looking at filler words, their impact on credibility of the speaker and comprehension of the listener. It’s a subject I have always found interesting.
How Umming and Erring in a speech can improve your believability. Read More »
