The big problem with verbal communication is that we don’t do it very well at all. In other words, often we don’t say what we mean. So let’s unpack that a bit more – what we say is different from what we mean, which leaves the listener to interpret what we meant from what they […]
David played the guitar. He was 12, I was 13, and he was my boarding school friend. I listened and watched, mesmerised. When he offered to teach me a few chords I jumped at the opportunity. I would practise whenever I could get my hands on his guitar. I just loved playing. As a result, […]
Imagine – you’ve trained for many months to run a marathon. You’re at the start line. You spot a spectator on the sidelines with a holstered revolver. “Is that thing loaded?” You ask. “Sure is!” he responds proudly. “Can I borrow it for a sec?” you ask. “Sure thing” says he, handing you the weapon – […]
April 2020 will be remembered for many things, but one standout is how video conferencing went into orbit. Now everyone with some bandwidth is doing it. For most of us though it’s unfamiliar territory, so when ther’s three or more people online it starts getting a bit tricky – unless you know what you’re doing.
Having delivered hundreds of presentation skills courses and assessments since 1999, written over 100 articles and a book on the topic, Trudi and I understand the most common pitfalls that most aspirant presenters plunge into regularly. Many of these pitfalls apply to experienced presenters too. Those who present regularly may think they’re fine, but those that haven’t bothered to critically hone their skills could also be falling short.
When you are asked to speak to an audience there’s an assumption that you know enough about the topic to do it justice. The audience will assume that you can at least strike an appropriate balance between confirming what they know and adding some juicy – and relevant bits that they don’t! The organiser should […]
The answer to this question is yes, but how do you do it and what, if any are the benefits? Slide shows are a modern innovation. Overhead projectors only went mainstream in the 1980’s, 35mm slides a few years later and data projectors after the turn of the century. One would think that these technological […]
Whether you’re chatting to one person or presenting to many, your authenticity will be established quickly – and instinctively. How? They’ll be watching you. Without consciously realising it, listeners will measure your levels of believability by the quality and intensity of your gaze – in other words how well you make eye contact. They do […]
Presentations can be scary. but don’t be fooled into thinking that preparing and delivering them is the only scary part. Having to sit through them can be even more daunting! Reasons include poor preparation, poor delivery, content overload, inadequate logistics or very bad visuals. There’s loads more. I’d like to focus on the nonsense we unknowingly […]
If you’re finding that your business presentations aren’t getting you results, there could be many reasons why. But there is one that stands out above the rest, and it has nothing to do with your delivery. It’s simply this: Have you done your homework? Generally, presentations are an opportunity to get a relevant message across […]