In our professional lives, we occasionally have to talk about topics that aren’t inherently interesting. The information may be information-dense, dry, dull, or in your mind, boring. Here are my top tips to make your presentation more engaging, Remember, there …
Business Speakers: How To Engage Your Colleagues When the Topic Is Boring. Read more »
Even after much preparation, speakers can get thrown by the behavior of their listeners. In person (and virtually) they will notice that someone has an angry expression, or another person appears to be doodling, or someone else is tapping a …
Virtual presentations deprive listeners of the energy they experience when in person. Presenting virtually often drives speakers to adopt a flat, affectless manner. They lack energy, which leads to their presentation (business style, live streaming, or a video) coming across as …
Video presentations, conferences, panel discussions, and webinars are dominating our work hours. Along with the endless talking, jargon and buzzwords have flooded in. Examples: high level, no need to reinvent the wheel, value proposition, low-hanging fruit, customer journey, etc. The speaker …
Just as nails on a chalkboard can set your teeth on edge, so can habitual verbal tics annoy listeners. Even in casual conversation, when we speak, we want to hold our audience’s attention. If we keep using an annoying speech …
Two Annoying Speech Patterns That Weaken Our Message. Read more »
We all interrupt others, and other interrupt us; it is human nature. Although it occurs in face-to-face meetings, it is exacerbated by the presence of a screen, which can cause listeners to miss key facial expressions or hand gestures. When …
Many everyday speakers speak at a quick pace because they are comfortable with their listeners, for example: colleagues, casual business settings, friends in social groupings, etc. Although our new normal has moved most of our professional (and social) lives behind …
Every speaker will include filler words or sounds in their everyday conversation; they will umm or aah as they wrangle their thoughts, or try to recall specific information. In day to day speech, this isn’t a big issue—unless repeated constantly. However, in more professional …
Own the Pause and Eradicate Filler Words Forever. Read more »
Although video-everything has become the new method of communication, there has also been a considerable resurgence of the humble phone call. Whether you are making a sales pitch, connecting with a long-standing client, or doing an initial job interview, the …
Phone Calls Are Back! Top Tips to Make Your Sales Pitch or Job Interview Impactful. Read more »
When we give presentations or teach classes via video, we often use slides. Too many presenters/instructors—familiar with their topic—create the slides they want to use, and feel they are prepared. But merely looking over the slides and running through the …