To shape a culture where the complex messages truly resonate in clear and concise ways, it hinges on one thing: feedback.
To shape a culture where the complex messages truly resonate in clear and concise ways, it hinges on one thing: feedback.
Don’t bog down your message. To present a compelling presentation, public speakers should start with “why” the audience should care, and simply get to the point.
I remember back in elementary school, lining up in gym, tensing all my muscles, just waiting for the teacher to yell, “GREEN LIGHT!” I’d take off as fast as I could trying to cover as much distance as I could before I heard “RED LIGHT!” I hated the red light. I just wanted to run. […]
Ah, rhetorical questions. They are a favorite tool of public speakers. But are they useful? (Don’t answer that!) Rhetorical questions are asked not for the answer, but for the effect. But the truth is, your audience wants answers, not questions. In your next speech, avoid a barrage of rhetorical questions. Instead, flip the narrative and […]
Your talk is only as good as someone’s ability to receive and understand it. When choosing words for your presentation, think small.
More is NOT always better. For years (and years, and years) one of the most common complaints about presentations has been bullet-ridden and text heavy slides. You’d think by now speakers would know to avoid this presentation faux pas. Yet we still see slides that rival War and Peace. The victims of this death by […]
If audiences want short talks, why is it still so hard for speakers to oblige them? Here are three strategies we use when helping speakers to be more (much much more) concise.
While we admire the endurance of marathon runners and other long-distance athletes, the same can’t be said for speakers and presenters. When it’s time to take the stage, keep it short. Take our word for it when we say the time limit isn’t there for you, it’s for your audience. Think your topic deserves more time? […]
I am passionate about the power of breath. It not only makes for good public speaking, but it also helps a person feel grounded and confident in any area of life. Allow me to share a three quick tips to harness the power of your own breath.
Are you trying to sell the teddy bear… or the stuffing? See Ruth Milligan’s presentation to Columbus’ Web Analytics Wednesdays group to appreciate the relevant metaphor shared with her by an analytics client and her top list of components to assure a complicated, complex topic gets understood by their audience.
Step away from the thesaurus. Forget the jargon, too. To engage your audience as a reputable speaker, be relatable instead. Small words can make a big impact in your presentation.
Once a year, we enjoy an exhausting, exhilarating, thought-provoking discussion to identify the speakers for TEDxColumbus. What the discussions demonstrates is the commitment to identifying ideas worth spreading.
As coaches, we’ve seen it a thousand times before. Speed talker syndrome. Sometimes it happens when a speaker is excited or just plain nervous. Other times it’s the guy who tries to fit 38 minutes of content into a 7-minute presentation. To increase your credibility and make a better impression, slow it down. Take a breath, or 10.
So, are your presentations for your audience or yourself? Are they thoughtfully planned stories with which your audience can relate? Convert your conversation into a presentation.
Use too much humor in your speech? The joke will be on you. Watch the latest episode of Talk Like Someone’s Listening to learn how to engage your audience without losing credibility.