Steve Jobs once commented, “People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint.” Whether that’s a slight exaggeration or a big one, it is true that most of our sales pitches and presentations rely heavily on visual aids and collateral. These can be a crutch for those of us who might not know our […]
The Presenter as Storyteller (Part 2)
In our last article (“Can a Good Story Save a Boring Presentation?”), we suggested that you try to add stories to enliven otherwise dull, data-driven technical and financial presentations (the kind where the audience wants “Just the facts, ma’am”). Individual stories about the folks who actually produced the data you’re reporting on can be a […]
Can a Good Story Save a Boring Presentation?
If you have read any of our books or articles about public speaking, or if you have taken one of our presentation skills classes, then you already know that we believe the answer to this question is a resounding YES! Which leads us to another question: Can EVERY presentation benefit from the inclusion of a […]
10 Reasons You’re Talking Too Much, and What to Do About It
Whether you think of yourself as Chatty Charlie, Reserved Rebecca or someone in between, chances are you have experienced the power of saying more with less. If you’ve ever worked in an office where someone stage-whispered “layoffs are coming” across the cubicle farm, you’ve felt the panic that rises from three words. You may have […]
‘I’m Sorry’ Can Undermine Your Career. Here’s What to Say Instead
We all make mistakes. From minor ones like mispronouncing someone’s name (which, depending on the person, could be a big deal) to major ones like making an expensive misguided hire, every single one of us can remember the workplace errors we’ve made that are cringe-worthy for ourselves, and painful for others. For those of us with a conscience and […]
12 Phrases that Will Make Your Audience Put Down Their Cell Phones and Pay Attention to You
Franklin Delano Roosevelt once gave this pithy advice for making a good presentation: “Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated.” As a professional speaker and presentation coach for the past two decades, I agree with this public speaking wisdom, and I would add one more tip: “Be memorable.” Read the rest of the article
3 Tips for Presenting in English When You’re Not a Native Speaker
As a coach and international business school instructor, I have worked with hundreds of current and future leaders who are accomplished, bright, and capable — and who quickly lose their confidence and competence when making business presentations. For a subset of these leaders — those who need to present in English when it isn’t their […]
Stop Ending Your Speeches With ‘Any Questions’ and End With This Instead
You have a big presentation to make to your client, your funders, or your boss. You’ve spent hours developing a deck that’s concise, crisp, and visually stunning. You’ve practiced the delivery so that you speak with clarity, calm, and confidence. You’ve tested to make sure your tech is glitch-free, proofread the printed materials, and developed an […]
How to Solicit Negative Feedback When Your Manager Doesn’t Want to Give It
In my role as a leadership coach, I consistently hear my clients say that they crave negative feedback from their managers in order to improve in their jobs, grow their careers, and achieve better business results. However, when it comes to soliciting negative feedback, they find that their managers would rather dismiss, deny, or delay […]
Are You Working With a Bully? Here’s How to Keep Your Cool Without Losing Your Dignity
We all have to work with difficult people. That’s a fact of life — and work. And one person’s difficult person isn’t necessarily another’s. You might experience Analytical Amy as challenging to work with because she slows every single process down in order to make sure every detail is correct, but your boss is eternally […]
How to Turn a Conflict With Your Co-Worker Into a Calm Conversation
Have you ever had a conflict with a co-worker? Of course you have. If your company employs more than one person, workplace conflict is inevitable. And even if you’re a sole proprietor, you’re going to have challenges with clients, vendors, industry colleagues and others. Unless you only surround yourself with people who think, speak and work […]
Want to Be a Master Networker? Stop Making Boring Introductions and Do This Instead
Whether you’re hosting a conference, mingling at a networking event, or leading your team through a presentation to a new client, there’s one step that’s inevitable: introducing people to one another. If you’re like most busy professionals, your introductions of your colleagues and clients feel perfunctory, are unplanned, and come across as either terse or […]
Mario: Before and After
Several years ago, when I was still teaching my yearly “Report Writing and Presentation Skills” class to graduate students in the Beijing International MBA Program at Peking University, I had a young Chinese man in my class named Mario. (Quick aside: My colleague at PKU, Deborah Riegel, and I often had Chinese students who had […]