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 […]

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 […]

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

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Leading business schools, from Stanford to Wharton, teach storytelling as a business communication strategy. The ability to tell an engaging, compelling, and persuasive story is a hallmark of effective leadership and executive presence. Stories are a powerful way for leaders to engage customers, increase sales, rally the troops, sell ideas internally and externally, recruit talented […]

When people think of public speaking mistakes, they usually imagine disaster scenarios – their minds go blank in front of the boss, or the A/V equipment stops working, or the client asks a question that stumps them.  And of course, these things CAN happen. I have presented during two blackouts, where not only did the […]

Every presentation is an opportunity to make an impression. You can either use your pitch to build credibility, engagement and buy-in, or blow the chance to share your story in a way that sells. No matter how compelling your message is, if you don’t capture your audience’s attention in the first minute, you’ll miss the […]

I was ready: I had my frozen yogurt and my fleece blanket and my children had been banned from speaking to me unless there was blood. It was the Golden Globe Awards, one of my favorite nights of the year. I couldn’t wait to see the fashion do’s and don’ts, the winners, and the losers, […]

Aristotle once wrote: “The least deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold.” When it comes to presenting to an audience, he’s right – you never want to lie to your listeners. Where I beg to differ with one of the greatest philosophers of all time is that when it comes to managing your […]

Making a presentation under the best of circumstances can be nerve-wracking. From worrying about whether the rest of your team is as prepared (or unprepared) as you are, and making sure that the technology works, to confirming that your stories resonate, and that you actually remember what you had planned to say, speaking in a […]