I was coaching a gentleman recently to prepare him for a big presentation.  We’ll call him Paul.  Prior to working with him, Paul’s boss and I met to discuss goals for the process.  He wanted Paul’s presentation message to be clear and memorable.  In...

That depends. If answering the question requires input from a specialist who is not in attendance at the interview: Let the panel know that the specialist will likely have the best answer to that question and you will contact that individual immediately upon leaving...

I was working with a general contractor recently who said, “Don’t take this personally, but I hate practicing, I hate presenting, the only thing I like is the relief I feel when it is over.” His statement may resonate with some of you readers....

I was recently leading an in-house, 5 session workshop for a construction company.  After our first workshop, I gave the participants an assignment to prepare for a one-on-one session with me the following week.  A couple of the guys came to that individual meeting...

Yes and no.  While earning my Master’s Degree in Speech Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, I learned some theories related to persuasion: The Primacy Effect suggests that the information we hear first is more likely to have sticking power. Alternately, the...

Are your beliefs supporting or hindering your desire to be a more effective speaker? “What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for. You become what you believe.” –  Oprah Recently I was preparing a very bright and...

There are certain times in your presentation when it is a good idea to slow down the rate at which you speak.  When painting a picture you want to make sure your audience does not miss any details, therefore take your time describing it. ...

A friend of mine recently sent me a video featuring Simon Sinek.  According to Wikipedia, Simon is a marketing consultant known for developing “The Golden Circle,” a model based on human decision-making that guides organizations on how to inspire people to buy or support...

“Presentations are a tool for high-stakes internal and external communications. Presentations all too often reflect the agenda of the presenter rather than build a connection with the audience.  This is unfortunate because presentations could be considered the last branding frontier, in terms of both...

This is one reason why rehearsing your presentation is so critical.  Practicing increases the likelihood that you will stay on track and hit your key points without getting a case of verbal vomit.  However, if it does happen use this simple strategy: 1.    Stop...