Ever since I was a child, I lacked artistic talent. Whether painting, drawing, coloring or cutting out paper snowflakes, my artistic efforts to create something of beauty resulted in a mess. I did have a talent for making ash trays out of clay. I...
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What NOT to say in an interview
Have you ever heard someone say something in practice or in an interview that made you squirm? As you can imagine, I’ve heard more than a few. I am now collecting them for a “What not to say” segment in my newsletter-kind of like...
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Are you making the most of your practice time?
I know most folks hate practicing. It’s not fun. There are countless other things you could be doing that would be imminently more enjoyable and offer more immediate gratification. There are a million other things you could be doing. But disciplined practice is the...
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Take advantage of time between proposal submittal and shortlist notification…
There is usually a short window between shortlist notification and interview day which makes the process very time sensitive. Quite often, much needs to be done and there is only so much time in a day to accomplish it. Therefore, don’t wait until shortlist...
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Authenticity
One of the elements I work with my clients on is authenticity in presentations. But the microcosm of presentations allows us to improve the authenticity and effectiveness of all the mini-presentations, or communication events that occur in a day. Authenticity is a perception. It...
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Useful stories and examples…
Create a story repository to document examples that can be used in prepared presentations and Q & A responses. This makes it easy to come up with project related stories and examples that validate your team’s ability to deliver a positive outcome to clients....
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Don’t try to fix everything at once
Presentation skills offer an ever evolving opportunity to progress. It can be overwhelming to think of all the ways you can improve and become more effective. To minimize overwhelm and maximize improvement, focus on no more than two improvement areas at a time per...
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To theme or not to theme…
Coming up with a theme for your presentation makes the experience more memorable for your selection panel. It simplifies the message and makes it stick. The team is often so close to the material that have difficulty summing it up in a simple, memorable...
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Would you win more work if your people were more effective presenters? Yes? Then you need PIE!
No I am not talking about that delicious dessert. PIE stands for Project Interview Excellence. Many of you have been asking about how I have been able to achieve such great results and a win streak of 9 in a row. My signature Project...
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Get a little closer, don’t be shy…
Yes, I am quoting the famous Arid Extra Dry commercial. However, it rings true for many presenters as well. More often than not, presenters stand as far away from the audience as possible. This is particularly the case if the room is large and...
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