I love a good story. As a child, I could listen for hours to the tales told by my parents, grandparents, teachers and others. As I grew older, I sought out stories through novels, films or theatre. As a parent, I thoroughly enjoyed reading books (complete with voice characterizations) to my two
Know your speaking rate. Frequently, we have to give a speech within strict time limits. Speech contests are a good example. If a speaker goes over time by even one second, she is disqualified. Other examples include being given a 30-minute slot at a conference or 15 minutes to do an after-dinner speech. Those who
To become adept at public speaking, we need to practise. However, we can also improve our skills by watching and learning from other speakers. Today’s post provides you with a great resource to do just that: TED. TED (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) began in 1984 as a conference to bring
Have you ever been empty-handed in a conversation at a cocktail party? No drink or plate of canapés to hold? Did you suddenly become acutely aware of your hands? So much so, that you were not sure what to do with them? Me too. Thank heavens for wine. And canapés.
Today’s post is inspired by a 1929 ad from Coca-Cola. In that year, the company came up with a truly great slogan that you still sometimes hear today: “The pause that refreshes.” As speakers, we can learn a lot from that slogan. Knowing when and how to pause is a great
Where do you stand with PowerPoint? I am not asking whether you are in favour of PowerPoint or against. Given the number of excrutiatingly painful PowerPoint presentations to which we have all been subjected, I am sure that the answer would be a resounding “AGAINST!” No, what I want to know is,
Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll or who took the time to write a thoughtful comment, either here or on Linked In. The topic is clearly one of interest and it generated a lot of good discussion. I confess that the question was somewhat unfair in that
This might be my blog, but that does not mean that I should do all the work. Now it’s your turn. In today’s post, I want to focus on a very general question, the answer to which provides good insight into the preparation and delivery of a speech or presentation. The question is
Not like this. And not like this. What I mean is the “Kiss principle”: Keep it short and simple. (Or, Keep it simple, stupid.) Anyone can ramble on (and on and on) in a speech. But the speaker who can cut to the heart of the matter quickly and precisely, and leave the
Karsta Goetze
TA Leader, Gore and Associates
Andy Yen
CEO, Proton Technologies
David Lindelöf
Senior Data Scientist, Expedia Group
After a morning of team building activities using improvisation as the conduit, John came on stage to close the staff event which was organised in Chamonix, France. His energy and presence were immediately felt by all the members of staff. The work put into the preparation of his speech was evident and by sharing some his own stories, he was able to conduct a closing inspirational speech which was relevant, powerful and impactful for all at IRU. The whole team left feeling engaged and motivated to tackle the 2019 objectives ahead. Thank you, John.
Umberto de Pretto
Secretary General, World Road Transport Organization
I was expecting a few speaking tips and tricks and a few fun exercises, but you went above and beyond – and sideways. You taught me to stand tall. You taught me to anchor myself. You taught me to breathe. You taught me to open up. You taught me to look people in the eye. You taught me to tell the truth. You taught me to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. I got more than I bargained for in the best possible way.
Thuy Khoc-Bilon
World Cancer Day Campaign Manager, Union for International Cancer Control
John gave a brilliant presentation on public speaking during the UN EMERGE programme in Geneva (a two days workshop on leadership development for a group of female staff members working in the UN organizations in Geneva). His talk was inspirational and practical, thanks to the many techniques and tips he shared with the audience. His teaching can dramatically change our public speaking performance and enable us as presenters to have a real and powerful impact. Thank you, John, for your great contribution!
Sara Canna
HR Specialist, World Health Organization
John is a genuine communication innovator. His seminars on gamification of public speaking learning and his interactive Rhetoric game at our conference set the tone for change and improvement in our organisation. The quality of his input, the impact he made with his audience and his effortlessly engaging style made it easy to get on board with his core messages and won over some delegates who were extremely skeptical as to the efficacy of games for learning. I simply cannot recommend him highly enough.
Thomas Scott
National Education Director, Association of Speakers Clubs UK
John joined our Global Sales Meeting in Segovia, Spain and we all participated in his “Improv(e) your Work!” session. I say “all” because it really was all interactive, participatory, learning and enjoyable. The session surprised everybody and was a fresh-air activity that brought a lot of self-reflection and insights to improve trust and confidence in each other inside our team. It´s all about communication and a good manner of speaking!”
Jon Lopez
General Manager Europe, Hayward Industries
Thank you very much for the excellent presentation skills session. The feedback I received was very positive. Everyone enjoyed the good mix of listening to your speech, co-developing a concrete take-away and the personal learning experience. We all feel more devoted to the task ahead, more able to succeed and an elevated team spirit. Delivering this in a short time, both in session and in preparation, is outstanding!
Henning Dehler
CFO European Dairy Supply Chain & Operations, Danone
Thanks to John’s excellent workshop, I have learned many important tips and techniques to become an effective public speaker. John is a fantastic speaker and teacher, with extensive knowledge of the field. His workshop was a great experience and has proven extremely useful for me in my professional and personal life.
Eric Thuillard
Senior Sales Manager, Sunrise Communications
John’s presentation skills training was a terrific investment of my time. I increased my skills in this important area and feel more comfortable when speaking to an audience. John provided the right mix between theory and practice.
Diego Brait
Director of the Jura Region, BKW Energie AG
Be BOLD. Those two words got stuck in my head and in the heads of all those ADP leaders and associates that had the privilege to see John on stage. He was our keynote speaker at our annual convention in Barcelona, and his message still remains! John puts his heart in every word. Few speakers are so credible, humble and yet super strong with large audiences!
Guadalupe Garcia
Senior Director and Talent Partner, ADP International
