A Day in the Internet
In the past, I have written articles stressing the importance of making data meaningful for our audiences. Drawing inspiration from such sources as Carl Sagan and the Long Island Initiative, I have tried to show examples of why it is important to put statistics into context. As Chip and Dan Heath emphasize in Made to […]
Speakers: It's About Time (and How to Manage It)
Time management is an essential skill for any public speaker. It should be part of any communications skills training course. I previously wrote a post about why speakers should stay on time when giving a speech or presentation, and how failing to do so is a sign of disrespect. I encouraged speakers to finish on […]
Rick Perry's "Oops" Moment and Five Lessons We Can Learn
Drawing a blank. It’s one of people’s biggest fears when it comes to speaking in public. It is painful for the audience and excruciating for the speaker. And during the Republican Presidential Debate on 9 November 2011, Rick Perry experienced it firsthand. In case you missed the debate, this was the moment: I’ve not been […]
The Atomic Method of Creating a PowerPoint Presentation
Seth Godin is the author of several books about “marketing, the spread of ideas and managing both customers and employees with respect”. They are bestsellers. His blog is one of my favourites and I highly recommend it. This post is part of a series based on original posts by Seth. In this blog post from 13 October 2011, Seth […]
PowerPoint: It's Child's Play
Who knew that PowerPoint could make you feel all warm and fuzzy? But kudos to Microsoft for this commercial. Very clever. I have to give the young man credit. Heck, even I’d buy him a dog after that!But as humorous as this commercial is, there are some important lessons that we can learn from it: […]
A Tough Act to Follow
Today’s post comes from Jesse Langley. Jesse lives near Chicago and divides his time among work, writing and family life. He writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University and has a keen interest in blogging and social media. He also writes for The Professional Intern. ——— Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the […]
Ten Tips for Using Props in a Presentation
In my previous post, I looked at some of the ways in which a prop can add some real value to a presentation. In this post, I provide 10 tips when it comes to using props. For most of the tips, I have added a video clip of a speech or presentation that shows the idea […]
A Public Speaker's Checklist – Free PDF File
I am happy to provide you with a comprehensive public speaker’s checklist for logistical matters. Last year I wrote a post about logistical items that speakers should remember for a speaking engagement. Reader response was so good that I created an addendum. To put these ideas into a more practical format for you, I have […]
What will the audience do when you've finished speaking?
Long-time readers of this blog know that I stress the importance of thinking about the audience before preparing a speech or designing a presentation. A speech or presentation is always about the audience: first; last; and foremost. That’s why I am delighted to share a short video featuring my friend and fellow public speaker, Conor […]
Tagged audienceBarcelonaConor NeillIESEPresentationpublic speakingSpeech