Be a Confident Speaker: Recorded Interview
Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and learn my top tips for being a confident speaker! Last week, Regina Barr, Founder of Women at the Top, interviewed me as part of her “Author Interview” series on how to be a confident speaker, based on my book, 12 Ways to Be a Confident Speaker. Here are the […]
PowerPoint on iPhone or iPad: Practice and Present
If you have an iPhone or an iPad and you do PowerPoint presentations, you will want to get the free SlideShark app. I’ve used it on my iPad to do one-on-one presentations and I’ve also used it on my phone to practice presentations. You can also broadcast your presentation to the web and connect your […]
Is Communication Really 93% Non-Verbal?
Have you heard these statistics?: “Effective communication is only 7 percent verbal and 93 percent non-verbal (the non-verbal is 55 percent body language and 38 percent tone of voice). They are often accompanied by a PowerPoint pie chart: Maybe you have even quoted those statistics. I’ve heard so many speakers quote those numbers (including a […]
Tips for Speaking Using an Interpreter on a Web Conference
Imagine speaking via a web conference to an audience half-way across the world who doesn’t even speak your language. As our world grows more connected, it is likely that you will have this experience, if you haven’t already. How can you avoid some pitfalls? In a word: preparation. On Sunday, I presented via Adobe Connect […]
Authentic vs. “Politically Correct”
Have you ever wondered whether to tell a story because you were concerned that the language or subject matter might be offensive or “politically incorrect”? Ironically, as I was considering that very issue as I am preparing a presentation for an Iranian audience, I happened to check the reviews for the very first book I […]
Improve Your Speaking with Improv
Aside from participating in Toastmasters, the most beneficial activity I have done to improve my speaking was to take a couple of improv classes several years ago. The idea of speaking without preparation may be terrifying to you. It’s still not my favorite thing to do, but practicing improv in class, in Toastmasters and even […]
Be a Motor Mouth: Practice Your Speech in the Car
You can greatly improve your speech with practice, but finding the time . . . that is the challenge isn’t it? One way that I have found to slip in practice time is to practice in the car. I don’t suggest practicing in rush-hour traffic, because your attention will be divided and you might not […]
Don’t Risk a Bad Start: Bring Your Speaker Introduction
Your speaker introduction is an important part of your presentation. It should get the audience leaning forward with anticipation of the topic and also set up your credibility (here’s a post on how to write your speaker introduction). Unless you have a video of your introduction played just prior to your presentation (which can be […]
The Cure for Stage Fright
Perhaps you know the feeling. The tightness that grips your stomach. The racing heart. The sweaty palms. The shaking hands or legs. All physical symptoms of the fear of public speaking. The intuitive approach is to try to calm yourself. While some deep breaths are a good idea (you do need oxygen to your brain!), […]
Free ebook–Public Speaking Lessons from TED Talks
Free until Saturday, March 8, 2014 Get your free Kindle version of the short e-book, Public Speaking Lessons from TED Talks: The Good and the Bad from the 10 Most-Viewed TED Talks Imagine giving a powerful, TEDTalk-Style Presentation. You can learn insightful tips from this ebook, a compilation my past 10 posts on the top 10 most-viewed TED Talks. The […]