When I started my first ‘proper’ job in retail management, my boss called me into his office, said I needed to be good and confident at speaking to groups and immediately set me two tasks. One was to prepare for a short slot at the next management meeting. The other was to go and deliver […]
Archive | Presentations
How much do you notice?
I’m as guilty as the next person of multi-tasking. Often when I’m walking the dogs, I’ll use that time for testing out conversations, presentations, training. In between throwing balls and calling back dogs in a squirrel hunt, I’ll run through what sounds good, crafting a story (or even a post like this one) It works. […]
The power of the well-placed word
I was listening to an interview with the authorised biographer for Victoria Woods on the radio last week. Apparently, she was a hard taskmaster to work with and knew exactly what had to happen and what had to be said. (And of course, she was right so colleagues trusted her and did what she asked) […]
Public speaking – boiled down to three fundamental principles
Communication as a word is totally useless. It’s too big a word with a myriad of different categories and definitions. It means different things to different people. But how about this as a way of thinking about communication (and therefore presentations) can you say things in a way that other people ‘get’? can you say […]
What can speaking brilliantly do for your business?
Do people know what you do? Do they know why you do what you do? Do they know what you can do for them? Do they know what you can do for others so they can recommend you? Yes, a website with brilliant copy can help you make sure that people can find out this […]
I speak twice a year (and even then I try to avoid it) – why don’t the nerves go away and why don’t I get any better?
Imagine you were just about to learn how to surf. ( if you are already an experienced surfer, then I am happy for you to comment on the accuracy of my analogy) You slip into your wet suit (doesn’t that make it sound easy!), grab your board and march determinedly towards the open sea. You […]
I want to be me…but my personality flows out of my boots when I stand up to speak
What do you think of when you think of a presenter? What images do you come across when you search for ‘presenter? Nine times out of ten, we think of booted and suited, behind a lectern, against a background of slides and of course smooth, suave and confident! Sometimes, that is what presenting is but […]
How to write a presentation – don’t!
The answer to how do I write a presentation is… you don’t! Let me qualify. If you are a speechwriter, if your presentation needs to be word perfect or you’re speaking in Parliament or the world stage for example, then your speech needs to be written. You may want to write down prompts, links, important […]
Number one step in preparing for a presentation…
It’s all about the message right? It’s not just the words we choose to say or even the sequence and structure we employ to express those words. It’s the meaning behind all that, it’s what the audience will take away and remember, it’s how the listeners will be influenced by what you say and the […]
On soup, social funding and speaking up…
Just before Christmas I saw an article (you can read it here) that piqued my interest and got me thinking. It was about a way of bringing together different parts of the community using the lure of a bowl of soup, and raising micro funding for projects, activities and social enterprises. Always a lover of […]
