I am so excited. In November of this year I will be delivering my first TED talk. For those of you unfamiliar with TED talks or are not sure why this should excite me so much, let me take you back to New Year 2016. I’m not one for setting New Year’s resolutions. I’d rather […]
So here is the thing. You need to stand up in front of a group and deliver a presentation. This is part of your work, your job, and your career. You have tried everything you possibly can to get out of it (the dog ate your homework, your junior staff member can do it as […]
On a recent two day Presentation Skills for Phenomenal Women, one of the delegates said on day one, ‘ I just can’t do this. How do you manage to do it so naturally and confidently?’ What would her response have been if I had said, ‘ Well… I was born with this skill and as […]
Whether you work in a large organisation or you run your business or enterprise, being able to talk effectively about your business is absolutely essential. Yes, yes, yes I hear you say but surely if you know your stuff and you believe and are passionate about it, then talking about it is natural right? Wrong! […]
Arthur Schnabel, the pianist, once said, ‘The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes – ah that is where the art resides.’ Schnabel’s quote reminds me of the art of the pause– the knowing when and how long to pause. Understanding that the pause does more than just […]
Well, finally I did it. I did Stand Up…and survived! Back in January of this year, I decided to do something that would scare me, something that would well and truly take me out of my comfort zone. And with some bizarre happenstance coupled with a good friend’s encouragement, I found myself entering the Funny […]
Contrary to popular belief, people are simply not born with amazing presentation skills innately persuasive and captivating from birth. While it true that there are some who love the limelight, are not fazed by the attention presenting brings, that does not automatically mean that they are excellent presenters. And having expertise, knowledge and a brain […]
When people share with me that they are frightened of presenting and speaking in public it often boils down to one of two reasons: They don’t know what to say or how to say it or Faulty thinking… I have written many many blogs on the ‘what to say and how to say it’ (and […]
I have been focusing on feedback and rehearsal of late in my blogs and in my private coaching sessions. One question I often get asked is how to ask for feedback. Read one of my previous blogs (Feedback is useless…) for one way to start. It is a brave and challenging thing to ask someone […]
I was speaking with the CEO of an organisation the other day and she said something interesting. She said, ‘I ask for feedback after my presentations but it is pretty useless so I have stopped asking any more’ My question to her was ‘How do you ask for feedback?’ You see, when it comes […]
The Day my projector broke…presentation disaster?
Three reasons why PowerPoint stinks
Feedback is useless…
Could you present on anything?
Catherine Sandland: Oh I like this story. Thank ou for sharing....
Colin Barnes: A great lineI heard from a speaker, who was speak...
Catherine Sandland: Thank you for posting this link. I absolutely agr...
@LightbulbJo Jo Cook: One way to focus is using Action Mapping. It bring...
Catherine Sandland: Hi Kieron, thank you for your comment. This is an...