In today’s social media-induced world of likes, shares and tweets, it’s easy to be seduced into believing that just because you’re standing in front of an audience, you automatically have their undivided attention. The reality is, every single time you address a group, you are auditioning. It doesn’t matter if you’re the company’s CEO, senior… read more
How to Get Rid of Your Verbal Graffiti Forever!
I’ll never forget coaching Angela Page back in July 2017. She was preparing to give a 15- minute, high stakes board presentation. Her coaching package included a draft of her speech, two revisions and four 90-minute coaching sessions. That’s correct . . . four sessions for a 15- minute presentation. What you don’t know is… read more
3 Things Every Speaker Should Know About Speaking on a Big Stage
Of the five TED speakers I’ve coached over the years, no one was more committed than Mark Thomaz. Mark was a CrossFit trainer from sunny California, complete with the surfer boy looks to match. In addition to barking out orders at his students, he regularly spoke at community events about the long-term benefits of exercise…. read more
How to Master Your Fear of Impromptu Speaking Once and for All
In the biking community, there is an old saying: there are two types of riders ― those who have fallen and those who will fall. Similarly, in the realm of public speaking, there are two types of speakers ― those who have given an impromptu talk and those who will. Whether you’re the former or… read more
5 Reasons Why the Real Problem with Power Point Is You!
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I’m here today seeking justice on behalf of the falsely accused PowerPoint presentation. A word of caution before we begin ― this court proceeding will deviate from the traditional hearings process in which both sides present an opening statement outlining what their version of the evidence will show. In… read more
The Wrong and the Right Way to Introduce a Speaker
For many years, one of the hotly contested subjects in professional speaking circles has been determining at what point a speech “officially” starts. Some say it’s the moment you reach the parking lot of the venue. Others say it’s the second you get into your car on your way to the venue. Alternatively, the… read more
See How Easily You Can Learn Your Way Around a Microphone
Would you believe that we developed most of our bad microphone habits before the age of 10? If you’ve ever sung your favorite jam into a fork or hairbrush microphone, you’re just as guilty as the rest of us. That experience, of course, doesn’t mean we know how to use the real thing …. read more
