Is fear of death really second only to fear of public speaking? Maybe you can relate? A presentation is the most cost-effective way to generate interest in your services, products, expertise, or organization. Consider, how many contacts, clients, buyers you might capture with a 20-minute talk? If the thought of a great outcome isn’t enough […]

Read More...

Imagine, you’ve done all the work to prepare and rehearse a major presentation and at the last minute you’re told, “I’m so sorry, but we’re short on time. Can you give us the five-minute version?” Is it possible to shorten a presentation without losing all of your impact? Yes. Don’t panic. After all, a sound […]

Read More...

Criticism: How to Turn Gripes into Growth Criticism, also known as feedback, can help us improve our presentation skills. No one enjoys being criticized, but if you want to succeed, you must overcome your natural instincts and actively seek out feedback, good and bad. After years as a professional speaker, I understand. Some years I […]

Read More...

Designing a presentation starts with the creative process, which can be messy. PowerPoint is tidy, but should only come in later when preparing a presentation. I love PowerPoint. Maybe you do too? Remember, however, that PowerPoint is a visual aid.

Read More...

Is Your Speech as Good as a Movie? Do you vary your scenes? The biggest enemy of a speaker, no matter how exceptional, is sameness or lack of variety. Each time you move from story to story or example to example, you create a scene change and keep your audience interested. Early in every movie, […]

Read More...

What’s your message? Legendary Hollywood producer Sam Goldwyn was quoted as saying, “If I want to send a message, I’ll send a telegram.” Yet, great films and good speeches do have a message. Some recent movies consist mainly of CGI explosions and chase scenes. They’re exciting, but at the end, the audience is usually left […]

Read More...

Do you captivate your audience with captivating characters in your presentations? The late comedy impresario John Cantu knew that speakers must not be the heroes of all their stories. Once, we sat down together to deconstruct one of his speeches and found 62 different people mentioned! Learn from great books, plays, and films. Fill your […]

Read More...

Do you know how to grab your audience? The first thirty seconds of your presentation are critical, like the first page of a book or first seconds of a TV show or film. If you don’t make an impact and hint at more to come, you lose your audience. Good movies, TV shows, and books, […]

Read More...