When we reminisce about Hollywood, it’s often the stories that movies tell that captivate us the most. Screenwriting teacher Robert McKee eloquently states, “Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact.” Storytelling: The Cornerstone of Effective Leadership Many of us […]
Read More...How to Arouse Interest in Your Subject
You have 30 seconds to command the attention of your audience. Don’t waste it! Certain speech openings captivate, mystify, and create an emotional bond that keeps an audience in the palm of the speaker’s hand. What would you give to learn those essential opening moves? Those great ways to bond instantly with an audience so […]
Read More...Would Yoda Make a Great Public Speaker or Not?
If you are a fan of Star Wars, you know Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until its near […]
Read More...How Often Have You Hear Imitation is The Sincerest Form of Flattery?
No, it is NOT! How often have you heard, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and believe it or questioned it? This is only the first part of a quote from Oscar Wilde. It’s absolutely clear what Oscar Wilde meant (so many forget the second half of the quote) when he wrote “Imitation is […]
Read More...Do You Want to Know What You Maybe Overlooking in Your Sales Process?
Rehearsal Is the Work in Sales Presentations Oscar winner Sir Michael Caine said, “Rehearsal is the work; performance is the relaxation.” That applies equally to delivering a sales presentation. When delivering a recent sales presentation skills training Dan, the national sales manager, told me, “It takes us a year to have the opportunity to deliver […]
Read More...What Happened on April 18? A few highlights.
On the evening of April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren summoned Paul Revere and gave him the task of riding to Lexington, Massachusetts, with the news that British soldiers stationed in Boston were about to march into the countryside northwest of the town. Paul Revere never shouted the legendary phrase later attributed to him “The […]
Read More...This Habit Will Dash Your Hopes of Success. Do You Irritate Your Audience?
Whenever you open your mouth, whether your audience is one person or one thousand, you want to get a specific message across. Maybe you want your opinions heard at a meeting, or you will be giving a formal talk. Perhaps you deliver sales presentations. To present, persuade, and propel with the spoken word, be aware […]
Read More...Want to Know a Terrific Technique That Transforms Speaking and Writing?
As a speech coach, I introduce my clients to the importance of using parallel structure in speaking and writing. Parallel structure, also known as parallelism, is the repetition of a grammatical structure within a sentence or multiple sentences. This technique can make your speech or writing more memorable and easier to understand. When you write […]
Read More...Want to Know the Secret of Powerful Presentations?
Emotional Connection To win over your audience, you must connect emotionally. With well-chosen words, you can open your presentation and establish an immediate emotional bond. s a presentation skills coach, when I work with a group, I’ll invite individuals to come to the front and deliver their opening lines. On one occasion, up walked Stephen. […]
Read More...What Makes a Good Story Great? Your Personal Experience
Let’s look at some not-so-basic story basics. Stories and examples are best when they come from your experience. Your audience has a chance to relive them from their perspective. Here is an important point to make your stories credible. Point one, make your story part of your own experience. If you tell a story that […]
Read More...
