A successful presentation requires you to devote much more time to preparing your presentation than you will spend in delivering it. Even experienced speakers must prepare for a presentation; this includes rehearsal. My friend and colleague, Rob Biesenbach names inadequate rehearsal as one of the “11 Deadly Presentation Sins.” In his recent book with this […]

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Are you practicing to improve? Or are you inadvertently reinforcing bad habits? Sure, the old adage says that practice makes perfect. But in fact, practice makes permanent. Practice can help you become a better speaker, but it can also make you more comfortable with your public speaking mistakes –  unconscious language or gestures that detract […]

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I recently heard from my friend Carol Andrew, a fellow Dorset girl – from the same small region of England as I am!  Not only do we both live in the United States now, but we are also both National Speakers Association members, both speakers, and both speech coaches. Unlike me, Carol studied at London’s […]

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I was recently featured in an article called, “How to Give a Killer Webinar: Tips from the Pros,” by Michael Ventimiglia, who asked a dozen marketing, presentation, and webinar experts, “What are your best tips for giving a webinar?”  I share a few of the very useful strategies Michael gathered from the pros: Before Your […]

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As an executive speech coach, I recommend that when preparing your presentation, you record yourself and then listen carefully to identify and eliminate all unnecessary words and phrases.  Cut out anything that will dilute your message, including your personal verbal “tics,” clichés, and filler words. Business communications expert, Ben Decker of Decker Communications reminds us […]

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If you want to deliver a successful presentation, you will spend a lot more time preparing for your presentation than you will speaking. Even highly experienced speakers must devote time to preparation, including rehearsal. My friend and colleague, Rob Biesenbach names inadequate rehearsal as one of the “11 Deadly Presentation Sins.” In his recent book […]

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In the event of a crisis, your organization might be overwhelmed by the media or by the disaster itself; it could become nearly impossible to provide thoughtful responses and accurate information without a crisis communication plan already in place.  In light of the recent and tragic loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, I share this […]

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The first and last thirty seconds of your speech have the most impact on your audience. Last words linger. Unfortunately, there are some common mistakes you can make in closing your presentation that will actually undermine your message. Learn how to craft the closing of your presentation so that it reinforces your message. In this […]

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The Wit and Wisdom of Phyllis Diller My friend Brian Palmer is one of the most creative and ethical professionals in our speaking industry.  He is president of the National Speakers Bureau   which was founded by his father, John Palmer.  Back in the day, John was a well-known bandleader and performed with Phyllis Diller. Brian […]

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