Speaking Tips

 

Imagine

Last week, we extolled the merits of infusing your presentations with creativity and unique insights. Use machine learning systems to perform mundane tasks, but employ your strongest asset, imagination, when it counts. Many studies, including one from the Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience at Colorado University...

AI or I AM

TIP OF THE WEEK: AI or I AM?Today’s view of machine learning systems like ChatGPT, Bard, and Sydney is either “Bots will destroy humans,” or “Our glorious future is here.” In our humble opinion, neither will prove to be true. Machine learning systems are statistical...

Ensemble

One of the most botched business ventures is the casting and performance of a pitch team. When everything is riding on the outcome, how your team delivers is critical.First, cast off the time-worn model of “Enter the room, engage in brief small talk, do introductions,...

Wrestle Like a Girl

You may be surprised to learn that one of the fastest-growing sports in U.S. high schools is girls’ wrestling*. CBS Sunday Morning featured wrestler Skylar Little Soldier, from Minnesota. She’s ranked as one of the Top 10 Girl’s High School Wrestlers in the country. But...

Celcius 451

In Ray Bradbury’s 1953 science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature that ignites books. Americans could almost feel that heat, especially anyone experiencing summer in the Midwest. But what if Bradbury had named his novel Celsius 232.778? Not as gripping? Why? Because most American...

Douse the Fire

The fall of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the unsteadiness in the banking industry has created a palpable danger to the world’s economy. A major component of the painful and potentially unnecessary damage is a failure of communication. We called upon Eden Gillott of Gillott Communications...

WOMEN RISE UP

There are so many outstanding women we could have celebrated during Women’s History Month. With the Academy Awards later tonight, we chose Jessica Chastain, who just won a SAG Best Actress award to add to her Oscar and Golden Globe trophies.In addition, Chastain is a...

Talkaholics

Maybe it’s coming out of the pandemic, a long winter, or endless Zoom sessions, but recently we’ve encountered a number of long-winded talkers. These are folks who start with “This is an interesting/funny story…” and then proceed to bore the crap out of us, focusing...

Killer Speech

William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, gave a killer speech at his inauguration. It was freezing rain, but Harrison spoke for two hours without a coat or hat. He developed pneumonia and died thirty-one days later, registering the longest speech and shortest time in...

Keep it Fresh

Stage actors face an ironic challenge. They spend almost a month learning their lines, but once the show opens, they have to make eight performances a week sound fresh and spontaneous. Coming across as rote, memorized or pro forma is death on stage. It is...