This past week, while in Oahu for OneAmerica, we were fascinated by the roots of the Hawaiian culture. Ancient mariners made their way from Polynesia, and before that SE Asia and China. The sailors had sophisticated instruments, but also counted on close observation of winds,...
A universal teeth-grinder is when reps from AT&T, United Airlines, Restoration Hardware or many other companies apologize when you call in for tech or customer support. Whoever teaches this kind of backward communication needs a new playbook. Do they assume we care how they feel?...
It’s not just you. Most people suffer from speaker anxiety. In my years of coaching and training clients, I’ve found that speaker anxiety can be greatly diminished simply by speaking on a regular basis and having the right tools in place when anxiety rears its...
Rehearse your presentation in front of a trusted colleague, friend, or family member. Poll them for specific feedback. If you simply ask “How did I do?” most people will say, “Great!” which tells you nothing. Ask for specifics like the goal of your presentation, what...
To be a successful speaker or communicator, the most important thing you can do is put your full attention on the audience and what would serve them best. If you want to deliver value or drive others to take an action, trust your intuition and...
The pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect and deliver presentations that no one can criticize becomes a metaphorical straight jacket. The nagging voice that resides inside our heads is loud, obnoxious, and demoralizing. Moreover, it kills our creativity. No speaker can simultaneously monitor...
Audiences don’t trust presenters who are too polished or perfect. They prefer speakers who are a bit rough around the edges, speak in a genuine voice, and are doing their best to engage an audience. There may be another principle at play. Women can be overly...
There’s nothing like humor to warm up an audience. I don’t mean telling a joke. Comedy is best left to professionals. Besides, if you’re like me, you can never remember the punch line—it’s embarrassing to set up a joke and then screw up the ending....
Audiences can tell if you are trying to be something you’re not. Personally, I’m turned off by motivational speakers. They seem phony. Their gestures are often exaggerated. I’m not sure what they really believe. Because their delivery sounds canned and rote, it’s obvious this talk...
Daniel Goleman, science journalist, psychologist and author of Emotional Intelligence has published a new work on the brain. In Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, Goleman delves into how to harness attention to accomplish daily tasks. As the holidays approach, these insights are even more critical with traffic,...