To become successful when you’re out front, play to your strengths. Discover what makes you stand out from others in your field. What are your strengths and distinguishing characteristics? Zero in on what makes you unique. Consider where you’ve lived, your hobbies, other jobs you’ve...
Whether you’re competing against a worthy opponent at a management committee meeting or delivering a formal presentation, give an overview before launching into the details. Analyzers, including attorneys and other professionals who lead with the left side of the brain, are notorious for building a...
How you open your speech is critical to any presentation. I recommend you deliver a compelling opening and closing without the agenda slide, PowerPoint, or video. This is where the audience gets to know you. Be selfish. Connect without standing behind a lectern or having...
Intention is a powerful device that forces us to focus, make difficult decisions, and edit our content. I’ve found Intention to be one of the most difficult concepts for our clients to initially grasp. However, when implemented, Intention can have an incredible impact on your...
Women often believe they need to assume an overly authoritative and professional demeanor to be taken seriously. The problem is that audiences can interpret this as patronizing or chilly, and perceive you as having a superior attitude. The last thing you want is a negative...
Many women are reluctant to speak if they haven’t reached the top of their field or don’t have a mission. They also tend to have an aversion to the idea of “selling.” But the old-fashioned way of selling doesn’t work for anyone. The best way...
At a recent workshop, a participant was overcome with emotion when speaking about her father and how they started working together. She apologized. Yet the authenticity she displayed made her content come alive and captured the attention of everyone in the room. When we have the...
One of the biggest mistakes of a speaker is rehearsing their presentation in their heads and not out loud. We've had clients say they froze when they delivered their speech, because the sound of their voice was different than when they rehearsed it. You simply can not...
Too many women avoid public speaking because they tell me they're not an "Expert." The truth is experts tend to be boring to listen to, can drone on too long and fail to engage an audience. They educate rather than persuade. Add to that, we don't do...
Every time I conduct a training or coach an individual, the issue always comes up about how much detail to include. Whether you're delivering an elevator speech (self introduction), pitching for new business, or speaking on your topic area, you need to decide what is relevant...