18 Jun Embracing Your Stage Fright

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...

Read More

18 Jun Always Look for Feedback

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...

Read More

23 Dec Silencing the Voices in Your Head

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...

Read More

22 Dec Building Trust as a Presenter

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...

Read More

21 Dec Learning to Laugh at Yourself

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....

Read More

20 Dec The Phony Speaker

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...

Read More

19 Dec The Hidden Driver

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,...

Read More

16 Dec Identifying Your Differentiators

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...

Read More

14 Dec The Authentic Amateur Wins

The difficulty for speakers stems from the belief that it is their responsibility to educate, inform, and then make sure the audience understands the topic. With this perspective, there is always the potential to add more content, especially if you want to be as thorough...

Read More