A web video is a compelling way to reach your audience. This is a good example of a very well-done one by Keith Ferrazzi, author of the book Never Eat Alone. This video comes from his blog, which concentrates on relationship building as a crucial business tool. In this video, what distracts from the [...]
What is an Ignite talk? “Enlighten us, but make it quick” is the mantra of Ignite talks. The format is simple – show 20 slides, advancing every 15 seconds. That makes for a five-minute presentation, a lightning talk. Speak about each slide or use the flow to illustrate your talk. Why should I give an [...]
Define the goal of the speech. What effect or purpose do you hope to achieve through this presentation? Selling a product, furthering a cause, attracting investment? Keep that point in mind. Addressing your audience without knowing your purpose is equivalent to driving a car without knowing which direction to go. Consider yourself the driver and [...]
A universal tendency in public speaking is for people to try to fit too much into their talks. Presentation coaching helps you edit and tighten your content for maximum effect. That is especially necessary when you are given less time than usual to speak. Here is an example from TEDxGreenville. Prasanna Eswara, in first considering [...]
Regardless of subject matter or the speaking style of a presenter, there are three overriding mistakes that speakers often make, each one of which can seriously diminish the impact of a speech. Avoid these three items and you are well on your way to successful presentation. Being unclear on your goals. Presentations should be made [...]
Whatever your goal in business or career, your strong speaking skills will give you an edge over those who are less persuasive. The confidence you display in front of an audience is interpreted as competence, and translates to success in many areas. Imagine yourself in one of these situations: Entrepreneur/Inventor – you have a pioneering [...]
Persuasion means creating action in others, whether it is making a sale, attracting investors, or gaining supporters. There is no more powerful tool to persuade others than a convincing verbal argument. You may wish that you could forgo speaking to people, instead being able to just wave a wand and have them do what you [...]
This presentation was filmed at TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch: This speech by Van Jones provides a good example of a good speaker with a few areas for improvement. On the positive side, Mr.Jones has a rich and mellifluous (mellifluous: having a smooth, rich flow) speaking voice, with great projection. He speaks with ease to his audience with a friendly [...]
Variety is the spice of life, and also of a good presentation. In many ways, mixing things up in your speech maintains audience interest and provides you with tools to underline the key points of your speech. A speaker utilizing vocal variety spares us the numbing chose of listening to a droning monotone voice. A [...]
Every speaker seeks to sway their audience to action in some way. Effectiveness at reaching that goal requires a combination of appropriate and concise content, good organization, and smooth delivery. What does “effective” look like? In essence, it means minimizing anything within your content or delivery that serve as distractions from your message, while at [...]
