The Secret Language of Money

At a number of business seminars and presentations, I passed out an index card and asked each person in the audience to write anonymously a single answer to each of three questions. The three questions are:1. To me money means _________.2. My current annual income is _______________.3. In order to... Read More

Just Say No to PowerPoint: Enough is Enough!

Have you ever been slideswiped? You walk into a meeting and once everyone has arrived, the lights are often dimmed and the show begins. The presenter clicks the mouse again and again, showing you slide after slide until you can take no more. Exasperated, you shut your eyes and doze... Read More

After the Speech

Usually the emphasis on making an effective speech is what you do in preparation before the presentation begins. But if you speak very much, what you do after the speech can help you become a more effective speaker. As soon as possible after the speech, write down impressions of how... Read More

Incorporate Humor in Your Next Speech

Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my speech; I just don't feel comfortable with it." I believe that anyone can use humor and that it is a valuable tool in speaking. Appropriate humor relaxes an audience and makes it feel more comfortable with you as the speaker;... Read More

Super Preparation ? Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every Presentation

Super Preparation ?Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every Presentation Novice and expert presenters alike have had the experience of feeling a little (or may be a lot) nervous before giving a talk. In working with hundreds of people to help them improve their presentation skills, one consistent theme... Read More

8 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

8 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills 1. Join Toastmasters. Toastmasters is a organization where you will get a chance to work on your impromptu speaking skills, leadership skills, evaluation skills as well as opportunities to practice specific skills in prepare presentations (at your own pace). Clubs typically meet weekly... Read More

Shamus Browns Top 5 Sales Presentation Tips

When its time to give your next sales presentation, here are my favorite tips for delivering powerful, charismatic, and engaging sales presentations. #1 - PLANT YOUR FEET SQUARELY ON THE FLOOR How you hold your physical body during your sales pitch communicates a tremendous amount of information about... Read More

How to Attract New Business Like George W. Bush Wins Elections

THE LITTLE-KNOWN SPEECHWRITING SECRETS THAT WON GEORGE W. BUSH THE US ELECTIONHe's been accused of "mangling the language, destroying its meaning by avoiding the use of verbs, twisting nouns into verbs, and endlessly repeating phrases until they become zombified" (Source:'Bush and Blair accused of mangling English' by Kate Kelland, Reuters.com.uk,... Read More

Being Real From the Platform

"Let it be known, no person, thing, or situation can validate you. You validate yourself by realizing who you are." Mark Tosoni Knowing who you are is essential before you step in front of an audience. What are you knowledgeable to speak about? What are you interested in learning?... Read More

Creating a Powerful Sales Presentation

The quality of your sales presentation will often determine whether a prospect buys from you or one of your competitors. However, experience has taught me that most presentations lack pizzazz and are seldom compelling enough to motivate the other person to make a buying decision. Here are seven strategies that... Read More

Powerpoint Sales Presentations Are Boring - Stop It!

As the meeting began, the project manager of the buying committee told me that the key decision-maker would miss the first 20 minutes or so of my presentation. This was a very competitive sale that I was working on at the time. There were about a dozen or so business-people... Read More

Fading into Sameness: How Too Many Slides Can Ruin Your Presentation

"I have a love/hate relationship with PowerPoint. In the right hands, it's a great presentation tool. In the wrong hands (and unfortunately, most usage falls into this category) we are cloning generations of boring slide shows narrated by speakers we barely notice." - Debbie BaileyAh, the good old days. For... Read More

Trade Show Victory!

So you're going to have a booth at a trade show. How exciting - or how terrifying - depending on your state of mind!First of all - remain calm - you're not the first person to do this. There's some easy to follow tips that will ensure success at the... Read More

Wow! Is That ME? - Creating a Powerful One-Page Bio

First of all, what is a bio sheet and why do you need one? A bio sheet is a one page description of who you are--your background and achievements. Your bio is an important part of how you present yourself to potential clients. You may include it in your media... Read More

How Storytelling Can Grow Your Business

People love stories. We love to hear about other people, and stories help us to learn, remember and put to use new concepts. Aesop knew this. His fables help us to learn life lessons through tales about others, without having to learn them the hard way.In modern times, Jack Canfield... Read More

Tips to Temper Speaking Anxiety

People take it for granted that leaders have achieved some skill in public speaking. Yet anxiety persists because leaders face very challenging situations and have a great risk of embarrassment. Here are some tips for tempering those anxieties.INTRODUCING A SPEAKERWhen you introduce a speaker, answer three questions: 1) Why is... Read More

Too Many Choices - Dont Confuse Your Customers

Conventional wisdom is that the more choices customers have, the more likely they will buy. That may be true when customers have very specific wants or needs, and they know what those wants or needs are. However, often having lots of choices just confuses customers and they don't buy anything.One... Read More

Media Training 101: Mastering the Television Interview

As I travel around the world I always enjoy sampling the media in different countries.Even if I don't speak Thai, Bahasa or Mandarin, watching local news services always provides a unique insight into local culture.I was recently watching a story on a new biotech company on Channel News Asia in... Read More

Nonverbal Communication in Business

There are five key elements that can make or break your attempt at successful nonverbal communication in business: Eye contact Gestures Movement Posture, and Written communication ... Read More

A Powerful Presentation Technique-Story Telling

Appealing to emotions is the most powerful way to transfer learning in an information cluttered training or presentation. A compelling story woven with a lot of information in the telling with a conclusion that appeals to the emotion can permanently etch the learning in an otherwise unresponsive training or meeting... Read More

Creating Your Presentation Success With a Positive ?I CAN? Attitude

According to the Lamalle Report on Top Executives of the 1990s, one of the most important factors in determining financial success by those earning over $250,000 is being enthusiastic and having a positive attitude (46%). Apparently, successful people never underestimate the power of positive thinking.Why does having a positive attitude... Read More

Practice Makes Perfect ? 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Presentation Practice

Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of presentation success than knowledge, experience, or even talent. The best presenter is almost always the presenter who is the most prepared. Even so, there are a lot of conflicting ideas about what constitutes thorough presentation preparation.So what exactly is thorough... Read More

Public Speaking Training Tips For Better Business Presentations To Culturally Diverse Audiences

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and religious differences impact on how people learn, take in information and interact with presenters.After delivering 3 presentations to 1,200 Managers and Franchisees from the largest fast food company in the Philippines, these are my thoughts on how to make an... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line with What You Say

When was the last time you thought about what you were actually saying to potential clients? Are you closing the deal more often than not? Or maybe it's time to revamp your elevator speech or introduction.Remember potential clients do not want to hear statistics about you and your company; they... Read More

Dump Your Speeches For Leadership Talks

The CEO of a worldwide business asked me to help him develop a talk he planned to give to several hundred of his top executives. He said, "I feel as if I'm Daniel going into the lion's den."Indeed, it was the business equivalent of a lion's den that he was... Read More

Rise Above Cattiness

Cattiness is something no one ever wants to be accused of doing. But the reality is, at one time or another you've probably engaged in it, and most likely, you'll do it again. This trait can include any number of unfortunate behaviors from not saying what we really intend to... Read More

Top Ten Rules for Effective Presentations

I am of the belief that the majority of people can improve their presentations dramatically by focusing on eliminating bad habits and presentation skills more than seeking to add anything on. How often have you come out of a seminar and overheard someone say, "Wow, she was great! Did you... Read More

How To Run Your Greatest Conference Ever

Like most good achievements, a magnificent meeting depends on planning and preparation. These are essential to a good conference and this article explains the basics of what you need to do.Planning The first stage in organising any conference is planning. Your plan should start with these questions: What do we... Read More

Ten Tips on Using Flip Charts and Whiteboards

Flip charts are so common that we all think we can use them. But how often have you sat in presentations wondering what all the scribble was really about? Like many people you have probably seen flip charts that make no sense, that you can't read from the back of... Read More

Kvetching Behavior and How it Hinders Success

Kvetching is the Yiddish word for complaining, hand to the forehead, why is this happening to me, complaining, griping, and mental misery. In marketing it's always time for us to take a serious look at how our attitude affects our business. Studies show that you become the words you speak,... Read More

Preparation for Your Presentations

(Excerpted From the Jim Rohn Millennium Weekend Event)Persistence in your presentations, this is one secret to success. After my first presentation, I got up and did it again. Even though I was scared to death, I did it again. And that second one wasn't too good, but guess what. I... Read More

Don?t Give Presentations Or Speeches - Give Leadership Talks Instead

The CEO of a worldwide business asked me to help him develop a talk he planned to give to several hundred of his top executives. He said, 'I feel as if I'm Daniel going into the lion's den.'Indeed, it was the business equivalent of a lion's den that he was... Read More

The End is the Beginning

People remember best what you say last. In a presentation, what people take with them to put into action or to connect with what they already know depends to a large degree on how you end the presentations. So in one sense, the end of your presentation is the beginning... Read More

The Presentation After the Presentation

Allowing the audience to ask questions after your presentation is an excellent way to reinforce your message and to continue to sell your ideas. In addition, because listeners can ask for clarification, audience members are less likely to leave your presentation with misconceptions about the concepts you delivered. Because of... Read More

27 Tips For An Effective Presentation

So you're not a professional speaker. That's no excuse for NOT giving a professional presentation.You have a great product or service! You've put together an awesome presentation with great content!You really know your stuff! You're an expert! None of this matters if you don't have public speaking skills.If you don't... Read More

Move Key Audiences to Actions You Want

How?Try a blueprint like this: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most,... Read More

How to Make Good Use of Your Web Conference Session

Preperation is vital when conducting a successful videoconference session. Thus there are a number of steps to remember prior to the videoconference session itself:Always test the equipment before hand.The WebVideo4U software is extremely reliable but it always pays to test the software prior to the videoconference itself. There may be... Read More

Sharpening Your Presentation Skills

Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing, sooner or later we will be called upon to make a presentation of one sort or the other. To sharpen your skills, whet your audience's appetite, and educate them, organize your presentation by keeping them in mind. To help you... Read More

Conducting Successful Training Activities

Whether you are training preschoolers in the classroom or executives in the board room, here are 15 premises you might want to keep in mind the next time you're designing training activities.1. Everybody has the capacity to learn.2. Everybody learns at his own pace.3. The trainee learns only when he... Read More

Tough Talk: Bad News Delivered the Right Way

Communicating Bad News The Right WayIt's the rare executive who actually enjoys speaking before groups of people, even under the best of circumstances. Public speaking routinely ranks highest on people's list of fears. Add the pressure of having to deliver bad news to good people, and even the most confident... Read More

Close Deals in Record Time!

Remember back when the ability to create a slide show presentation using PowerPoint was cutting-edge technology? PowerPoint presentations changed the way that companies and seminars did business. It was easy to take along your presentation material; just grab your laptop and go. Sound and visual effects, fancy screen designs, bulleted... Read More

Tips to Energize Your Presentations

"There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours. To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul." ? Arnold Bennett (1867-1931)Ask yourself, "What is the audience feeling?" and... Read More

Show the World Your Wares Easily and Inexpensively

You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations and now you're ready to show the world all your company has to offer. You set up some appointments for sales presentations with a few members of the local Chamber of Commerce. On the appointed day, you lug your laptop... Read More

Four Different Ways People Process Your Information

There are four different ways that audience members assimilate information. They are: visual, auditory, auditory digital, and kinesthetic. While all members of the audience will process information utilizing all four of these approaches at different times, each audience member will individually will individually tend to rely on one of these... Read More

How to Give a Great Speech

As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I have learned from several thousand professional speakers "How to Give a Great Speech." Here are some techniques that I share with my coaching clients who want to become paid professional speakers or business professionals who want to deliver masterful presentations.1.... Read More

Ten Fun Ways to Liven up Any Presentation

Most of us would agree that having humor in our lives increases rapport, strengthens our relationships and overcomes communication barriers. People who work in a positive, often playful environment are more likely to stay. Productivity and creativity increase while stress is reduced. We just feel better after a good laugh.... Read More

Coaching Tips for Powerful Presentations

Tip #1 The purpose of your speech is to get results; to help people make changes and think or act differently. So start with the end in mind. What do you want people to do as a result of your speech? What do they need to know to do this?... Read More

Eight Success Tips for Your First Trade Show Booth

Exhibiting in a trade show can involve a major investment of money and time. But the financial returns for your business can be excellent if you learn some of the secrets of trade show booth success before signing up for a show and investing in your displays.If you're considering setting... Read More

Present Statistics In Context

"I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had only 1600 pairs." Imelda MarcosEverything's relative. A million dollars sounds like a lot of money to someone who makes an average salary, but it's a drop in the bucket to a Warren Buffett or a Bill Gates. Running a hundred metres... Read More

Secrets of Successful Presentations

Does the thought of speaking in front of others send you running in the opposite direction? Youâ??re not alone. Many people avoid public speaking at all costs â?" and there is a cost. Public speaking is one of the quickest, most efficient ways to market yourself, your message, business, or... Read More

The Seven Deadly Sins of Presentations

Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients and employees are bored to tears by presentations that it ought to be considered a crime against humanity.Are your presentations guilty of the following sins?Illegibility. Know the size of the room, screen and audience before you create a presentation. The... Read More

Presentation Pitfalls Series: Top 10 Content Mangement Mistakes

Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be the Top 10 most common mistakes presenters make when organizing and preparing their content:10) Not setting the stage.An introduction should be more than just "Hello. Today we'll be discussing _____." If you just jump into the content without setting up... Read More

Present Your Message with Power and Pizzazz

If you're ready to kick your career or business up to the next level, then make it a goal to become a powerful presenter. People view savvy communicators as being more capable, intelligent, and knowledgeable than those individuals who have difficulty in communicating their ideas. You can quickly gain the... Read More

Special Delivery! Tips for Improving Your Humor

Delivering humorous speeches involves a lot more than simply having good material. Take some time to incorporate these tips into your presentations and watch the fun and laughter factors rise.In FunSigmund Freud wrote: "The most favorable condition for comic pleasure is a generally happy disposition in which one is in... Read More

The Missing Link in Presentation Skills Training

Imagine you are the most amazing figure skater who ever lived. When rehearsing in a peaceful, empty rink, you demonstrate the ultimate in athleticism and artistry. You defy the laws of gravity as you leap in the air, landing with flawless precision. You spin with effortless grace and power; you... Read More

Six Marketing Tips for Trade Show Success

A trade show is an ideal way of showcasing your products and services to a large number of prospects all at the one location and at the same time. Thoroughly planned marketing is the key to success at your next industry related exhibition.The following are six of the most important... Read More

Beetle Bailey and Presentation Skills

In March 2002, the comic strip Beetle Bailey contained a valuable lesson for business presenters. As General Halftrack walked into his office, his secretary asked: "How was Lt. Fuzz's presentation?"The General replied: "Like the Washington Monument." Puzzled, the secretary asked "The Washington Monument? General Halftrack responded, "Yeah, it took a... Read More

Story Telling As A Tool For Trainers

Once upon a time????."Yeah right, don't tell us a story, we are not kids"."If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive." - Barry LopezStory telling is an art... Read More

35 Surefire Ways to Kill a Meeting

1. Play "find the meeting" by changing the location and time of your meeting at the last minute.2. Don't bother to book your meeting room in advance. Lead the group from room to room trying to find another place to meet.3. Bring 5 handouts for 20 attendees.4. Leave and say,... Read More

Presentation Power Does Not Come From PowerPoint

You speak before a group. You present your message. You might be selling your product, service or yourself. How do you present yourself with power?Avoid the temptationsDon't be fooled by the name. Just because of the name ? there is no implied power in PowerPoint. PowerPoint does not convey power.... Read More

5 Breakthrough Marketing Ideas

Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you putting in a lot of effort but not getting the results you want? Don't you wish you could just hit a switch and get a better response from your mailings, sales calls and web site?You hear a lot about breakthroughs;... Read More

Death by PowerPoint!

The most critical job of a manager, when you boil it all down, is communication. To be successful, a manager has to be effective in communicating one-on-one, in writing and in groups. While weakness in any of these three disciplines will compromise the ability to lead, the weakness most often... Read More

Top 6 Reasons Why You Need a Remote for PowerPoint Presentations

A top complaint from audience members is that many presenters put too much emphasis on PowerPoint and technology while neglecting the message and interaction with participants. One way to deliver more effective presentations that improve your connection to your audience is to add a remote control to your presentation tools.Why... Read More

Choosing a Presentation Remote Control

If you deliver electronic presentations using PowerPoint or other programs, you can manually move forward to the next slide with the keyboard or the mouse. One way, however, to deliver more effective presentations that improve your connection to your audience is to add a remote control to your presentation tools.... Read More

Tech Tips: PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts for PowerPoint Slide Shows

Whether you use a mouse or a remote control to navigate through a PowerPoint slide show presentation, it is also handy to use keyboard shortcuts. Here is a selection to try:? Run a slide show: [F5].? Advance to the next slide (any of these): [Right], [Down], N (for Next), [Spacebar],... Read More

Media Training 101: Where To Look During A Television Interview

Ever had that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing where to look when making a point, delivering a message or asking a question?Nervous furtive glances looking sideways, upwards or downwards? Anywhere but the gaze of the person you're trying to persuade and influence.Effective communication is about making an emtional connection with... Read More

Grand Opening: The Key To Great Presentations

Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group or making a sales presentation, your opening can make or break the deal. Unless you grab the audience at the beginning, they'll be sleeping through your most important information.You must craft an opening that cannot be ignored. Great openings have... Read More

Story Telling As a Business Tool

Long long ago, it was the time when time itself stood still That was the time this story of story telling began When everyone listened to the story and people learned And that was the time people were also very happy Because they were listening to a story.Stories have been... Read More

10 Tips For Bringing Your Event To Life

Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the meeting in the company boardroom. You may be call upon to organize an employee appreciation event, an awards dinner, a product launch, the celebration of a company milestone, a gala recognizing a longtime employee's retirement, an incentive event for the... Read More

Handling Questions with Authority

At some point in your presentation you will be expected to answer questions from your audience. They might have some burning questions that need to be answered before they buy into your message. Handling their questions with authority can make the difference for you between a successful presentation and a... Read More

Powerful Presentations: How to Write and Deliver a Presentation to Remember

If the mere thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees quiver, you should know that you're not alone. Public speaking is one of the top fears listed by Americans and for good reason- most of us don't do it very often. My personal theory is... Read More

Cross Cultural Presentations

The international flavour of many people's jobs naturally means that there is greater interaction between people from different cultures. Within the business environment, understanding and coping with intercultural differences between people is critical to ensuring that interpersonal communication is successful.Intercultural awareness is necessary for two reasons. Firstly, it minimises the... Read More

Networking: How to Network Within Your Organisation

Although there are any number of different networking groups and events you can attend, some of the best networking can occur within your organisation. To build your profile and reputation internally and understand "who's who in the zoo" it is worth investing time to get to know the people around... Read More

7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable

Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business cause executives to attend more meetings than other professionals, executives need to avoid meetings. Top management is responsible for vision, strategy, plans, and communication. That means executives should spend most of their time thinking, learning, planning, and communicating. Inefficient, ineffective... Read More

Presentation Skills: Be More Productive Using a Facilitator Mode

There are many definitions for presentations. When you present there are also many different modes you can focus on. Are you a facilitator or an educator? The mode of facilitator is often misused in the corporate world and interchanged with words like trainer and educator. Facilitation is an exceptional skill,... Read More

PowerPoint Presentations: How to Use This Tool More Effectively

Many of us use PowerPoint to convey a message to both small and large groups. Too often we see "death by powerpoint" in the corporate environment where people don't use it effectively. Get clever when using your PowerPoint ? this article has 20 tips for becoming a more engaging presenter... Read More

Is Now Really the Time to Hire a Professional Speaker?

Since the events of September 11th and the economy slipping into recession, many organizations have been faced with deep budget cuts. Given the current financial hardships and wide spread layoffs, some managers are questioning whether they should continue to invest in bringing professional speakers into their organizations.A "Far Side" cartoon... Read More

Lecturing from the Lectern

Most people love to hide behind the lectern.. It makes them feel more secure. The only reason speakers should use a lectern is to hold notes. Here are a few guidelines to make the lectern work for you.Don't lean. Create some space. Step back six to twelve inches from the... Read More

Transitions: Building Bridges to Your Points

Presenters often tell me that they fear losing their train of thought. When listening to their talks I realized that for many people, the problem is not forgetting the words or main points.Speakers freeze because they can't get from point A to point B. They know the next point but... Read More

Facilitating Panel Discussions

A client recently called to say she was going to facilitate a panel for the next business meeting. She had never done so before and asked if I could coach her. After the session, she realized that there are some basic skills needed when facilitating a panel of speaker.To create... Read More

Total Recall: How to Remember Your Speech Without Memorizing

We all fear that moment. You look out on a sea of faces and your mind goes blank. You can't remember your next point and you wish you could disappear with your memory.You can avoid blanking out when you know how to maximize your mind.These tips will help you achieve... Read More

How to Chair a Meeting

You don't have to be on a stage to be a public speaker. Your platform may be a meeting room. How you present yourself when chairing a meeting determines whether or not you are perceived as a leader. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it's your turn... Read More

If You Want Business - Throw a Seminar!

Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want to clean your house, you should throw a garage sale, and if you want to increase business, throw a seminar. A seminar is a way for you to contact many people all at once. It will pull in an audience... Read More

Painless Presentations

Did the "Painless" part of the title get your attention?Speaking in front of a group ranks with death of a family member and loosing a job when it comes to the emotional toll it takes on some people.If you are one of those folks who look for any excuse not... Read More

Seven Tips for Coping with Pre-Stage Jitters

Whether you need to address large groups or small, familiar faces or new, you may feel that the stress of speaking is always with you. If so, these seven tips will help you work through tension and communicate with confidence.1. Recognize that stress is natural: It helps you sort out... Read More

How To Make Your Best Ever Presentation

The most important tip...EVER!Make sure that you always think of your audience - when preparing your talk, writing it and presenting it. Put yourself in the audience's position at all times and your presentation will go with a swing. Remember your audience does not want to know how marvellous you... Read More

Present for Success: Simple Strategies to Add Confidence and Credibility to Your Next Presentation

Tomorrow's the day and you're dreading it. You're scheduled to give a presentation to the senior management team about the new program you're proposing. You're excited and enthusiastic about the program but nervous and anxious about the presentation. You don't know how you'll manage to sleep tonight. These thoughts keep... Read More

Media Training Tips: Maximising Your Media Moment

Media training is a 'must do' professional development program for any serious leader or manager.Media interview training provides you with the skills to effectively deal with the media.Media relations training, with a specific focus on media presentation training for television can be seriously nerve wracking for first timers.Here's why you... Read More

Leaves Your Audience Hungry For More! -- Presentations That Get Results

Regardless, if your goal is to make a sale or educate. You don't want to fall prey to the mistakes that many presenters make -- loading us down with piles and piles of information and communication hodgepodge. Excellent presentations are designed to anchor in the key points that are relevant... Read More

Choosing the Right Work Shirts for Your Small Business

Company attire says a lot about your business philosophy to your customer. Company shirts project professionalism and advertising. Too loud of a shirt turns people off and certain colors tend to washout your message. A small business which has yellow as part of it's company colors would be advised to... Read More

Choosing a Company Shirt vendor

Where can you choose a company shirt vendor? There are many catalogs out their with more than competent companies selling logo'ed attire for small, medium and large businesses. Online there are many great companies too which have low costs for shirts and then put on your logo and send them... Read More

Your Unique Point of View

I had a chance to go to one of those big positive thinking rallies recently. I am one of those positive personal growth people that really enjoy that kind of thing. Throughout the day, I heard presentation after presentation from some of the best professional speakers in the business; General... Read More

Cell Phone Dos And Dont During A Meeting

What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there's a scary question. It's hard to imagine a world without them. But cell phones, connected as they may keep us, seem to have an amazing power to disturb and trump face to face interaction. For example, why is it that... Read More

Speech in Business

The social skills of a small businessperson, franchisee, independent contractor or manager are all important. Speech and body language are first impressions and weigh heavily on the decision making process of a potential prospect or customer. As the old adage goes, 'you never get a second chance to make a... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Sharpen His Presentation Skills

Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing, sooner or later we will be called upon to make a presentation of one sort or the other. To sharpen your skills, whet your audience's appetite, and educate them, here is the key to your success: organize your presentation by... Read More

Presentation Skill Mistakes

Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4 day work conference! I decided to sit in on both days of business presentations hoping there would be a nugget or two I could share with you.Presenting to an audience of 100 to 300 top producers were executives of a... Read More

Presentation Paranoia

"The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public." (Sir George Jessel)Have you had this feeling before? Rest assured you are not alone. You might be one of the many who would rate your fear of public speaking... Read More

Dump that Overhead Projector!

What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to become lousy communicators? Why do our speeches or presentations lose much of their steam when we use overheads?Well, for starters, we often give more attention to the overheads than the audience. It can't be helped. After all, we have to... Read More

Audience-Friendly Presentation Style Habits in Three Easy Steps

You have presentation style habits that automatically appear when you are speaking in public. Where did these habits come from? Most likely you picked them up from watching other people give presentations, or they are carry-overs from your own conversational style. They tend to be so automatic that you aren't... Read More

A Discussion about Facilitation Skills

Interview with Julia Apple-Smith, Manager of Employee Development at Sauer-Danfoss Ames, Iowa about Facilitation Skills:Q: Would you tell me a little bit about the culture at Sauer-Danfoss?Julia: About nine years ago, Dave Pfeifle, President and CEO had a vision for us to change our culture. We, at one time, were... Read More

Ancient PowerPoint Secrets: Ask Your Grandma!

Yes, there are ancient PowerPoint secrets...secrets your grandmother knows and is probably willing to pass down to you.But what's this you say? Your grandmother has never even heard of Microsoft PowerPoint?No matter. If your grandma was like mine, she knew something about the power of an effective presentation.Ancient PowerPoint Secret... Read More

Qualities of Good Communication

Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "a giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc." The primary goal of communication in a training setting is to transfer information to participants in such a way that a maximum amount of the message is understood and retained.It has... Read More

Data Visualization Flash Charts: Information in a Flash

Flash chart, flash map, flash graph may be mistaken for flashy visual aids. It is true that many data visualization tools are flashy and consequently overwhelming and counterproductive, but the market has produced data visualization capable of simplicity and speed-thus "flash" does not stand for flashy; it stands for information... Read More

10 Profitable Tips for Creating Better Sales Presentations

No matter what your business is, you will enhance your level of success by developing a well-organized sales presentation. A good sales presentation involves two primary elements:(1) The pre-planned sales talk.(2) A carefully conceived and organized visual presentation that documents, confirms, supports, and strengthens the oral.Your visual aid can take... Read More

Business Presentations - Use Power Pitching - Get the Personal Edge

Whenever and whatever you're pitching, dozens of factors will figure in the final decision of your prospects. All else being equal, you have the edge if you can establish a personal connection. Connect emotionally and intellectually, so they like and trust you more than your competitors. How can you get... Read More

Problems with the Lecture Format

ALTERNATIVES TO THE LECTURE FORMAT: How often do you use lectures as your sole training technique? Nearly always? Often? It's not unusual for trainers to use the lecture technique exclusively. After all, this is what we have all seen and are familiar with. The format is easily mastered, and innovation... Read More

How to Teach: Lecture vs. Discussion

WHEN ONLY A LECTURE WILL DO: Under certain circumstances, of course, the lecture is the only workable format. For instance, when it is necessary to reach a large audience in a short time frame, or when the attendees have no knowledge of the subject whatsoever, there is really no choice.... Read More

The Who, What, Where and When of Color In Your Documents

This article will help you to assess and maximise the impact your use of color in your documents and presentations will have on the readers. First of all you need to identify the following; who your readers are what your purpose is when to use color... Read More

Building a Trade Show Display

If you are taking your newest products to a trade show then you will need to come up with some ideas on how to build a trade show display in order to adequately market your products. You might seem at a loss and cannot think of anything, however building a... Read More

Planning a Group Meeting

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE FACILITATOR: As chairperson, focus on the meeting's goals and objectives throughout the meeting. Most everything you say should serve that purpose. A written agenda and visual aids serve as reference points and help to reinforce your purpose. You will make your greatest contribution by asking questions.... Read More

Keeping Meetings Productive

KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an idea, they shouldn't be penalized or given a raise. If you start criticizing people who disapprove, then you're only making your meetings less productive. Likewise, if you start handing out raises to everyone who agrees with you. This kind of... Read More

Group Meetings: Being Prepared Makes a Difference

MANAGING MEETINGS--BEING PREPARED MAKES A DIFFERENCE: You can schedule all the meetings you want to, and if you are not prepared to take charge then you're wasting your time. The time you invest planning a meeting is time well spent. The sooner you take action, the sooner you can enjoy... Read More

Why You Need a Lesson Plan

LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT: Lesson plans, believe it or not, are a lot like the maps you have in the back seat of your car. They're probably not covered with the ketchup and pencil marks that your maps are, but they are directional guides. You need some way of checking to... Read More

How to Begin a Lesson Plan

DEVELOPING LESSON PLANS: In developing lesson plan formats, two things are paramount: extraordinarily careful documentation and room left for possible changes. Sloppy accounting of the direction your class will be going is worse than none. And documentation that doesn't have leeway for change is almost instantly obsolete. The types of... Read More

The Crucial Components of a Lesson Plan

MAKING INFORMATIVE LESSON PLANS: --The performance objectives should answer this very basic question - what should the trainees be able to do at the end of the training period that they were was not able to do at the beginning of it? --For evaluation procedures, how will the trainee's accomplishment... Read More

I Love the Smell of PowerPoint in the Morning: The 5 Sensory Approach to Business Presentations

You're in a conference room. You're giving a PowerPoint presentation to several of your colleagues...and your boss.On a scale of 1 to 5, how sensual is this experience? And just how important is sensuality in business-related PowerPoint presentations?Believe it or not, live PowerPoint presentations can be sensory, full-bodied experiences. Sadly,... Read More

Create A Better Impresion With Your Emails

How do you come across in your emails?As I receive more and more requests for assistance by email, I also get more and more poorly worded or badly formatted emails.When you ask someone for help, or approach them for the first time, you will get a much better response if... Read More

How to Prevent Presentation and Speaking Disasters

I just got back from my whirlwind speaking engagements and it occurred to me that you might be interested in these recent experiences (especially since speaking in the number one way to increase to raise your visibility and credibility in the industry). In a matter of two weeks, I spoke... Read More

Quick and Easy Rehearsal Tips

Never rehearse at the last minute. This creates undue tension and nervousness and does not allow sufficient time for correcting mistakes and polishing delivery. Ideally, the first full auditory rehearsal should take place at least a week before the presentation date and be conducted in undisturbed surroundings. If possible, use... Read More

Guidelines for Rehearsal Criticism

It is both good planning and considerate to provide auditors with a guide for their criticism. It would be quite difficult for them to note everything which needs attention without some reminder of what to look for. A critique is worthless unless it is clinical and objective. At this stage,... Read More

Polishing Your Sales Presentation

Summer is here! It's time to bring out your summer attire, take a vacation and reflect upon your achievements thus far this year. Look back at the past few months of your sales production . . . are you on target for all your sales goals for 2005? Are you... Read More

Developing Successful Demonstrations

SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS: All of us have seen demonstrations in one form or another. Some were more successful than others. The successful demonstration is a wonderful bridge between training and on-the-job performance because it allows the trainee to see the concept at work, actually accomplishing the task at hand. No claim... Read More

Give Your Audience Something to Talk About

There is an old saying: "The first thing to do when the audience goes to sleep is to prod the speaker." Most presentations are not intense enough. The average audience is lulled to sleep by droning monotony. A really energetic presenter can lose a pound or more in the course... Read More

The Upside to an Auditory Rehearsal

Many experienced trainers feel that there is something lacking in their rehearsals, even after mentally reviewing their notes and presentation aids. They'll know their style and method of delivery. They'll already have experience with their subject, and have pre-established methods of getting points across. Many of their facts and supporting... Read More

The Relationship between Information Sender and Receiver: The Art of Communication

For communication to take place, a message must be transmitted by a communicator and correctly received by a listener. If the message is not understood, there is no communication. There is only noise. Between the transmission and reception of a message, much can go wrong. Communication, by definition, involves at... Read More

Communication Barriers and Simplifying the Communication Process

The communication process can be much more difficult than a person thinks. Unfortunately, many times a presenter does not realize that their message is being lost until it is too late and they have gone through an entire meeting/lecture talking away about something that their colleagues/audience thinks is absolutely meaningless.... Read More

Clear Communication: The Benefits and How to Achieve Them

Communication is a complex and often difficult process for both the receiver and sender. Barriers on both sides of the process often deflect the real meaning of the message and inhibit clear, open, and rewarding communication. Research shows that a major portion of an organization's problems are caused by poor... Read More

1,000,001 Reasons To Connect With Your Audience

Eye contact is mandatory when giving a public presentation.The goal of public speaking is to connect with your audience. Visit with your audience. Have a conversation. When you are making eye contact with one person, when you are having a conversation with one person in the audience, the entire audience... Read More

Using Your Audience to Your Advantage

Regardless of what response technique may be convenient in a given situation, one thing is certain for the aware trainer: different techniques will drive you deeper and deeper into the realm of subtlety, which is precisely where the art of using response points belongs. For most trainers, these direct questions... Read More

Tips for Thinking on Your Feet

If you really aware and alert, your audience's behavior - faces, bodies, and their hands, will literally transmit scores of "messages." It is possible to judge how well you're being received, how much attention your audience is paying to you, and often how close your objective is to accomplishment. For... Read More

Steps to a Successful Audience/Trainer Relationship

A major cause of trainers being unreceptive to their audience is stage fright. Being so self-involved the trainer has very little energy to devote to making personal contact. It is not unusual for this to happen, and there are ways to avoid it. You can capture and hold an audience's... Read More

Is This Thing On?: Keeping Your Audiences Attention

First and foremost, you must deal effectively with your own emotions, ego, hang-ups, inhibitions, and fears. This will release you to focus on the audience is their attention level. A trainer must prepare thoroughly, believe in the message behind the words, and be committed to attaining his or her objective.... Read More

Can Stage Presence be Learned?

What is stage presence? Can it be learned?There are, undoubtedly, some 'naturals' in this field. The fine Welsh actor Richard Burton, for example, on his debut performance at 16, playing an extra scrubbing steps, was said to distract the audience from the Shakespearean play! Many actors commented on Burton's extraordinary... Read More

The Right Speaker Makes a BIG DIFFERENCE

MORE and more corporations in Malaysia have awoken to the necessity of training and developing their people these days. Hence, many local speakers have emerged in recent years just as many foreign ones have already been flocking to Malaysia as far back as two decades ago. With so many speakers... Read More

Let Me Tell You a Little Story

Once upon a time there was a businessperson who had the task of convincing an audience of the need for the business to plan better for the future. Instead of starting out with a spreadsheet and a long list of numbers he started with a story we all know, "The... Read More

Be Bold, Branded, and Bespoke - Your Customers Want You to Choose

I had been working on a logo idea for several weeks before I finally realized that it would take from several months to never before I came up with something that would work for me. Scanning the Internet for sites that resembled Logos 'R Us, I found one that had... Read More

Writing The Query Letter

The query letter is simply a business letter that serves a dual purpose. It is an introduction of you to an agent, and an inquiry as to whether the agent would be interested in seeing a particular piece of your work. The query letter is the first "picture" an agent... Read More

The Ten Essential Tips On Writing A Powerful And Persuasive Presentation

Have you ever had to give a speech?Do you remember that feeling? A knot in the stomach, sweaty palms and a panic attack!Not a very pleasant experience. And yet, I'm sure your speech was a success because 90 % of a typical audience want the speaker to succeed.Yet according to... Read More

How You Can Save On Conference Calling

In recent years, companies have recognized the need to expand their businesses in the international arena. Breakthroughs in communications and transportation have facilitated this move and have enabled these companies to trade in various countries all over the globe. It is now easier for company representatives to travel armed with... Read More

Projector Hire - Choosing the Right One for Your Presentation

Calling a projector hire company will often get you confused as they ask: What lumens do you need? (Lumens is the brightness of the projector) What resolution do you need? (Resolution is the number of pixels at which the display device does not have to expand or compress the input... Read More

Audience Respect

One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in not considering or respecting their audience when preparing their talks. Showing respect means not boring them to tears with a data dump of information which is meaningless to them.1. Respect your audience. Make sure your talk is relevant to them,... Read More

Watch Out For Power Thieves

"I'm not an expert on this topic, but . . .""This isn't exactly an exciting topic, but . . .""I hope you'll find this interesting.""Had I more time to prepare . . ."These expressions all have the same thing in common. They cause your audience to wonder why you ?... Read More

Develop The Winners Edge Through Conversational Hypnosis

Communication is vital for survival in an age of information that is undergoing a "shock-wave" of changes. Nationally and globally, we remain in a crisis in traditional literacy. Literacy, according to most dictionaries, is an unmoving term -- the ability to read and write.According to National Institute for Literacy:? American... Read More

Top Ten Tips For Better Business Presentations To Asian Audiences

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and religious differences impact on how people learn, take in information and interact with presenters.After delivering three presentations to managers and franchisees from the largest fast food company in the Philippines, these are my thoughts on how to make an impact.This... Read More

Chairing A Meeting The Most Effective Way

How many times have you attended a meeting where the only thing that gets decided is the date of the next meeting? Or where one person dominates the meeting? Or the meeting is swamped with trivia or unrelated information?It is a commonly held assumption that chairing a meeting is simply... Read More

Winning The Big Pitch - The 7 Deadly Sins Of Business Presentations And How To Avoid Them!

Are poor presentations costing you business?The ability to deliver a presentation to potential investors or clients is an essential skill for any budding entrepreneur, sales professional or consultant.Whether it's a '15-second elevator pitch' or a more extensive presentation, winning over and persuading audiences is vital in today's competitive capital raising... Read More

How to Convert PowerPoint to Flash Manually

Converting PowerPoint to Flash would be absolutely a good choice to distribute your bulky PowerPoint Presentation. You can do the whole PowerPoint-to-Flash conversion manually or by related softwares.First, you'll need to prepare the PowerPoint document. Make sure you are not using any complicated gradients or animations. These will be interpreted... Read More

Plasma Screen Hire ? What Do You Need to Know for Presentations

How many people will need to see the screen? A 42" plasma screen is the most common size and will usually be sufficient for a smaller meeting ? up to 20 people. Several other sizes, bigger and smaller, are available, including 32, 37, 40, 50, 61 inches and now up... Read More

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Choosing the Right Work Shirts for Your Small Business

Company attire says a lot about your business philosophy to your customer. Company shirts project professionalism and advertising. Too loud of a shirt turns people off and certain colors tend... Read More

The End is the Beginning

People remember best what you say last. In a presentation, what people take with them to put into action or to connect with what they already know depends to a... Read More

Handling Questions with Authority

At some point in your presentation you will be expected to answer questions from your audience. They might have some burning questions that need to be answered before they buy... Read More

Problems with the Lecture Format

ALTERNATIVES TO THE LECTURE FORMAT: How often do you use lectures as your sole training technique? Nearly always? Often? It's not unusual for trainers to use the lecture technique exclusively.... Read More

7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable

Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business cause executives to attend more meetings than other professionals, executives need to avoid meetings. Top management is responsible for vision,... Read More

Cell Phone Dos And Dont During A Meeting

What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there's a scary question. It's hard to imagine a world without them. But cell phones, connected as they may keep us,... Read More

Creating a Powerful Sales Presentation

The quality of your sales presentation will often determine whether a prospect buys from you or one of your competitors. However, experience has taught me that most presentations lack pizzazz... Read More

Presentation Pitfalls Series: Top 10 Content Mangement Mistakes

Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be the Top 10 most common mistakes presenters make when organizing and preparing their content:10) Not setting the stage.An introduction should... Read More

Nonverbal Communication in Business

There are five key elements that can make or break your attempt at successful nonverbal communication in business: Eye contact Gestures... Read More

The Secret Language of Money

At a number of business seminars and presentations, I passed out an index card and asked each person in the audience to write anonymously a single answer to each of... Read More

Death by PowerPoint!

The most critical job of a manager, when you boil it all down, is communication. To be successful, a manager has to be effective in communicating one-on-one, in writing and... Read More

5 Breakthrough Marketing Ideas

Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you putting in a lot of effort but not getting the results you want? Don't you wish you could just hit... Read More

Six Marketing Tips for Trade Show Success

A trade show is an ideal way of showcasing your products and services to a large number of prospects all at the one location and at the same time. Thoroughly... Read More

How to Teach: Lecture vs. Discussion

WHEN ONLY A LECTURE WILL DO: Under certain circumstances, of course, the lecture is the only workable format. For instance, when it is necessary to reach a large audience in... Read More

Top Ten Tips For Better Business Presentations To Asian Audiences

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and religious differences impact on how people learn, take in information and interact with presenters.After delivering three presentations to managers and... Read More

Coaching Tips for Powerful Presentations

Tip #1 The purpose of your speech is to get results; to help people make changes and think or act differently. So start with the end in mind. What do... Read More

Ancient PowerPoint Secrets: Ask Your Grandma!

Yes, there are ancient PowerPoint secrets...secrets your grandmother knows and is probably willing to pass down to you.But what's this you say? Your grandmother has never even heard of Microsoft... Read More

A Powerful Presentation Technique-Story Telling

Appealing to emotions is the most powerful way to transfer learning in an information cluttered training or presentation. A compelling story woven with a lot of information in the telling... Read More

Top 6 Reasons Why You Need a Remote for PowerPoint Presentations

A top complaint from audience members is that many presenters put too much emphasis on PowerPoint and technology while neglecting the message and interaction with participants. One way to deliver... Read More

Story Telling As A Tool For Trainers

Once upon a time????."Yeah right, don't tell us a story, we are not kids"."If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are... Read More