If you’ve been reading my posts for a while you might have gathered that I love the theatre and in particular the lessons we can learn from the theatre to enhance our public speaking. Whether you like it or not, each time you speak in public it is a performance. Here are some of the areas of performance that presenters sometimes overlook...
Secrets of a Public Speaking World Champion
This week I had the opportunity to attend a workshop with the Toastmasters International 2014 World Champion of Public Speaking, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi (‘Dan’ for short). He shared various tips on preparation, content and delivery and a few secrets about how he beat 33,000 other speakers from 120 countries to win the world title. Here is an overview...
How to Talk Like a TEDx Speaker
Public Speaking Lessons from the Professionals
At a recent Professional Speaking Association event, it was fascinating to witness the variety of different speaking styles, all engaging in their own way and all true to their own unique approach. I love the opportunity to learn by observing other speakers so here are some of my take-away tips from the event...
Fitness, Focus and Fashion - 3 Public Speaking Tips from a Broadway Show
Tips for Managing the Q&A Part of Your Presentation
7 Quick and Easy Public Speaking Lessons from the BAFTAs
How To Ensure You Are Understood
What's Your Theme For 2015?
We are already more than three weeks into the new year and there has been a lot of talk about new year resolutions. But I wonder whether you are sticking to your resolutions? Have you already broken them or at least some of them? Often we set too many or make them completely unrealistic so that it is impossible to stick to them. Here's an alternative...
What to Do When Things Go Wrong During a Presentation
How to Take Your Presentations From Good to Great
During a recent Professional Speaking Association event Patricia Fripp, award-winning keynote speaker, business presentation expert, sales presentation skills trainer and in-demand speech coach, put presentations under the microscope and offered advice for how to make a good presentation great. Here is an overview of her top tips...
10 Tips to Make Challenging Conversations Easier
If you're someone who avoids conversations that you perceive may be difficult, you'll probably already know that this can lead to further miscommunication, upset and angst. It is crucial to ensure that you find a way to express yourself so in this post you'll find some tips for preparing and managing the conversation...
'Let Go' and Improve Your Public Speaking
What to Wear When Presenting
Whether we like it or not, people are making judgements about us from the moment they first see us. As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Therefore, when we are speaking in public it is crucial to think about the image we are presenting as this can have an effect on how the audience perceives us and receives our message...
How to answer the question 'So, what do you do?'
7 Simple Rules of the Stage for Presenters
Lessons From My Most Difficult Speech Ever
Delivering the the eulogy at my brother's funeral was tough; however, at that emotionally challenging time, I was grateful I was able to write and deliver a well-crafted, succinct and heartfelt tribute to him because I had taken the time to develop my public speaking skills. Here are some lessons from my most difficult speech ever...
10 Tips for Motivating Your Team
How to Ensure Your Pitch Strikes the Right Note
I have developed a simple formula for what I like to call a 'pitchtastic' pitch. It can be applied to any type of pitch from a 30 second elevator pitch that you might deliver at a networking event right through to pitching for millions of pounds worth of investment. This post looks at each element of the formula individually...
Dos and Don’ts for Pitching Competitions (and other important presentations)
Pitching competitions are a great opportunity for companies to raise funding and support to grow their business, but in order to win you need to be able to stand out from the competition. Based on what I observed at a Scottish EDGE fund final, here is a list of dos and don’ts to help your next presentation or pitch stand out...