Often when people are asked to deliver a speech or a presentation, they will start their preparation with the question “What do I want to say?” But this is the completely wrong place to begin. Here's what to do instead...
11 Ways to Kill Your Credibility as a Presenter
During a three day conference in London I had the opportunity to watch and listen to some incredibly charismatic and engaging presenters. Amongst them all, however, there was one presenter that stood out for all the wrong reasons and she has inspired this post. Find out what this speaker did to kill her credibility and caused me to walk out of her presentation...
9 Public Speaking Lessons from the Theatre
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...
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...
7 Simple Rules of the Stage for Presenters
5 Ways to Energise Your Presentation
If you think about speakers who really connect and truly engage an audience, there’s a good chance it will be those who bring an authentic energy, enthusiasm and excitement to their presentations. These qualities are infectious and they enable speakers to bring their audience on a journey with them. But how do you inject energy into your presentation? Here are five ways to infuse your talk with a liveliness that will have your audience captivated...
8 Tips for Remembering Your Presentation
One of the biggest fears my clients have is about forgetting what they are going to say when public speaking and I am frequently asked for advice on how to memorise a speech or presentation. In this post I explore the different schools of thought about this and provide some suggestions on how to prepare effectively to remember your presentation...
Can You Learn to Love Public Speaking?
The Power of Passion in Public Speaking
7 Lessons Public Speakers Can Learn From Pantomime Actors
Tips for Presenting to Large Audiences
The Moment Before...
Just like an athlete warms up before a sporting event, so should you warm up before any presentation or public speaking engagement. In this post I share a variety of techniques to prepare your mind, voice, body and more so that you can manage your nerves and deliver the best possible speech or presentation...
Help... I've got Glossophobia!
Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is said to affect 75% of the population to some degree. If you're someone who suffers from public speaking anxiety, you'll be pleased to know that it is possible to overcome your fears. And the great news is that if you increase your confidence in verbal communication you’ll not only transform your speaking but you’ll transform your entire life...