When you’re nervous about an upcoming presentation, it can cause stress on your body and mind which will impact on your ability to communicate your message effectively. In this article I outline a simple exercise to help combat the symptoms and instil a sense of calm; it can be done anywhere at any time you feel a little scattered, apprehensive or anxious.
What's the best piece of advice you've received about public speaking? In this article I share the two words that changed EVERYTHING for me about how I prepare and deliver presentations.
Long ago I lost count of the number of people who have said to me “I HATE public speaking!” But what if I told you that you could learn to love public speaking?
If you fear or loath public speaking and avoid it at all costs, you may be missing out on opportunities to promote your business, progress your career or share a few words about a special person at an important occasion such as a wedding or a funeral.
Having the right speakers and break out session facilitators is crucial to the success of an event. Therefore, if you’re in charge of planning, it’s important to put time, effort (and money) into finding the right speakers who will engage and inspire your audience and ensure your event is talked about for years to come. In this post I share my top tips to help you book the ideal speaker.
I am often asked how many words should be included when drafting a speech. This can depend on a number of factors, not least the language being spoken and the culture in which it is spoken; speech rates can vary from region to region, person to person and even each time you speak. In this post, find out what impacts your rate of speech and how many words you should be aiming for if scripting your pitch or presentation...
Famous Russian actor and theatre director, Constantin Stanislavski was quoted saying, ‘Spectators come to the theatre to hear the subtext.’ The use of subtext is used in acting to communicate so much more than just the words and the technique can also be used to give life and meaning to your presentations and connect with your audience on another level...
We are now three weeks into January and I wonder how you’re getting on with your plans for the coming year. How is this year going to be different to the past? Have you made plans? Are you moving forward with them? Or are you letting fear hold you back? This is a guest blog post by Philippa Linane of Decision Happy, whose work is based on the best-selling book ‘Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway’ by Susan Jeffers. Philippa’s post will provide you with food for thought and some techniques for feeling the fear and making a difference to last year...
One of my favourite TED Talks is by Social Psychologist, Amy Cuddy called ‘Your body shapes who you are.’ It shows how you can reduce stress and feel more powerful simply by changing the way you hold your body, which is essential for confident and credible communication...
There is a lot of information on the internet about how to create the perfect wedding speech and toast; but often writing the speech is not the problem - it could be nerves that cause the most angst. If you’ve been given the honourable task of giving a speech at a wedding, it is important to get it right so here are some tips...
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...
More and more business pitching competitions are taking place around the UK offering opportunities to win prizes, support and funding to help grow your business. In this post I share pitching tips from the Scottish EDGE fund, tips that can be used in all types of situations to give your company an edge. Is it time for you to polish your pitch?
This week I have had the pleasure of staying at a holiday resort where the employees put on a show for guests most evenings. A few of them had incredible stage presence and it got me thinking about what makes someone stand out from the crowd when in front of an audience and how we can use this to engage our audience and enhance our message when public speaking...
Recently whilst delivering a workshop I found myself displaying all of the classic symptoms of nerves – thumping heart, shaking voice, red face and an overwhelming desire for the floor to open up and swallow me. In this post I share how the horror of the situation affected me, what I learned and how I managed it...
At many networking events you have just 40 to 60 seconds to grab people’s attention and tell them about you and your business. So, how can you deliver an attention grabbing pitch that makes everyone in the room sit up and take notice whether you are the first or the fifteenth person to speak? Here are some ideas...
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...
