Imagine that you’re carefully explaining something — to your boss, or a client, or a colleague, or someone who reports to you — and their eyes start to glaze over. This can be a sign that they’re getting too much information. None of us wants to bore our listeners, so here’s how to avoid over-explaining. Use the Instant Read More
For Public Speaking (and Business) Success, Pick Up the Phone
Twice this week, I’ve had to remind sophisticated clients that you can pick up the phone when you need information: In one case, a client who’s applying for an academic job realized that she could get an inside track on what they were looking for by asking the acting department head. Another client, who’d just Read More
If Your Mind Goes Blank When You Speak in Public, Challenge the Thought that’s Lurking Underneath
My clients sometimes report that — although they felt ready to give a talk or speak up in a meeting — when the time came, their minds went blank. This is what they experienced. And yet, anyone who’s ever tried to meditate knows that there’s no such thing as a truly blank mind. There’s always something going on in Read More
How to Engage Your Conference Audience with TED-Style Talks!
NOTE: This post isn’t just for conference organizers! The tips that it outlines will also help presenters, or teams working on group presentations and pitches! **** I recently had the delightful experience of coaching presenters for GEER 2017 — and learned a lot about how to engage your conference audience! “GEER” is the Greater Everglades Read More
When Someone Asks a Question You Can’t Answer (on Stage or in a Meeting), Be Ready with a “Phrase that Pays”
Sometimes your mind purrs along like a well-tuned engine. Other times it coughs up thoughts, feelings, and anxieties that are worse than useless. Flashes of insecurity are human and inevitable. But when negative thoughts pop into your mind, it’s all too easy to freeze up, sputter, or panic. For many of us, this happens when we’re asked a question that Read More