There are two kinds of great pitching: One happens on a baseball diamond. The other happens when employees, entrepreneurs — really, anyone in business — “pitches” a prospect, donor, influencer, or boss to get support for a project or an idea. If you work “outside the home,” you’ve probably given a business pitch, and you’ll Read More
public speaking
How to Manage Yourself in Public Speaking and in Life
I recently had the kind of week that every consultant cherishes. I delivered three workshops and one major keynote speech to exciting organizations, all in a six-day period. So what did I learn from this whirlwind of activity (aside from, get to the airport early)? In Public Speaking, as in Life, Learning to Manage Yourself Read More
How Much Information is Too Much for Your Listener?
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
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