How to create a sales pitch: picture your audience in their underwearEveryone has heard the advice to picture your audience in their underwear to avoid being nervous. But have you taken the time to think about the brand of underwear? Where they bought it? That person’s name? What they like and dislike? Marketing companies have. Read more
4 Tips for speaking from a podium or lecturnThe podium can be an intimidating place. Even seasoned public speakers feel anxious when standing in front of a microphone. This is natural. Connecting with your listeners is hard work, and now you have to contend with a big, intimidating box being placed between you and your audience. Read more
How to improve your presentations – request honest feedbackYou have a critical speech looming and you have been working on the message for weeks. You have reviewed with peers and colleagues, all of whom had differing ideas on content. This has to be right. What is the next step? Read more
How to be a great storyteller – 5 parts of a business storyThere’s always an implicit contract between the storyteller and his audience. It includes a promise that the listeners’ expectations, once aroused, will be fulfilled. Listeners give the storyteller their time, with the understanding that he will spend it wisely. For most businesspeople, time is the scarcest resource; the storyteller who doesn’t respect that will pay dearly. Read more
Four stories to get your audience excited about your manual, guideline or procedures – Part 4This is the last in a series of several stories providing metaphors to help you get your audience invested in a new manual, guideline or procedure. Regular readers know that I believe telling stories and creating metaphors to help drive points home and convince an audience to act after a presentation is over is one way to persuade listeners. Read more
Four stories to get your audience excited about your manual, guideline or procedures – Part 3This is the third in a series of several stories providing metaphors to help you get your audience invested in a new manual, guideline or procedure. Regular readers know that I believe telling stories and creating metaphors to help drive points home and convince an audience to act after a presentation is over is one way to persuade listeners. Read more
Four stories to get your audience excited about your manual, guideline or procedures – Part 2Telling stories and creating metaphors to help drive points home and convince an audience to act after a presentation is over is one way to persuade listeners. This is the second in a series of several stories providing metaphors to help you get your audience invested in a new manual, guideline or procedure. Read more
Four stories to get your audience excited about your manual, guideline or procedures – Part 1Regular readers know that I am a strong proponent of sharing stories and extending the metaphor to help drive points home and to convince an audience to act after a presentation is over. This is the first in a series of several stories providing metaphors to help you get your audience invested in a new manual, guideline or procedure. Read more
How to organize ideas for a presentation – the envelope methodYou have one hour to present, but 67 key items that support your topic. How do you decide which one will make the cut? Now, complicate things even more. The 67 facts, stories and supporting evidence have been provided by five colleagues who are helping you prepare for the presentation. Read more
10 commandments for presentersIf you want to be a better presenter, speak to someone who listens to a lot of presentations. In most companies, that would include someone in procurement or any department that does a lot of buying. Erik Halverson at eBay perfectly fits the bill. Read more