Category: Presentation skills

Customising your sales presentation to the unique needs of the customer is essential to retain interest and engagement.

The core purpose of an investor pitch is to stimulate interest and to get a second (detail) meeting.

There is a big difference between spoke language and written language. Aim to have it sound natural as it is spoken. The speech should be memorable and easy to …

The Power of TED Talks are that they are engaging, have a clear message we can relate to and hardly ever have any "Death by PowerPoint" to put us …

Business storytelling helps our audience recall more than a list of statistics or facts, but we still need to be sure our audience leaves with our key points. A …

Do you feel like people sometimes don’t listen to you at work? We’re all guilty of not listening at one point or another in our lives. We tune others …

Not all Q&A sessions are created equal. We could use technology (Twitter or some other live question feed) to get quality questions, but these solutions can be time consuming, …

Image selection in slide design is about more than just typing the word or concept into Google, it is about clarifying your message and making each slide count. They …

Effective slides are designed to augment your message - not be your message (notes) or a distraction (clutter). When designing slides avoid to "death by Powerpoint" think billboard (a …

Our brains love personal and emotionally compelling stories; they engage more of our brains and therefore are easier to remember than a set of facts.

Using our attentional spotlight is energetically costly so we need to use it sparingly. The functions using the pre-frontal cortex of our brains require considerably more resources than we …

Avoid “consultantese” - the temptation to shovel a truckload of statistics and facts at your audience. Your speech should be supported by the facts and research; it should not …

Questioning skills to help engage your audience. Questioning can help build relationships and coach if done effectively

Group presentations are often done poorly. The problem is often a combination of poor planning and coordination between group members and a fear of public speaking. Have each speaker …

Humour can be a powerful tool if it is used to make a point Jokes without a point, in a presentation, can be distracting. Humour helps us capture attention, builds …

Use the Picture Superiority effect (PSE) to increase engagement and reduce boring presentations. Bullet points lead to presenters reading instead of speaking. It is easy to begin reading what …

Using bullet points in your presentations can cause your audience to read ahead or switch off. Use the Picture Superiority effect (PSE) to increase retention and engagement. Pictures are …

We have to deal with off the cuff questions daily - after presentations, when dating and in social situations. Learning to think on your feet is a great way …

Speech design tips to help you structure your thoughts so your audience can follow and understand your message.

Communication that is clear and understood saves time and money, improves customer scores, and helps increase employee engagement levels.

Body language tips to improve your speaking Improving your understanding and delivery of nonverbal communication takes time and practice to improve. First we need to recognise the power of …

Before developing your call-to-action, be clear on what action you’d like your audience to take. Build the interaction around that call-to-action and point people to the next step.

We don’t care what people say, we are more likely to believe what they do. We communicate information in multiple ways (eye contact, gestures, posture, body movements, and tone …

A soundbite pitch is a clear, concise and a well-practiced description of the benefit your company offers.

Start by making some notes of stories and experiences that you’ve enjoyed with the bride, groom or couple. Take into account the audience’s cultural background, age, familiarity with the …

The MC helps the day run smoothly. The speeches at the wedding reception are meant to be an enjoyable part of the day, giving friends and family the opportunity …

Use stories and anecdotes to create an engaging wedding toast Long drawn out wedding toasts can put your guests to sleep. If you’re not used to public speaking don’t …

Dumping a full Excel spreadsheet into a presentation makes the information less effective. Keep it simple, changes and relevant information.

Numbers can be very powerful to illustrate the story you want to share, but what does your audience actually need to see? Start by clearly defining what your message …

Presentation skills tip: if you can find it on Wikipedia, don’t say it in your speech. Use personal stories to make your point, don't dump data.

Top Presentation skills tip. When speaking practice feeling the emotion, showing it in your face and body language, then saying your line for more natural body language and sincerity.

Speech design tips, how to captivate your audience with a great opening will engage your audience for a while, while a weak opening will lose your audience's attention and …

Always start writing your speech, or presentation, with a clear message you want the audience to remember in mind. If 5 people spoke they should remember you spoke about …

There are different types of presentations. The presentation you deliver, the presentation you mail (to be read), and the presentation your print. Each requires a different approach to make …

How many slides should you have? The number of slides is not nearly as important as creating a clear message that people can hear and act on.

When presenting percentages or statistics keep it simple and relate it to the audience. For many people percentages are complicated and cause the MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) state. …

Pick your background, font and contrast carefully when creating your slides. Contrast makes your message easier to read.

To engage your audience add a black slide, or blank the screen. This allows you to step forward and speak to the audience. Black slides can help the audience …

Learn how to use bullets effectively. At the very least, bullets points bore your audience when used ineffectively. Most "Death by PowerPoint" occurs as people put too much text …

Leadership means we are always on stage “What you do teaches faster, and has a lasting impression, far beyond what you say.” T.F. Hodge Part of our job, as …

Use white space to enhance readability and visual clarity. This helps direct your audience’s focus to the important content on your slide, rather than distracting them.

One of the leading contributors to “Death by PowerPoint” is putting too much information into each slide. No matter how cool your logo is, putting it on every slide …

Subtle changes to the way you display prices can make a huge difference. Discover the impact of anchoring, premium products, wording, framing value, bundles and selling time can have …

Don’t let your message get lost in too much data. Create a clear take-away you want your audience to remember. We may feel the message should be obvious, but …

Learn some simple tips to increase your impact as a speaker. Rushing your opening or overloading the audience with data can be the kiss of death. Your open sets …

Too much focus on the bottom line can lead to disengaged employees as they feel they do not matter. Managers now have the hard science to support development of …

Demonstrating your knowledge of your audience’s real world business challenges sets the expectation that your talk is relevant to them. As speakers we have an opportunity to entertain as …

Speech design and delivery. Handling speaking nerves. Use the power of the body’s autonomic nervous system to change the chemical state of your body, and how you feel.

We often wait for life to make us feel happy, before we smile. However research shows that if we smile first it can make us feel happier. By standing …

Tips on using a microphone. Using a microphone is about the audience. Can you be heard, and understood, from the back of the room? Don’t be “that speaker” who …

It turns out we are far more stimulated by the idea of fairness than by free money. Our pleasure/reward circuitry is activated more when the offer is perceived as …

We often use comparisons to assess value. Learn the skills Williams-Sonoma, The Economist and great sales organisations know to ensure your ideas and product have perceived value.

The world of speaking is changing. The Instant nature of social media can tell you how you are doing as a presenter, and if your message is clear. Social …

A clear point made with humour will linger in your audience’s minds long after you've finished. Ideas that make us feel something are more memorable, specially when we laugh.

Think about what you have recently bought that you didn’t really need, but wanted. We buy mostly based on our emotional preferences (wants), not always on what we need. …

We are emotional beings first, we use reason and reason to make sense of our emotions. Studies have shown repeatedly that we value experiences far more than things. People …

Avoid dumping data and confusing your audience in your presentations. “Consultant’s disease” is giving too much information, without discovering what the listener’s actual needs are. A simple example is …

Learn how to use Presenter's View. Stop boring power point where the presenter reads what the audience reads and everyone falls asleep. Presenter's View, on Power Point (2007+) or …

Your audience wants to be moved, inspired, persuaded ... not be bored to death with data dumps and cluttered slides. So use simplicity, San-Serif fonts and contrast for powerful …

TED talks aim to persuade, influence and change the way we Think and Act. We should be aiming to do the same thing in our business presentations. No more …

As speakers we can learn to overcome our fears through the vicarious experience of watching others grow personally and professionally. Then, when we are ready, we try it for …

Q & A tips. Your audience expects you to be confident and to maintain control of the session. Often when the Q&A session goes “pear shaped” it’s because the …

Successful speakers pay attention to the details. By anticipating some of the most common mistakes we can prevent them. Remember to keep it simple and relative to the main …

Walk the talk. As a leader what you do gets noticed, even when you are not in the front of the room. Whether as a leader in your work, …

A toast is a short speech. The toast of the evening is normally 2 - 3 minutes. Check the Programme for time and style of toast (Toast of the …

Start by determining what training is required, in order to deliver products or services to the customer (internal or external customers), in a manner that increases customer engagement and …

There is a direct relationship between tension and laughter. Laughter is a natural stress reliever, because when we laugh muscle tension melts away. When we laugh our muscles automatically …