10 Ways to Practice Your Presentation Like a Pro
If you want to be truly prepared to deliver your presentation, you’ve got to do more than simply run through your note or Powerpoint slides five or six times. You need to seriously challenge yourself while you practice.
Here’s how.
How Better Body Language Can Improve Your Presentation
I was fascinated when I found this study about the importance of body language for public speakers and what a difference it can make in your presentation. Today I’m going to provide a quick summary of what the research showed, and then I’m going to give you some takeaways that you’ll want to keep in mind when delivering your next speech.
How to Inspire Your Audience In Dark Times
Valarie Kaur is my new hero. In six minutes, she managed to deliver a rousing speech that made me want to cheer and cry at the same time. Today I’m going to unpack Valarie’s talk and help you understand the techniques she used to create an extraordinary speech.
The “Secret” Structure of Great Speeches.
Today I’ll be breaking down Nancy Duarte’s well-known TED talk about the structure behind some of the best known speeches in modern times. I’ll start by summarizing Duarte’s talk and then highlighting the take aways you won't want to miss.
Top 10 Reasons You Need a Speaker Coach
You have passion, you have expertise and you have experience - why would you hire a speech coach? I’ve got ten wonderful reasons for you, but they all boil down to this - if you hope to be the kind of speaker that makes your audience want to cry and cheer and congratulate you all at the same time, you can! It’s just going to be nearly impossible to do it by yourself.
Use an App to Improve Your Public Speaking!
Wish you could get some immediate feedback on your delivery skills? Orai can help! It’s an app that critiques your public speaking in real time. I tested it out myself…here’s what I discovered….
Engage Your Audience with Mini-Stories
Storytelling is the new “black” of marketing, the buzzword on every advertiser’s lips. And for good reason - who doesn’t like a story? In this post I want to show you the easiest way to incorporate a story into your next presentation.
Don't Make These Power Point Slide Mistakes!
In this blog post I’ll be describing (with visuals!) 3 of the most common problems I see with presentation slides and solutions for each one.
Folowing these suggestions will instantly improve your next presentation!
Captivate & Engage Your Audience with Transparency
Giving a presentation is like pulling up to a stranger in your car and yelling, “Hey, let’s go for a drive!“ As a public speaker, you are the driver, and you’ve only got about thirty seconds to persuade this stranger, a.k.a. your audience, that the journey you are proposing will be worth their attention. What can you do that screams to your audience “good times ahead!” You can be transparent.
How To Find Amazing Images for Your Presentation
Today I’ll be sharing some of my favorite sites filled with free images, explaining terms like “royalty free”, and showing you how photo credits work.
Juicy stuff first! Here are my free “go to” sites. (And no, not getting paid for any of these endorsements :)
3 Necessary Ingredients of a Powerful Story
Increase the impact of your story by including these elements. We’ll be looking at one of the best analyses of storytelling that I’ve seen recently - this TED Talk by David JP Phillips. Below, I briefly summarize his main points and then offer my own insights and take-aways
Make Simple Charts Quickly Using Canva
Today I’ll be walking you through how to make simple, great looking charts quickly and easily using Canva.
Challenge Your Speaking Skills with an Open Mic.
If you’re a speaker with a lot of experience but would like to challenge yourself, sign up for an open mic today! It’s some of the scariest, most educational fun you’ll ever have!
4 Lessons Public Speakers Can Learn From COVID-19
When I wrote this post, the pandemic was in full swing. And while the world has not only survived but moved on, the lessons that I describe are still relevant. It’s worth a read….