If you struggle being concise, clear and succinct when you present, this post will help you. Use the PRES frame to speak with directness and clarity.
7 Tips for Successful Panel Presentations
I have moderated dozens of panels throughout my career. Unfortunately, I have also been in the audience for many panels. I say “unfortunately” because panels can be the laziest, least educational format on earth. These tips will transform your panel presentations into brilliant and memorable experiences. Tips for Moderators 1. Do your homework! When planning …
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Why Is It Important to Begin ANY Presentation with a Hook?
During our recent long spell of online presentations, I noticed something important. In the first few minutes of air time, presenters often either: Launched a poll. This often took longer than expected, and could dilute participants’ focus on the topic itself. OR (more often) Presenters didn’t try to hook their audiences at all. Instead, they …
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Roar for Better Meetings
Most staff participate in an average of 15 meetings a week, and 71% of senior managers say that meetings are unproductive. So I created 3 GRRRs: “Guila’s Roars to Rehabilitate our Rendezvous”. These GRRRs will improve your meetings immediately: GRRR #1: Clearly Identify and State the Meeting’s Purpose The leader or group must determine beforehand …
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Sit and Deliver!
We can lose much of our dynamism when we sit and speak. People can’t see our hands, our internal organs are “squished”, and we’re inhibited by lack of movement. If you must sit in this Zoom world, these guidelines will help you exude energy: Scoot your hips toward the edge of the chair. Remove your …
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Five Characteristics That Get Us Through
A few years ago, Adam Bryant of the New York Times interviewed 525 diverse CEOs. These leaders came from all walks of life and many ethnicities, but they all seemed to share five definitive characteristics. If you, like most, have struggled over the last year to keep your head above water, I believe these five …
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Improve Meetings When You’re Not in Charge
Do meeting participants have any responsibility beyond showing up, reporting, and trying to sound reasonably on top of things? Here’s my guiding principle: When we decide against trying to influence the quality of a meeting, we make the choice to live with the consequences. I understand that challenging a meeting leader can be difficult, especially …
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Into the Abyss: What I Learned as I Learned Zoom
Like you, I participated in so many Zoom meetings and webinars over the years that I thought I really got it. So when it came time to create my first training session on Zoom, I knew I had it in the bag. I was wrong. Comfortable in My Passion My professional career has been about …
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Train Like a Wizard, Not a Troll
Great online training is magic. The good news is that you only need to perfect two steps to train like a wizard–not a troll. Step 1: Design Learning outcomes Create clear learning outcomes before doing anything else. They should say what the learner will be able to DO as a result of your session. …
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How to Move Your Audience
Do you think your data should speak for itself? Guess what, it doesn’t. These two presentation tips ensure that your audience cares about your message.
3 Tips to Manage Presenter Tension
How can trainers and presenters juggle complexity without tension? Chances are you haven’t tried these simple, no-fail techniques.
How the Heck Should I Organize Training Content?
Once you have your training topic and your learning outcomes, what steps should you take to develop content? I’d like to provide a never-fail shortcut to organizing the training content that can clutter your brain
Feeling Through the Screen
Empathy is a tool.
Alan Alda
Have you ever felt unseen by a speaker or meeting leader? They might look right over you, or speak from inside their own bubble, almost as if they were alone. Perhaps they are nervous, or narcissistic, or shy. Whatever their reason, these speakers and facilitators aren’t using the secret power
How Does Nostalgia Improve Presentation Skills?
Did you know that presenters can use nostalgia to enhance their confidence, mental fortitude, and connection with the audience? And we’re not talking about using endless anecdotes. Discover this little-known, research-based tool to improve your presentation skills.
Staying Sane When Traveling to Train
Have you ever felt strangely wired, unbalanced, or out of your comfort zone when traveling to train or present? While it’s super-rewarding to know that distant folks value your expertise, travel can spur unexpected anxiety. How do you keep from getting derailed? Out of Control We depend on exerting a fair amount of control over …
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