Before getting into communication training and professional speaking, I had a very different career trajectory. I envisioned a career in librarianship, which is a wonderful and highly varied field of work. But despite my interest in different areas of library and information work, despite my belief in so many of the profession’s values (which I…
It’s time for a Communication Q&A – the best time of all! If you need to record a lot of video – maybe you’re creating training videos for work or are creating a whole pile of resources for your clients or staff – a teleprompter might come in handy. Many companies also like to use…
Are you needing to bring more polish and professionalism to your virtual meetings but don’t want to turn your office into a professional-grade recording studio? You aren’t alone. We’ve been at this virtual meeting thing for a while now, but many of us are, understandably, still struggling with poor quality meetings. The visual and audio…
Have you found yourself tacking “right?” on to the ends of your sentences, even when it makes no sense? I know, right? This common filler word drives a lot of people crazy, including Mike, who has noticed he’s been doing it more and more often. So Mike reached out to me for help, and he…
** Announcement: If you are a leader and you need to boost your presence and polish in your virtual meetings, be sure to check out my new video conference skills mini-course Making the Most of Video Conferences! Click here to learn more. ** Because we filmed this in the Before Times, it’s alternative…
You’re going to be speaking at an event – congratulations! Now comes the awkward, nail-biting task of writing your speaker’s bio so that you can be properly introduced. But what to put in the bio? How do you highlight your skills without sounding like you’re bragging or have an over-inflated ego? I know I’ve felt…
What does your pre-presentation stress look like? I’ve been speaking for many years. I’ve spoken to big audience and small, for teeny local associations and big international corporations. And I still get stressed. Somewhere between T-20 hours and the time I arrive at the venue, I morph from my usual energetic, cheerful self into…
You can find Chris Enns on Twitter @rags2reasonable Does talking about money make you want to hide under a blanket? If so, you aren’t alone. Money is a taboo topic for many, especially for people with variable income or non-traditional work. Join personal finance expert and advisor (and professional opera singer!) Chris Enns and I…
Managers, business owners, and professionals of all stripes take note – there are killers lurking in your communications. They undermine your words, cast doubt on your trustworthiness, and make people question your judgement. They can create breakdowns in communication between team members, between departments, and most certainly between your business and your customers. The killers’…
“Fearless,” “bold,” “brave,” and other variations are descriptions lots of people assign to professional speakers. People have called me those things, and I’ve heard lots of other speakers described that way. I’ve just come off the rush of the most incredible conference I’ve ever attended, the annual Canadian Association of Professional Speakers convention. I…
