You can find Gord Sheppard on Twitter @GordonSheppard1 It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it… Oh, how true this old saw is! Non-verbal communication (including vocal expression like pitch or pauses) can drastically change the meaning of your words and the way they’re interpreted. And this is a communication skill leaders need…
You can find Gord Sheppard on Twitter @GordonSheppard1 It doesn’t matter how much I explain it, it just doesn’t seem to sink in! Ever feel this pang of frustration when trying to get a point across? It’s pretty common to think that when someone isn’t ‘getting’ what we’re trying to say we need to…
Networking event, business mixer, after party…whatever you want to call it, these kinds of small-talk heavy events can be the bane of many people’s existence. That goes double if you are on the introverted side. We need to make conversation at these events, but how do you even start a conversation at a business networking event? Some…
You can find Tina Varughese on Twitter @TinaVarughese Ever feel like you’re walking on multicultural eggshells? Diversity is a valuable asset to any organization – it increases things like happiness, profitability, and functionality – but it can be intimidating for people who are worried they’ll say the wrong thing or who feel like other…
Is your speech plagued by umms, ahs, and other pointless filler words like “so, like, y’know,” etc? I’ve got a question from Tamara on this very common issue: Hi Lauren – I find myself saying “um” and “ah” a lot when I give a presentation, and I hate it! It’s distracting and makes me…
The first few minutes of your speech or talk are critical. Putting together a really solid opener can be tricky, and Ian is looking for advice on how to create stronger openers will grab his audience’s attention from the start: Hi Lauren, My name is Ian, and I’m in the financial sector. I give lots…
So you made a mistake during your presentation. Even if the rest of the presentation goes great, it’s the mistakes that get burned into our brain. Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but how to you get over a mistake when the memory of it makes you want to hide with shame? It’s important to figure this…
It’s a presenter’s nightmare: some jerk in the audience decides to give you a hard time, asking impossible questions, challenging everything you say, making snarky comments, and trying to make you look like an idiot. Congratulations – you’ve got a heckler. Hecklers can really throw you off your game, and it happened to Laura who…
You’re about to give a talk. You’ve practiced, you think you’re ready, but then…your heart starts to pound, your mouth gets dry and your hands get sweaty, your brain goes blank, and you feel like throwing up. What’s going on? Welcome to the wonderful world of speaker’s anxiety manifested in the famous “Flight or Fight”…
How much time should I spend on my presentations? This is the wrong question to ask. A better question to start with would be “What kind of presentation do I need to give? Is this a utility presentation, one I’ve give loads of time and am already familiar with? Or am I creating…
