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…
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 people’s agendas are being shoved down their throats. Fortunately,…
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…
It happens to everyone – you’re fine in front of one group of people, but in front of an audience with more education, or experience, or status then you? Your confidence nosedives, and you find yourself asking “who am I to speak to these people?” This is at the heart of this question sent in…
Whether you or not you believe the adage “Never judge a book by it’s cover,” the simple fact is that our appearance matters when we give a presentation. A lot of messages get packed into our appearance, hence people getting hung up on picking their outfits when giving presentations. This sartorially-themed post comes courtesy of…