Avoid “if all else fails”. Rehearse!
They say, “if all else fails, read instructions.” In essence, get a preview of what to expect when you attempt something, especially after you don’t get what you expected. When it comes to speaking in public, doing so without first rehearsing is inviting “all else” to “fail”. Do you really want that “when all else fails” .. read more
Get Real. Perfection is over-rated.
I get it. You strive for polished results, for handling all objections, and for being ready for everything. How is that working for you? I know how that works for me. It keeps me awake at nights. I worry there is something I’ve forgotten about just before the big event. Fill in the blank for .. read more
Good reason to have someone observe you
Today I observed a presenter for the second time in a week., the 4th time overall. New presentation, new venue and different presenting style all led toward my feeling of respect for the presenter who cares enough about his presentation impact to learn from an outsider about his patterns. Two days ago this speaker was in .. read more
Sequestered or Connected. A Decision for Wholeness.
Juries are given the chance to listen to both sides of the story when hearing a case and the opposing arguments. This is when they are connected to the big picture. Then when they are sequestered, or isolated from public view to discuss and decide their findings, they get to show not only what they .. read more
Emotions have a place, when handled
An introvert, I used to try to conceal my emotions, afraid they would show a weakness. Then I watched some of my favorite performers and realized another perspective. Emotions have a place, when handled. My desire was to learn how to gain control of emotions, then appropriately pull people into my conversations. Although I wanted people to .. read more
Even we introverts should go with our gut!
When it comes to communicating, I understand. There is such value to slowing down, thinking, adjusting the words we use and carefully delivering our message. We introverts are quite used to behaving this way. But it needn’t be the ONLY way we respond. Sometimes our impact is enhanced when we go with our gut. When I was .. read more
Are You Practiced or Engaging?
How is your delivery with the routine things you say? Practiced or engaging? I used to be a BNI member when I was in business in Toledo. The idea was each week we would have something different to say about ourselves and our work, opening the minds of those in the room to how they could .. read more
What Your Audiences Fear
When I first started speaking in front of attorneys, I feared they would not value topics in communication. Why? I didn’t relate to their world. Their training, their intelligence, their experiences all seemed a world apart from mine. Could I position the value I experience in such a way as to relate to them? If .. read more
Resources of note
In the past I have blogged about books that have supported my coaching business – see this. Today my focus is on videos that has expanded my thinking of presentations – how to present, effective deliveries, and great topics. For this, I turn to a few TED talks. Let’s start with Nancy Duarte. In this conversation she focuses on the .. read more
Drop an Anchor
There’s a pretty quick way to lose an audience. And that’s with mindless wandering. Many of us introverts have a habit of moving while we pull our thoughts into view, looking at nothing in particular in the room while searching the dark recesses of our brains. Extroverts are full of energy – for them movement .. read more
