by Alan | Jun 15, 2006 | Communication skills, Don't!, Leadership, Sales
The saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Nowhere is that truer than in public speaking and leadership. And that impression starts before we ever open our mouths or say a single word.Due to family activities,...
by Alan | Jun 12, 2006 | Communication skills, Delivery
All speakers have moments that they don’t plan, don’t want, and don’t need. Throats get tickled; minds forget lines; and tongues tangle over the simplest phrases. It’s impossible to ignore — from the speaker’s point-of-view. The...
by Alan | Jun 11, 2006 | Communication skills
Seems like there are a billion and one business titles based on the idea that people stop when they think they are good, and miss out on being really great. Many of the speakers I work with fit that description perfectly. And because speaking is not a common skill...
by Alan | Jun 11, 2006 | Communication skills, Flying
I spent much of this weekend at the local No Fluff, Just Stuff conference watching (and critiquing, of course) folks speaking. Like most of us, these folk were not speakers first, but people with a passion who became speakers because others wanted to hear about their...
by Alan | Jun 8, 2006 | Communication skills, Delivery, Don't!
A typical practice in keynote or executive speeches and town halls is the Q&A session. I’ve got no problems with questions (and answers!) but I dislike watching a messaging session end with soliciting them.One I saw last week ended something like...
by Alan | Jun 6, 2006 | Communication skills, Delivery
Had a speaker I’d worked with share a recording of his presentation with me today. He led off with the caveat and warning that he had committed a grievous delivery error at the beginning of his presentation: “…even as I said it during the speech, I...
