​PowerSpeaking Blog: Tips and strategies for crafting presentations!

Minutes before political commentator Jon Stewart took his seat in front of the House Judiciary Committee to advocate for extending the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, 9/11 first responder John Feal took Jon’s prepared script away from him. Feal, who knew Stewart well because of their longtime activism on behalf of 9/11 first responders, had lost part of his left foot working as a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero. In the past 15 years Feal had organized more than 250 trips like this to D.C. to fight for continuing the fund. And here they were again. Feal wanted Stewart to do what he does best: speak from the heart.

When it comes to getting the workplace training you need in the future, will Charlie the Chat Bot be your new best friend?  PowerSpeaking Master Facilitator Angella Nelle shares her perspectives after attending a recent annual conference of instructional design and training professionals.

In our last blog, we focused on the importance of preparation when delivering a business review, and how critical it is that you adopt the big-picture mindset of senior executives.  This post zeroes in on the fine art of delivery and engagement in the C-suite.

Presenting business results to senior executives is like no other presentation you'll make. Your audience expects you to step up to their level, and think the way they think. Here are some tips to help you succeed.

In the process of developing Confident Speaking for Women, we interviewed dozens of women in leadership roles to learn how women can become more successful communicators and leaders at work. From that research, three lines of thought emerged, which are at the core of Confident Speaking for Women. We call them the “3 Cs” of powerful communication: Be Clear, Be Confident and Be Courageous.   Listen to women executives like Shannon Brayton of LinkedIn and Yvonne Lin Liu of Genentech talk about how important it is to “Be Clear.”

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, we’d like to share some recent research we’ve conducted among women leaders in business, science and government—and then, get some insights from you. Read on to hear some sage advice about how to make a powerful entrance to a meeting, then tell us about what you’ve experienced. 

How often have you seen public figures like politicians and entertainers trip over words, suffer awkward pauses, or make it obvious they’re reading a script while on camera? Yes, even seasoned speakers and presenters can bungle a talk if they’re not in sync with the words scrolling on that teleprompter screen.

The cacophony of hoots, cackles and boos from the opposition MPs in Parliament were so loud, Prime Minister Theresa May stopped talking, sat down, and waited until the speaker of the house called the room to order. The red-hot topic was once again, Brexit, and emotions were running high. Regardless of your position on the issue, when it comes to a nightmare scenario of making your case to a contrary crowd, there is strong consensus that this one ranks with the most challenging. While you may never have to present or pitch an idea to such a raucous, hostile group, there are plenty of occasions in business when your audience can be, shall we say, difficult? Here’s how to deal with them . . .

Think you can use phrases like, “a needle in a haystack” or “it’s like herding cats” in your presentation anywhere in the world? Think again, and listen to Master Facilitators Chris Brannen (Asia), Anshu Arora (India) and Sarah Palmer (UK and Europe) give some pointers on how to tailor the three key elements of presenting—Staging, Substance and Style—depending on where you are on the globe. Read on . . .

Whether you're raising a glass at a holiday business luncheon or clinking coffee mugs with friends at a New Year's Day brunch, an artful, heartfelt toast makes the moment even more memorable.  Here are a few tips to make the most of holiday toasts...