From the category archives:

Delivery

How to eliminate filler words

May 26, 2009

The odd filler word is OK. Yes, really. There are a few hyper-sensitive people (usually Toastmasters or public speaking coaches ) who notice filler words and cringe, but most normal people don’t notice. Or if they do notice, they don’t cringe. Just about everyone uses filler words occasionally. Mike Erard, who wrote a book called [...]

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How to prevent and recover from mind blanks

May 7, 2009

Are you concerned that you might suffer a mind blank during a presentation? The fear of a mind blank can be a large part of the fear of public speaking for many people. It happened to Sally Field in her Emmy Acceptance speech in 2007: How can you avoid this happening to you? How to [...]

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Little-used methods to make the delivery of your PowerPoint stand out

May 1, 2009

There’s a revolution in the design of PowerPoint slides, but not the delivery. Most speakers still rely on their slides to cue them. They click, they talk, click, talk, click, talk… Here are five methods that will make the delivery of your PowerPoint presentation stand out. 1. The Reinforce method Most presenters click on the [...]

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You don’t have to slow down to be an effective presenter

April 24, 2009

Have you been told to slow down when you’re presenting? There’s only one legitimate reason for slowing down. That’s if you go so fast that your words get blurred. Otherwise there’s nothing wrong with speaking fast. Watch this video of Gary Vaynerchuk – would you want him to slow down? This is the way Gary [...]

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8 states of mind that will make you a more compelling presenter

April 22, 2009

I believe in the inside-out method of presenting. Rather than thinking about what I’m doing on the outside eg: a specific gesture or movement, I choose what’s going on inside – my state of mind. My state of mind is the biggest influence on how I come across. Different states of mind work for different [...]

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6 ways to engage your audience through the social channel

February 24, 2009

Just as we have a verbal channel for words and a visual channel for images, we have a social channel for non-verbal signals. That’s the big idea of Alex Pentland’s book “Honest Signals”. Alex Pentland is a professor at MIT Media Lab. He and his team have used a specially designed digital sensor called a [...]

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How to inspire an audience like Nick Vujicic

January 11, 2009

Watch this video and be inspired. Nick Vujicic is an amazing man. His ability to shift the audience’s emotions is something else. And with the hardest audience – hundred of teenagers in a school gym. Within seconds he’s created fun, excitement, and laughter. He’s got them. He shifts to sombre and serious. And then inspires [...]

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How to project your voice

November 1, 2008

A reader has asked: I always feel that I am not able to project my voice and articulate the words properly. Is there any material / information on how I can improve these areas? Presenters often want advice on projecting their voice. They see voice projection as a solution to not talking loud enough. But [...]

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How to go from good presenter to great presenter

October 21, 2008

There is one thing that will take you from being a good presenter to becoming a great presenter. I’ve recently returned from 5 weeks travelling overseas. The first week back in New Zealand we ran a one-day presentation skills course. This is routine stuff for me. I’ve delivered the same material two to three times [...]

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9 ways to use space in your presentation

September 25, 2008

There are many benefits to movement in a presentation: It adds energy and variety to your presentation. It makes you look more confident – because people who are nervous are generally frozen in one spot. And as an added bonus, if you move, you may start to feel more confident. That’s partly because movement will [...]