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How to Cope with Contrarians in Business Meetings

Mary, Mary. She’s quite contrary.

And we’ve met her in business meetings, haven’t we?

She’s the one who has been voted most likely to say or do something unconventional. She goes against the grain.

So what can we do about Mary?

With her “quite contrary” nature, Mary reminds us that diversity of thought in meetings is invaluable. We actively seek out varying viewpoints. That way, we can get contrasting ideas that lead to remarkable solutions.

In the rhyme’s bells and shells, listen to the symphony of voices in meetings. Encourage active participation, allowing each voice to chime in and enrich the conversation.

Like Mary’s magical garden, meetings can be fertile ground for ideas to bloom. Nurture creativity, diversity, and innovation. Then watch brilliant concepts grow! 🌷

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The Goldilocks Guide to Adding Detail in Your Presentations

Imagine Goldilocks preparing a business presentation. She doesn’t add too much detail. That might overwhelm her audience.

But she doesn’t use too little, either. She doesn’t leave her audience info-starved!

As usual, Goldilocks goes for that elusive “just right” amount of detail. So how does she do it?

✔ Goldilocks captivates with storytelling. She chooses concrete and relatable details that paint captivating mental images. A forest, a house, 3 bowls of porridge, 3 chairs, and 3 beds. Goldilocks also lets you know the sizes of the bowls, chairs, and beds.

✔ Goldilocks lets you in on her emotional state. First, she’s hungry. Then, she’s sleepy. But she doesn’t just say this with words; she describes her ACTIONS. She samples a taste from each bowl. She sits in each chair. She lays down in each bed.

✔ Goldilocks uses her tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language to emphasize the story’s emotional content. When she tells you how her first bowl of porridge was too hot, she makes a face. On her third bowl, she smiles and purrs, “Just right!”

✔ Goldilocks leaves room for engagement. She is all about having an interactive experience! She moves through her space, inviting you to emotionally engage with her actions. When you hear the story of Goldilocks, you relate to her experience.

But Goldilocks didn’t do everything “just right!” — did she? She made one serious misstep along the way….

❌Goldilocks didn’t read the room. She needed to find out where she was and what pitfalls she would likely encounter. The curious girl needed to uncover a few more essential details. A little audience research would have helped Goldilocks nail her ending instead of running screaming from the room!

Using the right amount of detail takes practice. It’s like putting cinnamon on your porridge. You’ll want to add flavor without overpowering your breakfast!

Aim for clarity, intrigue, and a touch of surprise. Your presentations and stories will resonate, leaving your audience well-nourished and eager for more!

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design PowerPoint PowerPoint Presentation Presentation public speaking storyfinding

Ditch Your Slides: Draw on the Power of Whiteboard Talks!

I went to a business meeting in a small conference room. The presenter whipped out a PowerPoint deck and started presenting at us.

It was odd. There was a whiteboard right behind him. Instead of presenting at us, we could have enjoyed a convivial and interactive whiteboard chat.

If you automatically think, “I must PowerPoint at people” instead of “I must reach people,” — it’s time to switch the default setting in your brain! Step away from your PowerPoint slides and embrace a blank canvas of possibilities!

Instead of PowerPoint, consider delivering a whiteboard talk (or chalk talk) for your next presentation. Here’s how a whiteboard talk can make a real impact:

1️⃣ Showcase Your Personality: A whiteboard talk allows you to showcase your genuine self. You foster a sense of connection and authenticity by speaking directly to your audience. It’s an opportunity to engage personally, capturing attention and building trust.

2️⃣ Amplify Engagement: Whiteboard talks invite active engagement from your audience. As you draw or write in real-time, it sparks curiosity and encourages participation. The dynamic experience breaks the presenter-audience barrier, fostering meaningful interaction and dialog.

3️⃣ Visual Storytelling: The simplicity of a whiteboard can be a powerful storytelling tool. Use it to visually illustrate your narrative, creating a transparent and memorable journey for your audience. Combining spoken words and visual cues enhances comprehension, making complex ideas more accessible and powerful.

4️⃣ Flexibility and Adaptability: Whiteboard talks provide the flexibility to adapt on the fly. You can adjust the pace, dive deeper into specific topics, and respond to real-time audience questions or insights. This adaptability creates a dynamic and tailored presentation experience that resonates with your listeners.

Presentations are not limited to slides alone. Reimagine the way you captivate your audience!

If it’s been a while since you delivered a chalk talk, it’s time to give it a whirl!


Laura Bergells teaches classes and workshops. Hire Laura.
Or you can take Laura’s communications and public speaking classes at LinkedIn Learning – Free to LinkedIn Premium Members!

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Coaching design PowerPoint Presentation public speaking

How to Turn Your Pre-Presentation Anxiety into Your Secret Friend

We’ve all been there. You’re about to give a presentation and you feel your heart racing, your palms sweating, and your stomach churning.

hello butterflies, my old friends! 🦋

You might think that the best way to deal with this anxiety is to get rid of it. To calm yourself down, to breathe deeply, to tell yourself it’s not a big deal.

But what if I told you that your anxiety is actually a good thing? That it’s a sign that you care about your topic and your audience? That it’s a source of energy and motivation?

That’s right. Your nervousness is not your enemy. It’s your ally. It’s there to help you perform better, not worse.

So instead of trying to overcome it or beat it into submission, why not embrace it? Why not say hello to it and thank it for showing up?

Try this: Next time you feel anxious before a presentation, say something like this:

“Well, hello there, my old friend anxiety. What are you here to teach me today?”

Maybe it’s there to remind you to do more research on your topic.

Maybe it’s there to encourage you to practice more. Maybe it’s there to boost your enthusiasm and excitement for your audience.

Whatever it is, listen to it and learn from it. Don’t let it scare you or stop you.

Befriend your butterflies so that they work FOR you, not against you!


Laura Bergells teaches public speaking and business communication classes and workshops. You can also book a private, one-one-one Zoom consultation with here: Hire Laura.

Take Laura’s communications and public speaking classes at  LinkedIn Learning.  – Free to LinkedIn Premium Members! 

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communication design PowerPoint Presentation video

6 Tips on Using Color in Slide Design.

using color in slide design

Color choices on your slides are important. People react to color on both a physical and emotional level.

Often, we see color on PowerPoint slides that don’t seem to have a purpose. Or worse, the color undermines the emotional intent of the message. Sometimes, setting constraints or following basic rules on colors can help you make better color choices.

Here are 6 quick tips that cover the basics of using color in slide design.

1. Use bright colors to attract + stimulate. Don’t use color merely for decoration. Use it for a purpose like drawing attention or setting a mood.

2. Use muted colors for reflection + contemplation. You don’t want to be in “attraction + stimulation” mode all the time. Think about the emotional content of color and how it can enhance learning outcomes.

3. Be careful about using too much color on one slide. It can be confusing. Remember the design concepts of contrast and sameness: without balance, you can create clutter and chaos.

4. Beware of bevels, gradients, and red text. They can be hard to see.

5. Check contrasts for accessibility. For those who are color blind or have photosensitivity, some colors may be difficult or impossible to see. Check contrasts at https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

6. Consider a limited, coordinated color palette. Pick one that meets your needs here: https://color.adobe.com/

What’s your fave quick tip for using color in slide design?


Laura Bergells is a professional story finder. She writes, coaches, teaches, and speaks. Check out her online courses at LinkedIn Learning.

If you’re a LinkedIn Premium or Lynda.com member, these courses are free! If you’re not a member, you can either become a member or buy each of these classes à la carte.

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PowerPoint PowerPoint Presentation Presentation social media video

Get a QR code that links to your LinkedIn profile – put it on the last slide of your presentation

How do you get a QR code of your LinkedIn profile? You can do it directly from within LinkedIn!

I often put a QR code that leads to my LinkedIn profile on or near the last slide of my presentation. I sometimes will put one in a video.

With a QR code that leads to my LinkedIn profile, an audience member can scan the code and connect with me on LinkedIn, if they wish.

A few people asked me how to get their own QR code to use in their presentations and videos — and the answer is that it’s available right from within LinkedIn!

In this short video, (45 seconds) I show you how to create and scan a LinkedIn QR code.

If you feel so inclined, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Scan the code in the video, and you’ll go straight to my profile!


Laura Bergells is a professional story finder. She writes, coaches, teaches, and speaks. Check out her online courses at LinkedIn Learning.

If you’re a LinkedIn Premium or Lynda.com member, these courses are free! If you’re not a member, you can either become a member or buy each of these classes à la carte.

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Blogging Coaching communication content ideas design Education PowerPoint PowerPoint Presentation Presentation public speaking social media Twitter video

How to transform presentation content into video social media posts

Here’s a question about presentations and videos I started to get a lot last month. I’ll paraphrase it:

Hey Laura. How do you do those square, short, silent little videos that you share on LinkedIn and Twitter?

The answer is: really easily! I use a tool called Canva. Update: And here’s a direct link so you can use Canva to create presentations and slides.

As a stand & deliver trainer, I have oodles of presentation content. Canva lets me repurpose bits and pieces of this content for easy social media sharing.

Yes, Canva excels at quick online video creation. I’m finding a lot of people use Canva — but we tend not to think of using it for video. We tend to think of it for images.

I’m also thinking a lot of people have PowerPoint presentations. Why not try using Canva to repurpose your presentation content for social media posts?

Canva lets you do this in a way that’s super easy to accomplish. I show you how in this two minute video. Enjoy!


Laura Bergells is a professional story finder. She writes, coaches, teaches, and speaks. Check out her online courses at LinkedIn Learning.

If you’re a LinkedIn Premium or Lynda.com member, these courses are free! If you’re not a member, you can either become a member or buy each of these classes à la carte.

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Coaching communication content ideas Education PowerPoint PowerPoint Presentation Presentation public speaking video

Introduce emotional relevance to your presentations

Brain Rules by John Medina

“We don’t pay attention to boring things.”

John Medina, Brain Rules

Sounds basic, right?

But how do you NOT be boring when you’re speaking or presenting?

Medina tells us to be sure to introduce something emotionally relevant every 10 minutes.

At least every 10 minutes!

If we don’t, we risk losing the attention and interest of our audiences….because….

“We don’t pay attention to boring things.”

What can you do to shake things up for your audience?

Click on the video to discover 5 things you can do…in under 51 seconds!


Laura Bergells is a professional story finder. She writes, coaches, teaches, and speaks. Check out her online courses at LinkedIn Learning.

If you’re a LinkedIn Premium or Lynda.com member, these courses are free! If you’re not a member, you can either become a member or buy each of these classes à la carte.

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Coaching communication design PowerPoint PowerPoint Presentation Presentation public speaking

Never end your presentation with Q&A.

Never end your presentation with a Q&A.

Got that? Don’t end your next presentation by saying, “Any questions?”

There’s no need to announce that it’s time for questions and answers.

You can do better.

Always plan a strong closing.

If you’re planning a Q&A session, you can have it near the end, but not at the end.

Answer audience questions, then deliver your closing statement.

Don’t risk letting your super awesome presentation drift off into whatever might be on the mind of the last person who asked a question.

Wrap it up, partner. Put a bow on that presentation. 🎁

Consider this: I cover five strong closing techniques in my public speaking foundations course on LinkedIn Learning.

The full course is one hour. It’s a great resource to revisit before your next big speech or presentation, free for LinkedIn Premium Members.

Check it out. >>> http://linkedin-learning.pxf.io/JAb4N

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Coaching communication PowerPoint PowerPoint Presentation Presentation public speaking

The 5 Worst Ways to Begin a Speech or Presentation…

5 worst ways to start a speech or presentation

Let’s explore 5 of the worst ways to open your next keynote or major presentation…that we hear ALL TOO OFTEN!

  1. Ahem! (clearing your throat – do vocal warmups beforehand, please!)
  2. Thank you…. (your audience doesn’t need to hear this.)
  3. It’s really great to be here….(you’re wasting even more time.)
  4. Can you hear me? (do your audio check before you hit the stage.)
  5. Hey, can you see my slides? (check your visuals beforehand, please!)

    If you’ve done one or all of these, you can do better. I know you can!

    Start with a strong opening technique.

Consider this: I cover five strong opening techniques in my public speaking foundations course on LinkedIn Learning.

The full course is one hour. It’s a great resource to revisit before your next big speech or presentation, free for LinkedIn Premium Members.

I get paid when you click on the link and take the course, though.

Check it out. >>> http://linkedin-learning.pxf.io/JAb4N