Let’s explore 5 of the worst ways to open your next keynote or major presentation…that we hear ALL TOO OFTEN! Ahem! (clearing your throat – do vocal warmups beforehand, please!) Thank you…. (your audience doesn’t need to hear this.) It’s really great to be here….(you’re wasting even more time.) Can you hear me? (do your …

Let me explain what I’m doing right now. I am sitting alone in a room and I am talking to a piece of glass. And that’s why I think the advice “just act natural” is a bogus piece of public speaking advice. It’s especially egregious for anyone who has to talk in front of a …

What can you do when you’re onstage and you freeze? Try a BIG MUSCLE MOVEMENT. What to do: Find a BIG MUSCLE MOVEMENT that works for you. It should be something you can do easily, that you enjoy doing, and yet looks great or reasonable on stage. Practice this technique. Do it daily. And make …

How long should you wait before ending your Zoom poll? 🍿“USE THE BURNT POPCORN RULE!”🍿 What’s the Popcorn Rule? Think about popping corn. After a few minutes of popping, you’ve got a good batch of popcorn to eat. But you still might be thinking, “But wait. There might be a few unpopped kernels. Maybe I should …

You need to maintain eye contact with a reporter or interviewer during an on-camera appearance. And yet, you need to cover your main talking points. And stick to an agenda and stay on time. And you don’t want to have wandering or shifty eyes while you’re talking on-camera! What to do, what to do? How …

I’ve been in quite a few Zoom web meetings lately, and I’ve seen a lot of BATS IN THE CAVE, if you know what I mean. If you don’t know what I mean by BATS IN THE CAVE — it’s when someone is using the camera on their laptop and I can look straight up …

Some people find networking awkward, but it doesn’t have to be. Not if you get in the habit of looking at feet. Feet??? Yes, feet! Feet point toward interest. If you’re talking to someone and your feet are pointing toward each other, cool. You’re both interested and engaged. But when someone’s feet start to stray, …

A woman stands on stage. She’s got her head down as she reads from her index cards. She’s tugging at her scarf and hair with her left hand. Her voice trembles and shakes. Then, she crosses her legs as she stands. If you talk to many body language experts, they’ll tell you that crossing your …

A client was rehearsing her presentation. She stood on stage with her arms crossed in front of her. I stopped her. “Try standing with your palms out,” I told her. She did, then stopped. “That feels weird,” she said. “Good,” I said. “Try it again.” She did. “Still feels weird,” she said. “Again.” “Still weird.” …

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 …

Let’s explore 5 common crisis communication response mistakes… and what to do instead. I’ve seen all five of these mistakes play out in the media recently. How about you? 1. Don’t ignore warning signs: conduct routine threat assessments. 2. Don’t cover up: take responsibility. 3. Don’t speculate: verify and confirm facts. 4. Don’t say “No …