Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

What are you hiding from? Okay, maybe you’re one of those people who bravely seizes every opportunity. You put yourself out there—front and center. You don’t always get what you want, but you know that if you don’t ask, you don’t give ‘em a chance to say “yes.” Or maybe … You keep a low…

Don’t Go Down In A Hail Of Bullets

PowerPoint has been around for more than 30 years now. For much of that time, expert speakers have been encouraging us to use it more creatively and effectively than the engineers who designed it to show information to each other. Include more images, they tell us. And fewer words. Ditch distracting special effects. And for…

Walk the Talk to Make the Sale

So, this email showed up in my inbox: “Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope you are enjoying your weekend…and I was wondering if there was anything that I could help you with.” That’s wonderful. Except it’s Monday. Now I understand this is an automated message. The guy didn’t just sit down at his computer…

Ready To Change The Conversation?

If it seems like everyone is angry all the time, it’s not your imagination. People really are on edge. Spoiling for a fight. Quick to take offense. And of course, some are quick to give it. Political conversations are a minefield. And that’s spilled over, don’t you think, into other parts of our lives. How…

When Audience Participation Goes Sideways …

You’ve probably run into one of those people who treats audience participation as a chance to hold forth. They present a challenge for a speaker, don’t they? This question arrived in my in-box from an HR expert: “During my presentation, I paused to ask questions and opinions. I like getting some conversation going instead of…