As a media skills trainer, I find the most common fault in the people I work with is an inability to get straight to the point. Asked a simple question in mock interviews, like ‘What’s special about your company?’ or ‘What are your plans for next year?’ they either: meander around the main point and […]
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My 10 most hated words and phrases
Okay, I am a stickler for clear, effective spoken and written communication that makes correct and appropriate use of our gloriously rich and subtle English language. But I make no apologies for that. There are some words and phrases that are so overused, misused, clumsy or downright meaningless that I want to lash out whenever […]
Read MoreIs your presentation architecturally sound?
If you want your presentations to have impact they need to be easy to listen to, easy to follow and easy to remember. You can achieve these goals through organisation. A well-organised presentation has the following architectural features: A logical structure, with a beginning, a middle and an end, much like a story; A clearly […]
Read MorePlanning a presentation? Don’t do another thing until you’ve answered these questions…
Presentation expert Ken Haemer famously said: ‘Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern’. Presumably none but the most die-hard serial polygamists would dream of taking that approach to love letters; so why do so many presenters think it’s okay to […]
Read MoreTen things every presenter can learn from TED Talks
TED Talks: how did we ever manage without them? What a rich store of wisdom, wit, creative thinking and sheer brainpower is freely accessible to all in that online collection of 18-20 minutes presentations https://www.ted.com/talks And what a gift they are to any speaker looking to raise their presenting game and improve their influencing skills. As […]
Read MoreStart your presentation with a bang (not a whimper)
Opening remarks are probably the most crucial aspect of any presentation. If they are powerful, arresting, thought-provoking and relevant (to the audience), there is a good chance that you will engage the attention of your listeners and continue to hold it.
Read MoreDon’t start a live interview with ‘thanks for having me’
Can I help you? There was a moment while listening to an episode of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours a few days ago when I almost crashed the car in my frustration at not being able to intervene.
Read MoreLessons for public speakers from Sir Tim Hunt’s downfall
As a communication skills trainer I have always tried to impress on clients that while good spoken communication can raise profiles and enhance prospects, poor communication can damage careers and trash reputations. Nothing demonstrates the truth of this assertion better than the vertiginous fall from grace of Nobel Prize-winning biologist Sir Tim Hunt, whose poorly […]
Read MoreBeat performance nerves for good
Recently I sang a substantial solo in a public performance of Mozart’s Coronation Massgiven by my choir. I hadn’t sought this ‘honour’ but all the other singers in my section made it quite clear that they wouldn’t put themselves in the spotlight, so eventually the finger pointed at me. I would have had very good reasons […]
Read MoreWhy your passion leaves me cold
Why your passion leaves me cold These days it seems that everyone has to look passionate, to sound passionate and to feel passionate if they want to be taken seriously. Labour leadership contender Liz Kendall says her party must become ‘as passionate about wealth creation as wealth distribution’. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is passionate about […]
Read MoreDo you really need to give a presentation?
Do you really need to give a presentation? These days the business world virtually runs on presentations and it would be a very brave manager indeed who announced a new scheme without committing every detail to deck of PowerPoint slides.
Read MoreExorcise the curse of knowledge
When I was medical correspondent of a national newspaper, some years ago, people used regularly to ask me how I was able to write in such depth and detail about science and medicine when I was neither a doctor nor a scientist. I replied that I was much better equipped than either of those experts […]
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