Rob Biesenbach 
Have you ever met anyone who admits they’re a bad listener? I haven’t. Most people seem to think they’re great listeners. But I haven’t found that to be true. And I should know — I’ve long been a bad listener. But I’m getting better at it, and I believe anyone can learn how to be a better … Read more
Every audience has one thing in common: they want to know, “What’s in it for me?” If your speech or presentation is all about you, you’ll never grab and hold their interest. So whether you’re presenting to a group of coworkers around a conference room table or to a thousand strangers in a ballroom, there … Read more
In a camera-phone world, there is still a time and place for a professionally shot and edited video. But on occasion, a DIY approach is good enough — and even preferable. I’ve done it for professional purposes once — and, as with so many things, that makes me feel qualified to advise others. So here’s what I learned … Read more
I’ve done a couple of speeches where events beyond my control cut seriously into my allotted speaking time. If you’re ever in that situation, here’s what to do and what not to do. The Best Laid Plans … I construct my presentations meticulously. If I’ve got an hour-long time slot, then I know I will … Read more
What is it that made Mr. Spock one of the most beloved TV characters of all time? It certainly wasn’t his logical side. If he were all-Vulcan, all the time, that would get old fast. No, what made viewers love Mr. Spock was the occasional glimpse of humanity he showed us. Now Spock was only … Read more
There, I said it. It feels good to get that off my chest. When I do presentations, I get all kinds of feedback, from the eye-opening to the mind-bending. But until recently I’d never been accused of being a mindless tool of the capitalist agenda. Estela and the Candy Factory It was during a webinar when … Read more
If you want to break down walls with an audience and influence them to act, nothing beats a well-told story. To create that story, simplicity is key: you need three basic elements: Character Goal Challenge Now you can make it as complicated as you want, layering on other elements like a turning point or a … Read more
I was talking last week with my next awesome client about the problem of Death by PowerPoint, and why so many people still don’t get it. Our conversation led me to a realization about why smart people continue to give bad presentations. Dull Slide Decks, and the People Who Use Them We were mainly discussing the … Read more
If you’ve been waiting with bated (or baited) breath for my next post on confusing word pairs, today is your day! It was almost three years ago that I first set out to make the world a better place by ending once and for all the misuse of “jibe” and “jive” and “hone” and “home,” among others. … Read more
The more this Brian Williams story plays out, the more ridiculous it seems. Unless NBC knows something the rest of us don’t, a six-month suspension seems pretty draconian. (But not draconian enough for those demanding he be fired.) I don’t really have a dog in this fight. I don’t watch the NBC Nightly News (or any … Read more