Rob Biesenbach 
Nobody wants to see your ugly, wordy PowerPoint slides. Slides are called “visual support” for a reason: they’re supposed to be visual. That means NOT like this: I was reminded of this issue — well, I’m reminded of it at every conference and meeting I attend — but most recently during a debate on a forum … Read more
Sometimes life’s most important lessons come from being shown what NOT to do. Such a lesson came to me courtesy of my seventh-grade history teacher, who announced on our very first day that “school is not supposed to be fun.” My Teacher, the Drill Sergeant “I am an army brat,” Mrs. Wood declared, marching back and … Read more
A recent study showed that three out of four people who give presentations want to improve their public speaking skills. If that’s true for someone you know — a colleague or customer or maybe yourself — have I got a deal for you! I’m getting a jump on Black Friday with a half-off sale on … Read more
As a presenter, one of the biggest challenges you face is how to focus your presentation. There’s SO much to say! How can you possibly fit it all in? Obviously, there’s a huge danger to the “kitchen sink” approach. Audiences these days are suffering from information overload, attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and … Read more
I work with a lot of executives on their speeches and find that one of their biggest hang-ups is a reluctance to open up and show emotion. And it’s a shame, because a proper display of emotion is one of the most effective ways for leaders to connect with an audience. The Power of Emotion … Read more
Election day always comes with a weird mix of emotions for me. It makes it hard to focus on work and the everyday concerns when something so momentous is happening. And it gets me thinking about elections past … Shock, Dismay and Sadness The morning after the presidential election of 1988, I sat, stunned, on a park … Read more
One of the worst things you can do as a speaker is to avoid eye contact with your audience. It’s not just disrespectful, it’s actually detrimental to your ability to get your point across. If you do any amount of public speaking, whether presenting around a conference room table or addressing a group of hundreds, … Read more
Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage and persuade an audience. But not if you’re telling the same old stories we’ve all heard a thousand times before. You need to tell truly original stories — otherwise, people will tune you out. Here’s What Not to Do Stop me if you’ve heard this … Read more
I’ve seen a ton of panel discussions, and according to my totally unscientific observation, most of them are deadly boring. I was reminded of this yesterday when I got to see the rare good panel at a conference I’m attending (and where I’m also speaking). Why Do So Many Panels Suck? The big problem with panels is … Read more
So you’ve accepted the challenge and agreed to do an Ignite talk. And now the terror sets in: what have I gotten myself into? Relax. I did my first one this spring and it was a fun, though time-consuming, challenge. Here are my top 10 tips on how to deliver a successful Ignite talk. What Is an … Read more