Rob Biesenbach 
If you’re the kind of person who plans things out carefully, beware: that strength could also be your biggest weakness, if it keeps you from being in the moment. That’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, and something I intend to work on in the new year. Planning Only Takes You So Far I consider … Read more
Fifteen years ago this fall I struck out on my own, leaving a job as a vice president at Ogilvy PR to work independently. I started out doing what I’d been doing at the firm: corporate communications work for a variety of clients. Over the years, I added three other lines of work: acting (in … Read more
We’ve all heard that “93 percent of communication is nonverbal.” But like a lot of conventional wisdom, that figure is a myth. But because so many people accept it as gospel, they almost literally tie themselves up in knots in presentations, job interviews, speed dates and other important moments. Here’s what you need to know about … Read more
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