Rob Biesenbach 
I came across this cartoon the other day that shows what happens when a presentation goes off the rails. But I submit that the presentation as planned was doomed from the start anyway. Take a look at the “How You Planned It” section. If that looks to you like a solid blueprint for a speech then it just … Read more
Most presenters—the professional ones, at least—work hard on preparing a speech that will delight and enthrall their audience. Unfortunately, the people assigned to introduce them don’t always put in the same effort. Having been there myself, I really feel for the speaker who suffers a bad introduction—one that’s uninspired, poorly written and carelessly delivered. If you ever … Read more
When it comes to public speaking, the age of the one-sided lecture is dead. Audiences today expect more of a conversation. Here are five ways to spur the kind of audience interaction that will bring your speech or presentation to life. 1. Take Questions The most obvious way to create a conversation is to set … Read more
Everybody’s into email marketing these days, from big businesses to entrepreneurs, from musicians to writers. It’s no wonder—it’s one of the most effective marketing tactics there is. And with tools like Constant Contact and Mail Chimp, anyone can do it. And that’s the trouble—many people aren’t doing it right. Are You a Spammer? In fact, … Read more
Last week I was giving a really important speech and it almost went completely off the rails, due to technical and other issues. The only thing that saved me was my acting experience, which taught me how to recover from mistakes on stage. When you’re giving a speech or presentation, you have to be prepared … Read more
Storytelling has become one of the most overused, misused and abused concepts in business today. People play fast and loose with the definition of story. So what is a story? The first step in figuring that out what a story is, is understanding what a story is not. A quote from Winston Churchill is not a … Read more
I’m amused by old-fashioned notions about competition and how to deal with competitors. The old approach of putting up walls, guarding secrets and drawing strict lines between “us” and “them” may still work for companies holding truly proprietary information (like patents and such). But for service providers, where the difference in offerings among competitors is … Read more
Are you feeling lost or directionless in your career? Like you’re on the wrong track or you’re wasting your time? I can assure you you’re not alone. Practically everyone has felt that way at some point in his or her life. I can also assure you that it’s going to be okay. Take it From … Read more
Are your presentations ugly and boring? Do your slides lull people to sleep? Do your audiences suffer from Death by PowerPoint? Here are some warning signs to watch out for: You use your slides as a script. You follow a tired old formula like “6 lines of text per slide/6 words per line.” Your audience … Read more
How long should you rehearse that big speech? How long have you got? The short answer is you should practice your presentation as much as you possibly can. Know your content backward, forward and sideways. There is no such thing as over-rehearsal. Here’s why and how. A Lesson From a Wedding My wife and I … Read more