Rob Biesenbach 
One of the most important things you can do for your professional development is to get some improv training. I studied improv for several years at Chicago’s Second City Training Center and it changed my life. Improv made me a better communicator, a better team member and a better (and braver) person. Someone in your … Read more
If you want to stand out from the crowd in the marketplace, you need to be able to tell your story on LinkedIn. After all, storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to influence and persuade an audience. Take a look at your LinkedIn profile and put yourself in the shoes of a potential … Read more
If you’re like most people, you get nervous before a presentation. It’s okay. Even professional speakers occasionally experience presentation anxiety. The difference is in how it’s managed. You can let the anxiety drive you crazy and even affect your performance, or you can meet it head-on and at least subdue it, if not quite conquer … Read more
If you ever have to handle a hostile audience at a meeting or when giving a presentation, here are a few things I learned the hard way. How hard? Like an employee interrupting a CEO’s speech to yell at him and then storming out of the room hard! That experience taught me a lot about … Read more
Virtual presentations have always been hard. Audiences are restless, distracted and can easily tune out since no one’s watching them. But doing a virtual presentation from home is even harder — both presenters and audiences are dealing with isolation, disruptions and limited technology. So if you want to make a real impact and achieve your … Read more
With millions of people working from home right now due to the coronavirus, it’s a safe bet that many of us are going to be leading or taking part in more and more virtual presentations and online meetings. So I put together this 35-minute video tutorial designed to take the pain out of online communication: … Read more
Remember 1999? It was a magical time: The dot-com boom promised an unbroken era of universal prosperity. George Lucas introduced us to Jar Jar Binks, destined to be an all-time fan favorite. And PowerPoint 2000 was released, ushering in a Golden Age of Business Oratory. Yeah, not so much. Maybe Prince was right. Party over, … Read more
There are certain phrases speakers use that set off alarm bells in my head. They signal a lack of preparation, audience focus or commitment to the opportunity. And it is an opportunity. You have a roomful of people who came to hear what you have to say and are hoping it will change their world … Read more
Twenty years ago I quit my job as a vice president at a top-10 PR firm. None of the things I’m doing now — author, professional speaker, workshop leader — were in my plan. Hell, I barely even had a plan. But it all worked out … better than I would have dreamed. As I … Read more
Being a professional speaker has absolutely ruined my ability to watch other people’s presentations. I can’t help but critique them, especially since working with people to improve their presentation skills is a big part of my business. Here are some of my latest pet peeves — the mistakes most presenters make at conferences I attend. … Read more