If you feel presentation anxiety before stepping up to the podium or lose your composure when something goes wrong, there’s one important thing you can do to calm yourself. Best of all, it’s simple. It something you do thousands of times every day without even thinking about it. If you haven’t already guessed by the … Read more
Handling negative feedback is always hard, whether it’s after a presentation, in a performance review or via a passing comment from a colleague or friend. Sometimes it’s enough to make you question your worth or even your very identity. (Is that the way people see me? Am I bad person?) I know, because I’ve been there. … Read more
With the coming holiday season I’m reminded that a corporate speech is like a Christmas tree. You don’t need to celebrate Christmas to understand the analogy — you just need to have spent a few moments working on a big presentation inside a company or other organization. Is it going to be a hot mess? … Read more
Remember what a shock it was in 2020 to be thrown into the world of virtual presenting? It was definitely an adjustment for me, and I’ve been doing virtual for over a decade. And now we’re living in the “in-between” — some of us returning to in-person presentations, some not and others a little of … Read more
How often has this happened to you? You’re watching one of your leaders or clients speak at an event and they’re absolutely bombing. Yet they go on and on, oblivious to the palpable restlessness, confusion or annoyance in the room. How do they not recognize what’s obvious to all of us? Well, look at it … Read more
Sharing your wisdom from the stage at professional and industry conferences and other venues is one of the best ways to raise your profile, advance your career or boost your business. Public speaking will get you noticed and help build your reputation as an expert. And that can attract all kinds of opportunities, from a … Read more
Even in the best of times, it can be hard to control our emotions. But we haven’t been living in the best of times. Most of us have experienced some level of stress or even trauma as a result of the pandemic. So it’s natural to be feeling a little “raw” emotionally and unpracticed socially … Read more
Want to be viewed as a leader? Then get up on stage and present like a boss. A presentation tests your mettle in any number of ways, from your ability to inspire others to how you work under pressure to whether you can translate information into action. It can bring out your best — and … 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