The day has come. My new book, 11 Deadly Presentation Sins, is here and on sale now at most of the usual places. Whether you’re a regular public speaker, a hardcore PowerPoint user or an occasionally terrified presenter, this book offers your path to redemption. The ability to present your ideas in clear and compelling terms … Read more
As I prepare for the launch of my new book, 11 Deadly Presentation Sins, I’ve been thinking about the most common questions audiences ask me about public speaking. Here are my answers, along with links to further reading —here on the blog and elsewhere. 1. Which is More Important—Content or Delivery? They’re both important—probably equally … Read more
We rightly marvel over the genius of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech. But when you know the backstory, the accomplishment is even more impressive, and carries powerful public speaking lessons for anyone who has to get up in front of an audience. A Moment of Improvisation As I’ve written before, much … Read more
Like everyone else, I was mortified when I saw the now-infamous video of Michael Bay melting down onstage the other day. I consume a lot of public speaking blogs and the reaction from professionals has been a good deal less voracious than from the public in general. There was a lot of empathy expressed (the phrase … Read more
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for yourself? How about a free copy of my new book, 11 Deadly Presentation Sins? For Subscribers Only This week I’ll be giving a sneak preview of the book for subscribers to my email list. If you join by tomorrow, you’ll get all the exciting details, including: A first … Read more
Public speaking can be nerve-wracking enough, but presenting as a group adds a whole new level of anxiety to the process. And when the presentation is a new business pitch, that really raises the stakes. Organizing a group presentation can be like herding cats, only with less focus and discipline. But it doesn’t have to be … Read more
When I talk to audiences about presentation skills, the #1 question I get is how to handle stage fright. I’ve written about it before but it keeps coming up. And the more I read and listen, the more I learn. So here are my newly expanded Top 10 tips for handling the jitters, nerves, stage fright—whatever … Read more
Are you stuck in PowerPoint Hell? Or putting others through it? You’ll find absolution here. Check out this free webinar I did for Georgetown University: 11 Deadly Presentation Sins: A Path to Redemption for Public Speakers. It’s a simple YouTube video, but they don’t enable embedding, so just click here to watch. I first put … Read more
I keep hearing speakers talk dismissively about audience Q&A. They feel it’s a distraction from their message and they treat it as an afterthought. But I believe that whenever it’s technically feasible you should always take questions from your audience. Based on my own experience as a speechwriter and public speaker, here are five reasons … Read more
In today’s attention-deficit world, you have to grab your audience right off the bat. So you can’t afford to make unforced errors at the start of your presentation. That’s why I put together this new quick-guide called 7 Fatal Presentation Errors and How to Avoid Them. It takes you through the seven worst mistakes speakers … Read more