PRESENCE: (as in stage presence)   The state or fact of being present, as with others or in a place.     How “there” or present are you? Are you fully “there” where you are? The more present you are, the more of yourself you give to your audience, and the more authentic your presentation becomes.  …

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AFTER MANY YEARS OF COACHING speakers and industry leaders, I have developed a very simple and workable checklist of what to avoid when preparing, organizing, and delivering speeches and presentations of any kind to ensure that my clients/students do not make these mistakes. If you use this checklist, you’ll be well on your way to…

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Interesting quotes taken from a piece in Fortune Magazine by Muhtar Kent, the retiring CEO of Coca-Cola.    There are some comments he makes in the story about leadership that deserve more attention, and are linked to PR. PR establishes a position for companies that they must grow into and deliver on.   * Re: starting points… “Over nearly…

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THE CONCLUSION IS THE most valuable part of any speech: it must be compelling and engaging, it must create anticipation, and, above all, it must be memorable. It is in your conclusion that you will motivate your audience to commit to your call to action-to actually respond and do something, rather than merely spectate. And…

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I’M SURE YOU’VE SEEN IT BEFORE-the most common approach to beginning a presentation is to start out with a quote or a joke. Unfortunately, unless you know exactly what kind of audience you’re dealing with, this kind of beginning may come off as extremely contrived-and it may also completely miss the mark.  I can’t emphasize…

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WHEN YOU MAKE A POINT, major or minor back it up with support sources that will give it credibility. Such support sources have the power to add weigh and authority to what you’re saying. You might assert, “The environment today is in bad shape.” Well, that’s a very general point. What you want to do…

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After an effectively delivered attention-getting opening, I advise speakers to take an additional step to ensure that they truly have their audiences with full attention in front of them and prepared to receive the main body or remainder of the presentation. In this case, what I am referring to here are audience attendees who have…

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Referrals are a terrific method and source of expanding your client base. Many professionals back off of this and they lose a great deal of future business opportunity as a result. One reason is that they do not know how to acquire referrals effectively.   I have found a simple, workable but gracious letter to…

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Here are some quick tips to help you overcome your fear of public speaking toward any audience whether a business meeting, a networking scenario, a boardroom or conference room setting or a small or large gathering.   Here are 4 quick tips you can use right now!   1. Arrive early enough to fully perceive the room…

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What is the difference between “There are many children in the Congo going hungry” and “I’ll never forget being in war-torn Congo-witnessing firsthand the deprivation of hundreds of children, and feeding them life-nourishing food that I obtained at my own great peril”?   The difference is story. And the difference it makes is between something…

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