In a political revolution, insurgents quickly target the media outlets. Their reasoning? He who controls the language controls the thinking. Now comes another study to suggest that insurgents may have it right. In this experiment, one group of volunteers was… Read More »Persuasive Speaking: Language and Experience
Let’s call her Sheila. Like many in the financial services industry, she sells with the aid of a pitch book, printed in landscape format and containing information about the history of her firm, her team of colleagues, their range of… Read More »Sales Presentations: The Biggest Mistake
What I have to say about lecterns and podiums is academic, but nevertheless worth mentioning. A podium is a raised platform on which a speaker (or an athlete) stands (look left.) A lectern is the upright object on which he or… Read More »Presentation Tips: Lectern vs. Podium
Science, like the rest of us, advances through trial and error, better known as dumb luck. One summer day in 1991, neuroscientists in a lab at Parma University wired up a monkey’s brain for a simple experiment. They wanted to… Read More »Public Speaking Skills: Mind Maps of Gesture
I have a new puppy named Little Bear. He has shy moments that make my wife and I want to pick him up and cuddle him. I also have clients who are shy when they stand up to speak. I don’t want to… Read More »Speaking Anxiety: Teaching the Shy to Present
About two years ago, I attended a free webinar on marketing and liked what the presenter had to say. I also liked his voice. So I called him and chatted about my marketing issues, and eventually I hired him. He… Read More »Communication Skills: E-mail vs. Presentations