Learning from the best
If you've ever had to poke yourself to stay awake during a talk, you can appreciate my admiration for a really great lecturer I heard recently. I analyzed what made him so good and shared some of his technique with you in this month's blog. Read it here.
There's stil tiome to sign up for my October 26th Executive Communications Skills One-Day Blitz! Check it out here.
Tips you can use!
Don't stand in the dark
Be sure to position yourself in a well-lit place when speaking from the podium or around the table. If you're sitting in the shadows, your audience has trouble seeing your face—which puts you at a disadvantage, since they need to see your mouth to really hear and understand you.
Exercise some humility
You may think you have all the answers, but do you really? Being confident is great, but being over-confident is off-putting. In a world where building relationships is key to any business success, it's best to stay open to the possibility that you just might have more to learn.
Practice with a stopwatch
Whether you're doing a keynote, conference presentation, or status report, find out how much time you have been allotted. Plan your speech accordingly, but don't rely on the formula of so many words-per-minute. Delivery speed varies greatly for each person and each situation. The only way to avoid committing the sin of running over is to practice your speech for time. Do that, and everyone will be happy.
