Speaking Hiccups

| June 14, 2013

If the unexpected hiccup occurs during your presentation, follow the good example of Houston meteorologist David Paul and Judy Grant’s sound advice.

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Lookin’ Good on Video Conference Calls

| November 6, 2012

Video conferencing has become ubiquitous in both the workplace and at home. Services like GoToMeeting, Webex, Vidyo, Facetime and Skype used with a webcam, tablet or Smartphone make it inexpensive and easy to hold virtual meetings with almost all the benefits of an in-person meeting. However, looking good on video requires different considerations than face-to-face [...]

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Jargon is Junk

| September 11, 2012

I was working with a client last week who riddled his speech with industry jargon and acronyms.  I felt frustrated and confused trying to figure out what he was trying to say. I was reminded of a wonderful and amusing blog post I read late last year by Dan Pallotta (@danpallotta). It was published in [...]

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Do you speak with Clarity?

| June 12, 2012

When addressing an audience, do you make your point simply? Are you unambiguous? Concise? If so, one of your Speaking Strengths™ is “Clarity.” Speaking Strength: Clarity – Unambiguous, concise Speaking with clarity is harder than it looks. You must do the work instead of your audience having to decipher your point. To speak with Clarity, [...]

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“Yeah, but…”

| April 13, 2012

I was at a party recently chatting with a small group of people when a new person entered the group, listened for a moment and then said “yeah, but…” As you might imagine, the group was ever-so-slightly put off. Why? Because “Yeah, but” is language that sets up opposition. “Yeah, but I hear “yeah but” [...]

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Speaking Tip: Your mother was right

| March 13, 2012

“Speak up!”, “Don’t mumble!”. Did you hear these words when you were growing up? If so, your mother was right. Poor enunciation and projection render otherwise good communication ineffective. When you speak, you want to be heard – literally. If you speak softly or do not enunciate clearly, your audience may not hear your message. [...]

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Speaking Tip: Reception is crucial in football and in speaking!

| February 3, 2012

Reception. It’s crucial in football and in speaking. When the quarterback passes the football, the goal is for the ball to be received. The same is true when you speak. You make your point and the audience needs a moment to receive what you say. This is why the skillful practice of the “pause” is [...]

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Rapid Speak is a Liability

| December 5, 2011

“Rapid Speak” gets a lot of people in trouble. What is rapid speak? Speaking uncomfortably fast for the listener. A number of years ago, FedEx ran a famous, amusing commercial that illustrates the tension produced by rapid speak. For some, rapid speech is their natural speed. For others, it’s a by product of anxiety. And [...]

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Executives – Get Ready for Video

| November 7, 2011

More and more executives are inquiring about training for video presentations. Organizations are using YouTube, video interviews, webcasts and website videos to reach a wide audience with key company messages delivered personally by the corporate leaders. If you’ve done some video you know it’s not as easy as it looks. To get you started: With [...]

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Do you speak with Command?

| October 3, 2011

“Command” is one of the top ten Speaking Strengths™ we have identified in our work with executives and leaders. For a copy of all ten Speaking Strengths, click here. Command – Powerful presence, in control The hallmark of speakers with the “Command” strength is the ability to project they are in control. As the listener, [...]

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