When you’re nervous about an upcoming presentation, it can cause stress on your body and mind which will impact on your ability to communicate your message effectively. In this article I outline a simple exercise to help combat the symptoms and instil a sense of calm; it can be done anywhere at any time you feel a little scattered, apprehensive or anxious.
What's the best piece of advice you've received about public speaking? In this article I share the two words that changed EVERYTHING for me about how I prepare and deliver presentations.
Long ago I lost count of the number of people who have said to me “I HATE public speaking!” But what if I told you that you could learn to love public speaking?
If you fear or loath public speaking and avoid it at all costs, you may be missing out on opportunities to promote your business, progress your career or share a few words about a special person at an important occasion such as a wedding or a funeral.
Having the right speakers and break out session facilitators is crucial to the success of an event. Therefore, if you’re in charge of planning, it’s important to put time, effort (and money) into finding the right speakers who will engage and inspire your audience and ensure your event is talked about for years to come. In this post I share my top tips to help you book the ideal speaker.
As a busy professional, you may think you don’t have the time to improve your public speaking skills, but just a few adjustments can greatly improve the way you are received. Check out my final conversation in this series, where I spoke with award-winning speaker Lee Warren who shared fantastic ideas that are easy to understand, easy to implement and will easily transform the way you present.
The Scottish EDGE round 8 saw 22 companies pitching to a panel of expert judges for up to £100K each in grant funding and loans. If you’re considering entering any kind of pitching competition, read on for my tips on how you can ensure your pitch stands out for all the right reasons.
During a three day conference in London I had the opportunity to watch and listen to some incredibly charismatic and engaging presenters. Amongst them all, however, there was one presenter that stood out for all the wrong reasons and she has inspired this post. Find out what this speaker did to kill her credibility and caused me to walk out of her presentation...
If you're someone who avoids conversations that you perceive may be difficult, you'll probably already know that this can lead to further miscommunication, upset and angst. It is crucial to ensure that you find a way to express yourself so in this post you'll find some tips for preparing and managing the conversation...
I have developed a simple formula for what I like to call a 'pitchtastic' pitch. It can be applied to any type of pitch from a 30 second elevator pitch that you might deliver at a networking event right through to pitching for millions of pounds worth of investment. This post looks at each element of the formula individually...
One of the biggest fears my clients have is about forgetting what they are going to say when public speaking and I am frequently asked for advice on how to memorise a speech or presentation. In this post I explore the different schools of thought about this and provide some suggestions on how to prepare effectively to remember your presentation...
More and more business pitching competitions are taking place around the UK offering opportunities to win prizes, support and funding to help grow your business. In this post I share pitching tips from the Scottish EDGE fund, tips that can be used in all types of situations to give your company an edge. Is it time for you to polish your pitch?
