6 Rules for Writing (George Orwell)
These were written in 1946 and still hold true. If you want to get your message across, leave nothing up to interpretation and edit ruthlessly. Politics and The English Language – April 1946.
If the audience could do better, they’d be on stage.
You won’t be invited to stand on a stage (literally or figuratively) and address a group unless you’ve earned the right to be there. And this should be all the more reason to develop your delivery skills. You can know everything there is to know about your topic and feel passionate about it, but if […]
What’s the right channel for your message – text, call?
If you’re choosing a communication channel based on what’s convenient for you, or “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” you’re doing it wrong. Be cognizant of what you’re trying to communicate, who you’re communicating it to, and what channel will best serve your ultimate objective.
Why you need to ruthlessly edit your speech or presentation.
Whether you’re giving a speech without visual aids or a presentation using slide software, there’s never a good reason to tell the audience everything you know about the topic. As the famous philosopher Voltaire said, “The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.” As the presenter, it is your responsibility to separate ‘nice […]
Do you have an emergency presentation kit?
Do you give presentations or speeches often? If so, it’s in your best interest to put together an emergency presentation kit: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. A physical backup of your presentation(s) in the event your laptop crashes or you lose internet access. 2. An extra presentation clicker or remote. Sure, you can present without one, but […]
Becoming a competent presenter.
The space between the two can seem insurmountable. And beyond that, the space between the two is daunting because it is undefined (for you). You’re embarking on a journey to improve and there’s no telling exactly how you’ll get there or when you’ll arrive.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀What we do know is that the journey to improvement has […]
How to script a presentation (for practice purposes).
While developing a presentation, it’s helpful to start by writing a script to go along with the slides. We don’t suggest memorizing a script, but it’s a great way to learn your content and think about how you’ll transition between slides and key points as you prepare. Once you’ve got the content down you can […]
Write it how you would say it.
Next time you write an email, ask yourself if that’s how you would say it out loud if you were speaking directly to that person. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Because email (or any other form of non-direct communication) leaves a lot to be desired, we need to pay special attention to: tone, clarity and proactively responding to potential […]
VIDEO: The Best Place for ‘Thank Yous’ in a Presentation
3 of 6 Building Trust in Business: Do what you agreed to do
According to Jim Dethmer with The Conscious Leadership Group, people with a high level of integrity honor 90% of their agreements. He says that being impeccable around the agreements you’ve made (doing what you said you would do), is one of the easiest ways to build trust in business.