INSIGHTS

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Are your presentations memorable? You may be shocked by how little your audience retains over time. Everyone is overwhelmed by information all day long. Emails, messages, texts, phone calls, meetings, to do lists—and it all competes for space in our brains. So how can you make your presentations stick? How do you make your message memorable? Here are 3 simple tips.
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Did you know “Communication Skills” was ranked one of the top three (out of 50!) most important skills for good leadership? Great communication is critical to making progress on goals, to job satisfaction, and to avoiding the steep cost of poor communication. Want to move your leadership communication forward? Here are two important tips.
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In my previous post, I talked about what you can do before a presentation to help you feel less nervous about speaking. This week, I want to focus on things you can do to reduce anxiety during your presentation. And, I want to offer an important tip at the end of this post about something you can do if none of these techniques work for you!
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Of all the topics I’m asked about in my 30-plus years of coaching speakers, dealing with anxiety is the most common. Here are several anxiety-reducing techniques you can use before your presentation to help calm your nerves and make your experience a more enjoyable one for you and your audience!
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In my 32 years of experience as a speaking coach, I’ve learned a few things that could be helpful to you as you strive to make your own ideas heard and to improve how you communicate with others—whether it’s making a sales presentation, updating stakeholders on the status of a project, or presenting to the Board of a Fortune 100 company. Here are 6 crucial tips to help you on your journey.
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You’ve been asked to speak at a customer user conference, an internal sales meeting, or a similar type of event. It seems like lately, whenever you attend these types of events, you’re either wowed by greatness or bored by mediocrity. Of course, you want your presentation to be remembered as one of the greats! So, here are some pitfalls to avoid and things you can do to keep your audience engaged.
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In his 30-plus years as a communications coach and trainer, Steve Mandel says there are two concerns Fortune 500 executives raise again and again about how people communicate with them. He shares what those concerns are and how they directly correlate to steps you can take to become a more skilled, confident, and highly competent executive communicator.

Note to our readers: This is an edited version of a blog post originally published on April 3, 2014.

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Vacations are wonderful. That said, it’s easy for presentation skills to get a bit rusty over a long holiday break. Soon enough, you’ll be expected to present your ideas in person, or perhaps virtually, and many of those presentations will be high-stakes. So, here’s a quick refresher to help you brush up on your presentation skills.
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The scientists and staff at Polar Bears International are dedicated to polar bear conservation. And, they face many of the same challenges business presenters do: they need to present complex data in ways anyone can understand and they need to suggest solutions that others will buy into and adopt. They asked Mandel for advice on how to do that. Here are three tips we shared with them...
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Expressing thanks not only makes you feel good, it makes the recipient of your thanks feel seen, heard, and valued. Saying "Thank you" is a small act with a potentially big impact. It can help you build rapport and make your future interactions with people, both, more memorable and rewarding. In business, this can be especially helpful. Today, I thought it fitting to share a few tips for making a “thank you” as meaningful as possible.
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Everyone has had to answer tough questions in their careers. Questions that challenge your ideas and opinions – perhaps even your credibility. How you respond to tough questions can make or break your relationship with listeners. Here's how to handle tough questions, while staying calm, cool, and collected.

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If you've given presentations in places other than networked conference rooms, you've probably used an LCD projector hooked up to your computer, to project your slides. You may not realize, however, that there are slide projection snafus to avoid, as well as ways to use a projector to improve the quality of your presentations.
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Have you ever made communication resolutions? As the New Year approaches, I always like to reflect on what I’ve done well and what I could improve next year when it comes to communicating with my colleagues, employees, and clients. You may be surprised at how much doing so can strengthen your relationships with the people around you.
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Expressing thanks not only makes you feel good, it makes the recipient of your thanks feel seen, heard, and valued. Saying "Thank you" is a small act with a potentially big impact. It can help you build rapport and make your future interactions with people, both, more memorable and rewarding. In business, this can be especially helpful. Today, I thought it fitting to share a few tips for making a “thank you” as meaningful as possible.
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When you present to senior executives, you expect scrutiny. You know they'll be evaluating whether what you have to say is of value to them. But, there's something else they're looking for from you.... And, it's further proof that when the stakes are high, both what you say AND how you say it can make all the difference.
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