Archive for the 'Top Speaking Tips' Category

No matter what industry you’re in or what type of presentations you give, chances are you have women in your audience. With 69% of American women in the workforce, the female presence in business is everywhere. Women give and listen to presentations, make buying decisions, lead groups to action, and influence companies worldwide. Therefore, to [...]

I recently read a Fast Company blog about a new political party in Switzerland that wants to make PowerPoint illegal. The Anti-PowerPoint Party (APPP) is a new movement formed by Matthias Poehm, a professional public speaker in Switzerland. His goal is to “influence the public to put a stop to the phenomenon of idle time [...]

I recently came across an excellent article at TrainingMag.com that explores gender roles in public speaking. To briefly summarize, the author identifies several differences in the way men and women give presentations and how both genders can learn from each other to improve their speaking skills.
Although I think there is plenty to learn from the [...]

Multi-tasking, a word no one used a few decades ago, is now firmly ensconced in our everyday language and has become a way of life for many of us. Generations X and Y in particular are known for the ability to speedily produce a surplus of results while working on many different tasks at the [...]

I was traveling via air from San Francisco to Maine recently. As the plane was nearing take off, the flight attendants started their usual safety demonstrations. I politely sat through the “how to buckle your seatbelt” and “how to use your seat cushion as a floatation device” spiels. Then, after the demonstration of placing the [...]

It’s a man’s world. Do you think this statement is obsolete in 2011? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Consider these sobering facts:

Only 12 Fortune 500 companies are run by women, down from 15 last year, as three left their posts and were succeeded by men.
Women earn 77.5 cents for every dollar a man earns.
The more [...]

When you’re preparing a presentation, who is the most important person you need to consider? The answer: Your audience.
You’ve likely experienced, at least once in your career, what happens when you forget about your audience. Here’s the scenario: You create the perfect presentation complete with solid transitions, compelling visuals, and stellar numbers. You have great [...]

True, authentic communication is about creating a bond and connection with your listeners, whether you’re talking with one person or one hundred. Unfortunately, displaying authenticity when giving a presentation is a challenge for many women.  
For example, I have a female client who is struggling with this exact issue. She wants to come across as authentic, [...]

Women are, by nature, very social beings. This is a good thing in many respects. According to the head of psychiatry at Stanford University, when women spend time with other women, they’re not just having fun; they’re also experiencing many health benefits. In fact, the research concluded that spending time with other women is as [...]

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-New York) got caught in his own web of lies…or perhaps he lied himself into a corner. Either way, his juvenile behavior, coupled with his terrible judgment, left everyone stunned.  
During his show, news anchor and political commentator Chris Matthews described an interesting political term called “rolling disclosure,” where you roll and roll [...]