January 2012 Newsletter
"What do I do with My Hands?"
One of the most common questions I get is “What do I do with my hands?”
To which I say: “Forget about your hands. If you’re engaging your audience with a strong message and energy, no one will notice your gestures.”
Jargon and Buzzwords to Avoid in 2012, According to a Michigan University.
Great communicators avoid jargon. Now, a Michigan university has identified 12 buzz phrases that you should avoid for 2012: phrases like “amazing”, “thank you in advance” and “shared sacrifice.”
Those phrases are from the “Lake Superior State University 2012 List of Banished Words."If You Want to Persuade, Less is More.
You’re speaking to the board of directors, trying to win approval for a large capital improvement. Do you give them a detailed analysis of the reasons to approve the project? Or do you hit them with a few key messages supporting your position?
You have a better chance of winning the approval if you go with a few key messages. Too much information actually makes decisions more difficult, according to “Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking”, Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller that focuses on how people make judgments.
How to Keep Your Brain from Freezing When You Give a Speech.
George Jessel said, “The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.”
Indeed, the beginning of the presentation is the point when you’re most nervous. To deal with those initial nerves, we tell our clients to practice that part of the presentation more than any other part. Once you get through the beginning, usually you’re going to be fine.
Magic Phrase to Keep Q&A Session on Track.
“What do I do during a presentation when the questions are getting farther and farther away from the issues that I want to cover? How can I stay on track?”
We get that question a lot during our workshops. And many presenters will shy away from taking questions for fear that they will lose control of the program.