I had a really interesting challenge the other day, to speak to 30 or so 14-16 year old girls about ‘personal impact’. I had 30 minutes to make an impression and help them make the most of the event they were at. The event was a ‘bring your daughter to work’ day, arranged by the fabulous people…
Lovely post from Simon Raybould on his refreshingly opinionated blog- ‘Telling People’. He makes the point that ‘errr’ is a natural human sound that people make when they’re looking for the next word, and most people in our audiences don’t notice it, but lots of presentation trainers do. His thesis being ‘a little bit is fine’ and presentation coaches can get narrow in what they work on with their clients. Here’s the blog and a recommendation that you read lots of it.
It’s only a disaster if someone gets killed isn’t it? I remember when one of my clients fell off the stage, but he wasn’t actually killed, so it was just an embarrassment that he handled well. A matter for caution, yes; but also an opportunity to show the audience how a professional presenter handles those ‘slapstick’ moments…
Here’s a guy that I met this week at a speech I made in London. His name is George Moore and he’s an engaging, charismatic and powerful speaker. Note the attention grabbing start, serious appropriate tone, and powerful close. Text book. More about Moore. I wish I could have done this at his age. Excellent.
Here’s a great article on FT.com about the use of management speak in the London held inquests into the deaths of the innocent and guilty in the London Bombings of 2007. Lady Justice Hallet, the coroner, objected to the use of ‘management speak’, by the senior representatives of the emergency services interviewed as a part…
‘The compassionate Fool’ by Norman Cameron , is one of my favourite poems. It’s beautifully written. When I first got to know the piece I thought that it was about me, as teenagers tend to. About how difficult I found it to get out of relationships in case I hurt the other person’s feelings. Then I passed through…
I was asked to do a short input to a group of potential investment bankers at UBS, London, a few weeks ago. I think it went rather well and I enjoyed it immensely. The event was organised by my friends at ‘Greenlight‘ the specialist arm of Stafford Long and Partners the fabulously creative London agency…
Imagine the scene. You’ve spent days preparing a major presentation to a new client, and you’re coming to the end of the pitch. You’ve moved from what they need, to what you can do for them, how you will proceed, the costs carefully explained in context of the results to be delivered. Now is…
Fabio Capello is the Italian Manager of the English international football team. He’s very Italian. And when he started the job there was no doubt that his English wasn’t up to the job. Now he’s been doing the job for four years, he’s a little better, but caused a furore this week by suggesting that…