If stand-up comedy is just another kind of public speaking then how hard can it really be for a seasoned speaker? Last year Jim set out to find out and soon learned the importance of discovering your comedy persona – and it doesn’t even need to be a fictional one. Just knowing what/who it is…
Ok – the basics first: create a strong story, design professional and engaging visual aids, then connect with your audience. These will all improve your presentation skills, but once you’ve mastered those, what next? How does the experienced presenter move to the next level? Keep improving? Become a truly confident speaker who can adapt to…
It is a simple fact that people tend to make sweeping judgements about a person’s personality and competence based upon the ‘thin slices’ of information available. So if you present slightly better than those around you, you’ll stand out. If you stand out, you’ll get a reputation for being capable in so many more areas…
Sometimes you just have to give it to them straight! It may seem harsh but Jim firmly believes that this refreshingly direct and straighforward approach is the best way to build confidence and skills more quickly. After all, public speaking is a skill that nearly everyone can learn so, if you’re a less experienced speaker…
In an earlier post, Jim shared 3 mistakes he had made as a speaker and how, ultimately, the lessons learnt made him a stronger and more resilient speaker. Guess what? The list of things that can go wrong is a long one, and in this article he shares more classic examples. (In fairness to Jim,…
Kintsukuroi (or Kintsugi as it’s also known) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by putting the pieces back together again with a lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. It treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise, and, with all…
My 13-year-old son asked me to let him show me his football skills the other day. I was delighted, because until that point, he’d shown no interest at all in the sports that I’ve adored since I was his age. We went down to the local park, and I passed the ball to him to…
If you’re still using PowerPoint with a ‘clicker’ stood behind a lectern, you’re gathering dust faster than a dozing grandaddy. It’s not all about the look, you need a strong story, but you’ve already got that. So why not challenge yourself with the latest technology? Porsche never stop trying to improve their classic 911. They…
In this fascinating TED talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy starts with two good questions: Our non-verbals govern how other people think and feel about us but do our non-verbals govern how we think and feel about ourselves? If our minds can change our bodies; is it also true that our bodies can change our minds? Her research…