January 2016

Misplaced passion

In response to those of you who have asked me to weigh in on the speeches and speaking our current Presidential candidates, this month's column offers a quick take. Doubtless more detailed analysis will follow, when I feel I have some fresh insight to offer!

Don't forget to check here for dates and details of upcoming workshops. If you can't attend offsite, send me an e-mail and we can discuss how I can bring it to you.

 Tips you can use!

Build in the white spaces

Format your speech with a double-space return between sections. That way you can visually scan your text and know that a shift to the next  point is coming up. Make your pause in between a tad longer,  signaling to the audience that you're wrapping up one point and transitioning to another. Use this breathing break to create a signpost--like an auditory road map.

Away with "so"

If you are leaning on "so" as a crutch to start all your sentences: stop! This little gem came in #1 on this year's List of Banished Words. I have never liked it, and am glad to see others agreeing that its overuse has become a supremely annoying verbal tic.

Take care of yourself

It's finally winter, so you need to take extra care not to catch whatever is going around. Get plenty of sleep. Exercise daily. Eat a balanced diet. Hydrate. Get a flu shot. Maybe you won't need any of your sick days this year!

artwork: Political Drama (1914) by Robert Delaunay, courtesy National Gallery of Art

December 2015

 A little holiday toast

I know you don't have any time to spare right now, so my latest blog is short & sweet. It gives four easy tips for giving the perfect toast. Share it widely!

Also, click here for details on my upcoming communications workshops. A great way to make good on that New Year's resolution to take your speaking to the next level.

Tips you can use!

 

Take your time

During the holiday season, we really do need to remind ourselves to breathe, focus, slow down. If we can learn to savor the moment, and block out all the background noise, we can communicate—and do just about everything else!—more efficiently and effectively!

Preparation doesn't go on holiday

You may have next to no time to prepare your remarks for that upcoming meeting or quick interview, but you still have to do it! Think of how nice it will be to kick off 2016 not cleaning up messes you made this month because you misspoke and were caught unprepared.

Rethink the sparkle

Wearing sparkles and bling to a party is fine, but resist the impulse to dress too festively during working hours. Save those "message detractors" for after hours. And even at an offsite work party, be judicious about how "fun and flirty" your attire is.

November 2015

Frame and Focus

This month's newsletter includes a post about why it is essential to keep things short and to the point as you develop your content. If you want them to follow you,you need to guide your listeners clearly through your speech.

Get a jump on fulfilling your perennial New Year's resoultion to improve your speaking skills! My next Executive Communications Skills One-Day Blitz will be held on Decmeber 7th.  Check it out here.

Tips you can use!

Look up at the camera

Make sure anyone taking a posed photo is shooting you or your group from slightly above. The least flattering angle for anyone is a shot showing an expanse of neck! So grab a chair for your photographer to stand on or sit down yourself. And when that camera is poised above you, lift your eyes, not your chin.

Formatting helps

If you are using a teleprompter, be sure your script is written in paragraph form. When you are reading word for word and your format is in bullet points that is what we will hear. You should always be telling a story when you speak, not reading a grocery list. The prompter is there to help. Let it.

No time to shine

It's good to incorporate a nice, thick moisturizer into your daily health and beauty regime, especially in the winter. If  you're going to be under lights on camera or onstage, though, the oil in your cream may make you sweat more than usual. So you might want to rethink your skincare products on those days. This article offers some pointers.