This hilarious video demonstrates almost every bad quality a presenter can have: Her presentation is disorganized, rushed and confusing. She skips through the whole thing without really saying much. She relies on the slides instead of using them as a supplement to her words. She is distracted by her cell phone. She talks down to the … Read more
I went to Tech Day today here in NYC, a huge convention for startups and tech companies big and small. In one corner of the venue they had companies giving brief presentations to the crowd. I was interested to see each speaker’s overall presentation skills (including body language, verbals, and their slides), as well as their impact on … Read more
Talk about what people want to talk about. One of the most common mistakes that people make is they don’t listen when others speak. But listening is such a powerful tool, and it’s extremely easy to do. If more people listened to each other, genuinely, there would be less conflict and more productivity in the … Read more
I’ve been stood up. I’m sitting in a coffee shop as I write this. I was supposed to meet someone to discuss business, but the person never showed, despite confirming the time and location with me just yesterday. I texted and emailed them. No response. Seriously guys, communicate! If you have to cancel a meeting … Read more
Do other people find you boring? Boredom comes from weak energy, mumbling words, and a general lack of social presence. Where does this boring thing come from? Why might you be boring? There are basically two main reasons. First, you are literally bored by the topic. The world is a mirror. It reflects back to you … Read more
Perfect Speaking Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be One of the hallmarks of inauthentic communication is perfectionism. Perfectionism leads to overly complicated and mechanical communication techniques. These techniques feel inauthentic and fake, damaging trust and turning audiences off. It could be a trite sales line that we’ve heard a million time before. It could … Read more
I recently discovered a really interesting series that Buzzfeed does about money and lifestyle. They look at the same product or service, at three different businesses with three different prices. In this video they look at a hostel at $50/ night, a boutique hotel at $400/ night, and a two-story “sky villa” at the Palms resort … Read more
Listening skills are an area that lots of people struggle with. How many of us ask someone their name or what they do for a living, and then immediately forget it? I’m not a perfect listener. But I have improved a lot from where I used to be. In my case, I had so many … Read more
Your first impression is critical. It’s probably the most important component of the selling and promotion process. So what should you be thinking about as you design your first impression? Visual appearance It’s surprising how many people I see who just don’t pay attention to their appearance. I can personally attest to the power of style and aesthetics. … Read more
I’m a big believer that if you don’t really believe in what you are selling–whether that is an idea, a product, a service or yourself–you will fail. You can always force yourself to “hype” something that you don’t really believe in. But that’s a short-term play, not a path to long-term sustained value. Unless you are destitute … Read more