A friend and former colleague of mine recently emailed me and asked, “What does the perfect PowerPoint presentation look like?” Great question, but also a tough one because the answer changes for every audience. It’s impossible to show a visual…
The Best Advice I’ve Heard on Goal Setting
Sarah had a bit of a problem. The humid summer air had finally given way to crisp mornings and cozy undershirts. Winter lay just around the corner, but Sarah’s old furnace was on the brink. She knew she couldn’t delay…
The Language of Startups
For decades, legions of white-collar workers have been both cringing and cackling at the ludicrousness of corporate buzzwords. Bandwidth, bleeding edge, synergize, leverage, mindshare – they all make me want to pop my ear drums with a sharp number 2…
The Magic of Surprise
As I lay there nestled in my bed, visions of sugar plums most certainly weren’t dancing in my head. In fact, I barely slept a wink. I tossed and turned, wondering what treats might be left for me under the…
Software Won’t Make You a Great Presenter
Ever since the birth of mankind, humans have searched for shortcuts. We’re obsessed with getting the result in the least amount of time. We love the idea of putting forth as little effort as possible to get the job done….
A Holiday Ode to Awful Presentations
I love the feel-good spirit of Christmas, but I also realize it’s an important time of year for commerce. In fact, Santa’s Workshop is a business. A huge amount of goods must be manufactured and shipped out the door within…
5 Thoughts That Crush Success
One of my readers, Deborah Smith, recently sent me this great article by Miles Jennings of Recruiter.com (thanks Deborah!). Many of the author’s comments are relevant to what I teach about achieving success with business communication, so I wanted to…
How to Sell Without Being Too Salesy
Perhaps the biggest challenge for new entrepreneurs is selling. We’re smart and good at what we do, but most of us aren’t natural salespeople. In fact, we cringe when we think of the stereotypical brash salesman who’s patting the client…
The Pitfalls of Perfection
For years presentation trainers have touted the need for perfect presentation body language. They’ve taught and written books on the ideal back and shoulder posture, foot placement and angle, hand positioning, finger usage, and calculated movements on stage. All this,…
Confessions of a Recovering Introvert
There’s nothing wrong with being an introvert. I know many fabulous ones. I’m still one, and always will be. But a few years ago I decided I wanted to become a master communicator. Someone who could articulate any concept to…