Browse published articles attributed to Lisa Braithwaite, with full-archive search.
Each of us has qualities that make us unique. Each of us is unlike anyone else on the planet. So why, as a speaker, would you want to model yourself after someone else? I enjoy watching speakers who are engaging, entertaining, moving, intense, funny, bold, serene, and/or just plain brilliant. ...
This might be the biggest conce of would-be speakers: "What if I forget what I was going to say?" The horror! Imagine: You're standing in front of a room full of people. The seconds tick by loudly as you frantically search your memory for the next point in your talk. You clench the lectern, ...
Before speakers used PowerPoint, there were overhead projectors, flip charts, handouts and white boards. Before that, there were slide projectors and movie projectors. Sometimes people used props. Before that, there were chalkboards and before that, well, there were just speakers! And believe it ...
I drove by a neighborhood breakfast place the other day and felt a sense of sadness. We had given this restaurant several chances, but every time we went there, the food and service were just mediocre. Nothing special. The same old thing that half a dozen restaurants within a half mile were also doing. I can't say it was terrible. It just wasn't good. Hash browns cooked in slightly rancid oil. Greasy eggs. "Wheat" toast a shade of brown more indicative of caramel coloring than whole grains. Lukewarm coffee (and don't even get me started on the tea options).
Imagine yourself as an audience member. You've paid big money to learn the secrets of your favorite guru. You've read the guru's books, subscribed to his newsletter, and you read his blog daily. Now you have the opportunity to learn from him in person at his highly-publicized weekend ...
We talk a lot about organizing our content, main points, opening and closing, but we rarely talk about how to get from one segment to the next. How do you handle the spaces in between your points, stories, examples, and exercises? These are your transitions. It's as important to plan your transitions as it is to plan the rest of your presentation. Clear transitions help the audience stay focused (and awake) and process your material. They're like links in a chain that keep your presentation cohesive and organized. Here are ten ways to transition from one idea to the next. 1.
Preparation for your presentation is just as important as delivering the presentation itself. One thing you can do to prepare yourself is to learn about your audience and venue in advance. Here are a couple of pointers: Pointer #1: Know how many people will be there and view the layout of the ...
Whether you're speaking to a large group in an auditorium, or a small group in a conference room, your voice is your most important tool as a speaker. To use your voice for maximum impact and make yourself heard, follow these simple tips. Pointer 1: Vary your pitch, tone, volume and pace The ...
Do you want to see a real public speaking pro at work? Watch a few minutes of a home shopping channel. In the five minutes that I watched QVC, I saw the host do just about everything we're taught to do as speakers. First of all, don't kid yourself that you're not selling something. We're all ...
Your speech is polished and your delivery is perfect. The audience laughed in all the right places, and even shed a tear. You're ready to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, but wait . . . there's still the Q&A. Audience members are speaking up, but no one can hear them. Someone asks ...
Sometimes a speaker gets caught up in the need to give the audience too much information. In preparing a presentation, she starts working on her outline, and quickly realizes that there's no way she can share everything she knows on her topic. For that matter, there's no way to share everything ...
We all worry as speakers about running out of time. What if my host cuts my time short? What if the audience asks too many questions and I fall behind? What we don't worry about enough is having too much time! What happens when you misjudge your time and finish too early? Now, finishing early ...
Here's an understatement: the uncertainty of our current economy is making people tense. As an entrepreneur, you might be a little more anxious than those who are getting a regular paycheck. You're independent, self-reliant and self-motivated, but the feeling of not having control in times like ...
I went to a book publishing workshop a while back where two speakers were featured. The first speaker was very polished and professional. He had a warm, friendly personality, but I could tell that this presentation had been done many, many times before. He had a certain cadence in his speech ...
An acquaintance told me a story recently about the public speaking experience that paralyzed her mentally for five years. As the valedictorian of her high school class, she had prepared a speech called "The Power of the Mind." She was not anxious about the speech, as she was an experienced ...
You've all heard the advice to get to know your audience, make eye contact, don't say "um," check your equipment, and similar public speaking techniques to make your presentations as powerful as they can be. These are great tips, and you'll hear them over and over, but I've got some lesser-known ...
We've all heard this public speaking advice: "Tell them what you're gonna tell them. . . tell them . . . tell them what you told them." The problem with this advice is that it's simplistic. It's also boring. On the one hand, this is a classic way to structure a presentation. On the other hand, ...
Does anyone know what a laundry list is? Me neither. I think I saw one in a museum exhibit last year, but I'm not sure. I believe it's a list of all the possible items that a laundry will take, and you have to check off which items you're leaving to be cleaned. This is one of those expressions that makes no sense to me, so I don't use it. I learned my lesson on this when I was about eight years old.
Every speaker has to deal with a difficult audience at one time or another. Some speakers, however, because of a topic that is inherently uncomfortable or considered controversial, will face these audiences more frequently. It may be difficult to get a hostile audience on your side, but if they ...
Many people express fear of public speaking - which is quite a large category of fear when you think about everything that might be considered public speaking. But is it really "speaking" that they fear, or is it something else? What people are really afraid of may be something much more ...
"Water which is too pure has no fish." ~ Ts'ai Ken T'An Speakers often focus on the "rules" of speaking more than on being a truly effective speaker. Unfortunately, following too many rules can paralyze a speaker and make them dreary and mechanical, submerging the soul and spirit of the person ...
It's inevitable: You're at a luncheon to honor a colleague and someone asks you to "say a few words." Or your boss tosses an assignment into your lap that requires a presentation to your team with a turnaround time of one hour. These can be the most nerve-wracking of presentations; after all, ...
We all know that audiences are drawn to a speaker with confidence. We all know that we need to have confidence as speakers. But what is this magical thing called confidence, and where does it come from? How do you gain the ability to believe in yourself and to demonstrate that belief to the ...
Have you ever attended a presentation where the speaker read directly from her/his PowerPoint slides? Did you wonder why they didn't just give you the handout and let you go home? PowerPoint and other visuals are tools to supplement your presentation; many presenters, however, hide behind their ...
Making eye contact while speaking to a group may be one of the most difficult aspects of giving a presentation. To many people, eye contact is an intimate act - almost like touching someone. And to reach out and touch a stranger - even with your eyes - can feel particularly uncomfortable. ...
Do you have a standard hour-length presentation, but your host can only spare a half hour? Are you in the middle of a presentation when you realize that, due to a late start or abundant questions, you are running out of time? No matter what your topic, always be flexible and ready to cut short ...
One of the things that public speakers fear the most is losing the attention of the audience. When the audience drifts off into daydreams, it can be difficult to bring them back. How do you keep them from drifting off in the first place? The key to grabbing and keeping the attention of your ...
Most New Year's resolutions are about health, fitness, money management, time management and ending bad habits like smoking. And more than half of people who make resolutions have given up by summer. However, "people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals ...
The phone rings. It's a jou alist who wants to ask you a few questions for a story she's writing. You, flattered, take the call and flub your way through the interview, because off the top of your head, you can't remember your elevator pitch or a single talking point about your business or ...
Have you ever attended a presentation that was more filler and fluff than actual content? Have you ever walked away from a presentation feeling like you wasted your time, and maybe even money? Have you ever felt inspired at the end of a presentation, only to forget the experience shortly ...
If you're a savvy marketer, you've got all kinds of clever ways to get the word out about your business. You might have a blog or a customer newsletter, take out paid ads in newspapers and magazines, or submit press releases when you have news. You might donate products or services to charity, ...