The first time I presented after starting my company was a nightmare. I was terrible. A major Chicago publisher asked me to talk about how small businesses can land TV interviews. There were about 100 people in the room. I wasn't that nervous. But I felt like I had to [...]
People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. But what do you do if you're meeting someone for the first time and want to convince them to do something, such as hire you to speak or buy something else from you? Those first few minutes are [...]
Whenever we're speaking -- whether it's to our internal teams, to clients, during an online webinar, at an event, or in the media -- developing a solid mindset is critical to presenting powerfully and memorably. But that needs to happen before we even step into the room, be it virtual [...]
Body language is essential to get right whenever you're presenting. Even though we're only seeing the top third of your body on Zoom (or Microsoft Teams or Google Meet), how you appear up there matters. This is especially true when you need to be perceived as a leader. This is [...]
This is an emotional time. We could be approaching WWIII, and you might be feeling many things intensely. This morning, I’m sitting in a hotel room getting ready to help clients present on stage during their annual meeting, and it’s hard not to be distracted by the news. If you’re [...]
Elton John finally made his way back to Chicago. This was a show originally scheduled for 2020. Like a lot of concerts, it was delayed because of the pandemic. As the months passed, I didn't think he would actually make it back. As you may know, Sir Elton recently had COVID. Was [...]
Have you ever met a really BORING person? Been on a first date and wondered how someone could really be that bland? Are you sitting in a Zoom meeting right now listening to a person go on and on… about nothing? Or worse… are you afraid you might be that person? [...]
How are the people inside your company communicating with your customers? Or future customers? I was on a call with a $12 billion company today. I’m sharing this in case you have the same issue. They hosted their annual meeting recently. Many of their execs had to give presentations and they quickly [...]
You know how important video is to connect with your audience. I don’t need to convince you. The stats are all there. Video will make up 82% of all internet traffic this year. How do you make sure your messaging doesn’t get lost? You’re heard? Remembered? How will you ensure [...]
The key to any speaking opportunity - whether that’s speaking on Zoom in a meeting, on stage, in the media, in your website videos, or in job interviews - is to keep the audience focused on your message and nothing else. There are a lot of things steering your audience away [...]
