Video Playlist: What I Wish I Knew Before I Got My First Job

Thinking on your feet - or, as my clients say, “pivoting”- is a muscle that needs to be developed and worked regularly to stay fit - and to always have that pivot skill ready to go. Here are 4 easy ways (and one challenge!) to build and keep up that think-on-your-feet skill.

It’s that time of year again, when Randy Ford and I sit down and share the best and worst of speaking from the year. We share our own wins and sins, along with those of other speakers. The DNC took place in Chicago, so, of course, we had to pick on the public speakers in our hometown.

I sat down with Kirsten Ramos and Paula Kircher, the hosts of The Savvy Session, to discuss simple but effective ways to captivate any audience. Hear my advice on pre-presentation relaxation techniques, and more.

Think about the experiences you’ve had at work, at conferences, or in meetings. Read on for my favorite icebreaker - a sure-fire way to engage your audience.

It’s okay to be nervous when you present! It’s perfectly normal. It’s your body’s way of telling you, “I care about doing a good job.” [Yes, I know, you would be fine without your body telling you in such a distracting way. Me, too.] The key to manage stage fright: don’t let it overtake you.

Here, I’m sharing the top 5 videos and public speaking tips I recommend time after time.

“What do I do with my hands?” This is the question I’ve been getting since I began teaching Presentation Skills in 2004. I know what I do, but I also do this every day. I tapped media pro and video producer Kim Brattain to share her expertise in these 3 quick tips.

5 Ways to get the most bang-for-your-buck in a coaching relationship. Coaching is an investment in you, your career, and your future. Follow these proven techniques to make the learning stick. All 5 tips are simple and take very little time.

We all know this character at work: The guy who MUST. HAVE. AN. ANSWER. NOW! Even if you’re not the person with the right answer. Having a strategy is everything - even if you never need it. Presentations Pro Marianna has just the plan for you.

Public speaking tip and presenting tip: Here’s what to do when you don’t know the answer to a question. Why do we expect everyone in the business world to know the answer to every question? It’s not realistic. Here’s how to prepare for those times when you don’t know.

Marketing Communications Maven Alyssa Burns shares her 5 easy tips to Own the Room. Hint: You want to start with confidence.

Randy and I love our jobs, and we also love us some pop culture. We believe television shows, movies, and books can teach us useful “do’s” and “don’ts” when it comes to public speaking.

What if there are certain things you can’t say at work? I don’t mean the three taboos: Money, Sex, and Religion. I’m talking about when you’re in a sensitive-information area or in a highly-regulated industry. Some things must be kept quiet, confidential, or hidden at all costs, for good reason.

Randy and I sat down with Rebecca to hear more about her process, especially when she teaches storytelling workshops. Her advice on storytelling applies to speaking or presenting, too, so give a listen to our conversation, and learn how to do vulnerability right.

Ever since Brené Brown began promoting vulnerability as a good thing for leaders (and I’m a fan), “vulnerability” has become a huge buzzword everywhere - in storytelling, in presentations, in leadership meetings - anywhere someone needs to speak or lead.

Clients often ask how they can manage, or overcome their stage fright. Should they take medications for stage fright? I can’t address the last one (I’m not a doctor….), and the good news is, yes, stage fright, or anxiety when presenting, is manageable.

When it comes to presentations, your visual aids matter. In this video, public speaking coach Marianna Swallow and storyteling strategist Randy Ford talk about the importance of visual components, point out the one big PowerPoint mistake speakers make, and share best visual practices for your presentation.

While 2020 was a year of sudden and unexpected change, it also spurred huge growth and adaptation. We were forced to change and adapt, even if we didn’t want to: School was now online. So was work. We rose to the challenge, and so did our colleagues. Here’s what we learned from them in 2020.

Our Top 6 Tips of 2020 - Favorites from our Guests and from each other! Learn what we learned from our guests, including Video Producers (how do I look good on Zoom?) and Event Managers (share your story!)

An important (and often overlooked!) component of presenting is timing. How do you account for your speaking time when there are so many other components in your speech? We’ve got you covered with a few quick tips. Make time to plan your timing, and you’ll keep your audience happy.

The oldest saw in public speaking is “know your audience.” This is important, but not always realistic. What if your audience contains newbies, non-native English speakers, or people who don’t get your pop culture references? We have some tips for you.

Chicago video producer Mike Alongi shares his easy do’s and don’ts for video calls. Learn how to avoid the “up the nostrils” look and how a simple desk lamp can make you look good.

Retired college instructor and filmmaker Toney Merritt shares his teaching tips gleaned from years in the classroom. Mare Swallow, who teaches through the pandemic, talks about the difference between Zoom class and in-person.

Diversity means more than “people from different backgrounds.” Think about learning styles, abilities, interests in the room. Plan your presentation to include different types of learners, and remember: your audience may have introverts and extroverts.

Save yourself some time by reusing what you’ve already got. Don’t let that precious content - that powerpoint, that article or that talk - go to waste and disappear! Here’s 3 ways to make it easy.

“I’ve sat through some really awesome programs, and I’ve sat through some programs that were really painful… a presenter has mere seconds to catch the audience’s attention,” says Susan Dennison, Communications Manager.