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Did Stories Exist Before the Smartphone Scroll?

Ever get the feeling you’re trapped in a bad news cycle? Unfortunately, it feels like it’s very hard to escape from these days, as our news feeds pitch us from one crisis to the next with algorithmic glee. And of course we find it very hard to resist the temptation to click. We all know […]

Why Every Panel Needs a Good Host and 5 Key Tips

As we emerge from the summer holidays this is traditionally the start of the conference season. Online conferences and panels have their moments but I am probably not alone in looking forward to going ‘live’ again as we emerge from the pandemic. It’s almost as if the enforced stay away has allowed people to take […]

Have You Become The Devil Your Customers Know?

Google ‘habit’ and you will be told that it is an involuntary behaviour controlled by the subconscious mind, which governs 40 – 90% of an individual’s behaviour. While we tend to fixate on our bad habits, we don’t often conduct an appraisal of our general habits which, it is generally agreed, break down into a […]

Talk Slower to Accelerate Your Gravitas

How fast do you talk – are you a motor mouth or do you supply your words in measured mouthfuls? The chances are that you, like most of us, are a mixture of both depending on where you are, what you’re doing and who you’re talking to. Nevertheless, how fast you speak can have a […]

Why a Great Sense of Humour Comes in Threes

If you are a resident of the British isles, there’s every chance that you have been taking advantage of the relaxing of restrictions of late and exercising your freedom to visit a pub. A cold drink on a hot day is a summer tick box item for most Brits, an extension of the key role […]

How To Do Anecdotes in Video Meetings

Regular readers will be aware of my embrace of storytelling in presentations and I have written on more than one occasion about the power that lies within a good story, well told. The anecdote in particular is a great way of personalising dull material, building empathy with your audience and leaving a short, sharp impression. […]

Don’t Do Small Talk? I Can’t Wait!

Spring is a wondrous time of year. Almost on a daily basis come fresh signs that the Winter has finally passed and Summer is on its way and then it changes again. For the Brits, who are obsessed with the weather (understandably), Spring with its erratic conditions, provides rich opportunities for small talk. This Spring […]

Using Video: Why Your Chair Matters!

Last month I gave some tips on how to improve your video presentation, but ran out of space, so I am returning to the topic. This month it seems as though there may at last be some light at the end of the tunnel, a ‘crocus of hope’ if you will, which could mean a […]

Simple Tips to Improve Your Video Presentation

How is your on-screen persona these days? Are you a smouldering presence captivating your audience, or has your video craft regressed, leaving you stranded like an unflattering screen shot frozen mid sentence by a poor internet connection?  Here to breathe colour into those pasty February complexions and rejuvenate the Zoom fatigued are some tips to […]

Lockdown Breathing to Unlock Stress

It’s about this time of year that I will usually opine some thoughts about embracing the new year and making changes that will positively impact on your performance in the presentation room in the coming months. However, that all sounds quaintly old fashioned (not to mention deliciously carefree) against the backdrop of January 2021. As […]