A recent client introduced me to a real treasure, literally, by the name of Julian Treasure, who is the most refreshing, original, and accomplished presenter I have seen in a long time. And, I am excited to share him with you. As you watch his ten minute Ted Talk video, see how many best presentation …
I don’t know about you, but I find it–what’s the best word here–? “quaint” that so many articles, books, and blogs write about the power of story to inspire employees, win customers, brand products and services, and close business. For heaven’s sake, story-telling has been around since cavemen days. Aesop, Jesus, and Grimm were successfully …
Did the title of this blog make you want to read it? Would you have been more intrigued by “Is Your Title Killing Your Presentation?” According to research compiled on website Buffer, numbers and questions are only two of eight proven title techniques to grab attention and make listeners (or readers) want to hear more. …
Have you ever noticed that when you suddenly fixate on an item or idea, you suddenly see signs and references to it everywhere you look? For example, you plan a hiking trip in the Rockies and suddenly every magazine, every tweet, every TV show seems to be featuring the Rockies that week—just for you. Well, …
In the world of comedy, when a joke flops, they say the comedian “died” on stage. In business, when a presentation flops, the presenter can be said to have “died” as well, if not on stage, at least in the meeting. The best way to avoid such an embarrassing (and costly death) is to master …
Did you know that the first pizzeria in the United States was opened in NYC in 1895? Or, that it would cost about $17,000 to take a cab from NYC to L.A.? Or, that the entire world’s population could fit in the state of Texas if it were as densely populated as New York City? If you did know, why would it matter?
We’ve all had the experience of really hitting it off with someone we meet for the first time. For me it is something about their energy, their eyes, the way they interact with me, their tempo, their self-confidence, sense of humor, integrity, intelligence, and empathy. Somehow, I sense all that pretty quickly—or think I do—and …
If you have flown lately, you might have noticed what I did on my trip to Chicago last week on American Airlines. Where once one person on a video would walk you through all the safety information, several people explained the procedures on the video I saw. One person welcomed us aboard. Another demonstrated the …
Can you repeat your Social Security number? Can you state your zip code? Unless you live in a state where your Social Security number is your driver’s license number, can you repeat your driver’s license number? My guess is your answers are, Yes, Yes, and No. And therein lies two very important sales and presentation …
Top naming expert and pal Steve Rivkin recently pointed out that one-word titles are all the rage these days. Television shows are called Glee, Homeland, Scandal, Survivor. While some earlier shows were also one word (Dallas), the number of these single titles is growing rapidly. He notes that given our shorter and shorter attention spans, …
Working with a group of technical salespeople this week reminded me of a recent PBS Nova show about the transformative impact on the ecosystem in Yellowstone Park due to the return of wolves to its area. Just as that one change led to dramatically different outcomes in nature, one changed element in the sales process …