I hate to trash a childhood fantasy, but Practice doesn’t really make Perfect … it only makes Permanent. Only Perfect Practice makes Perfect. I’ve ranted before about why presenters shouldn’t try to memorize their presentations. They should learn them through practice and refinement of message content and structure. Some thoughts for your consideration:
Articles
Overcoming Stage Fright
A blogger was doing research on stage fright for speakers and asked me how people can overcome it. My short answer was ‘They can’t – it’s a perfectly normal human response to fear or stress.’ Here are the highlights from the rest of the interview.
That’s Really a Dumb Question!
You know that old adage, ‘There’s no such thing as a dumb question’? Sorry to spoil your fantasy, but that’s wrong. There are plenty of dumb questions. Three of my faves are:
I Don’t Get It … Memorizing Presentations
I Don’t Get … why some people think it’s a good idea to memorize a typical workplace presentation. Some authors even suggest it. Allow me my monthly rant in response.
Powerful Pitch
A reader recently entered a local business pitch competition with a grand prize of $5,000 and asked for feedback on her ‘script’. I thought you’d find my comments interesting.
Surviving Questions
What you do with audience questions has a critical impact on your results, often more than the overall content itself. I’m pleased with the positive reader reaction to previous articles that discussed several effective strategies for handling those questions – hold them until the end, invite them anytime or the two hybrid strategies described in detail last month.
So … someone asks a question. Now what do you do? Here are some Best Practices to help you survive and thrive during the Q&A.
We’ve Got Your Number
Let’s add a few more Power Points to your Workplace Writing Tool Kit – this time dealing with numbers.
Networking Tactics for Tekkies
Yes … Tekkies of the world arise. You can … and should network!
An IT Blogger recently interviewed my about my thoughts on networking best practices for technical professionals. Here’s a summary of that lively conversation for your reading pleasure.
Marketing With No Budget
Marketing for entrepreneurs is always a challenge, especially with no budget for someone else to do it. Here’s a summary of my comments at a recent panel discussion on the topic:
Shake Well Before Schmoozing
You begin making the very best first impression you can when networking with strangers with a winning smile and good eye contact. Then, continue that positive image with a comfortable handshake.