What is the most common complaint we hear from people sitting through ineffective slide show presentations? There’s no story! It’s just a bunch of data. The speaker has given us the “show up and throw up” version of the presentation. It’s as if they opened up a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle box and dumped it …
3 Tools to Crystalize Your Message
My student gave me one final comment as she was exiting my workshop. She said, “My biggest takeaway from today? Less is more. I won’t forget that.” She smiled and shook my hand as I thanked her for her participation and insights. When you’re the speaker, you’re trying to achieve an objective when you speak. …
Leading with Fear Will Fail in the End
When I’m on long flights overseas, I end up watching at least one movie. Most recently on my trip to Korea I watched the movie King Arthur. I’m familiar with the storyline and I was curious how this adaptation would be different. In this version, the power craved uncle (played by Jude Law) thinks that …
How to Make Your Stories More Visual
Patricia Fripp once said to me, “Craig, people will not remember what you say as much as they will remember what they see when you say it.” In other words, we have to make our speeches very visual in order to have the deepest impact. Here are 3 ways to accomplish this: 1) Put your …
Training Strategies to Maximize Results
Training is about imparting knowledge, developing skills, and changing attitudes. Exercises in training programs must be designed properly to maximize the desired results. Effective training classes incorporate the appropriate level of exercises for you to achieve those results. Do you know the four levels of learning exercises? Do you know the best training method and format to achieve the desired level of learning?
What do Texas Hold ‘em and Communication Skills have in common?
According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, when the words you speak, the tone of voice you use and your portrayal of body language are not in complete alignment, your message becomes less believable.
What do Texas Hold ‘em and Communication Skills have in common?Read More
Eliminating the Eye-Chart
“Visuals should be used to enhance an audience’s understanding of a concept, not used as cue cards.” – William Kreiger I am sitting in an elementary school lunch room with several dozen other parents listening to the Parent Teacher Association give an accounting of the previous year’s projects and expenses. Like most presentations, this one …
Death by Coconut
We hear a lot about “Death by PowerPoint” (a business phenomenon caused by poor design and delivery of slides). However, in the last 50 years, there are more documented deaths (8) that occurred from coconuts falling from trees and striking people on the head, than people dying during a PowerPoint presentation (0). Maybe we should …