A structured presentation lets the audience know where they are in the experience, and what to expect. We call this “signposting.” An obvious example of signposting is when we say something like, “I’m going to explore three points. Let’s start with this one.” The speaker is saying to the audience, literally, “we’re beginning here with … Read more
Language
I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! Warning: word nerdery ahead. “Poignant” is a word I love. It comes from the Latin pungere, to … Read more
I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! Groups of people who spend a lot of time together develop their own ways of speaking. They … Read more
I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! Have you ever been asked to tell your story? How did you know where to start? What … Read more
William Shakespeare knew a lot about appealing to an audience. He wrote quickly, and he wrote to make money. He knew that he needed to create plays that made different kinds of people happy, from the working class groundlings to the Queen of England. Here’s how he did it: He included something for everyone. Even … Read more
Politicians know it. Preachers know it. Teachers know it. You have to repeat yourself. If you want the audience to really get it, to walk out of your presentation knowing the main idea or the call to action, you need to say it a few times. Tell us right up front. Create a headline, a … Read more
When you watch a TV show, a play, or a movie, the set you see is carefully chosen. Let’s say the scene you’re watching takes place in a kitchen. The art director is going to select items that convey something she wants the viewer to know about whose kitchen it is, and the details are … Read more
I heard a phrase recently that was new to me. “Back yourself.” We’re more familiar with backing other people, right? Colleagues, leaders, people we admire, even sports teams. We invest in them, we give them our support. We back them. But in this case, the idea was simply to back yourself. This twist on a … Read more
The writer Stephen Pressfield has a great book called The War of Art. One concept he explores is what he calls “the Resistance.” This is an all-too-common phenomenon for anyone who is trying to make anything—the idea of making the thing is great, but sitting down and grinding it out seems impossible. The Resistance makes … Read more
I’ve noticed lately that it’s common for people to use the word “introverted” to mean “shy,” and “extroverted” to mean “friendly.” This was underscored in a recent conversation with a friend who said, “When I’m with people, I’m totally engaged. I’m tuned in. But I’m an introvert, so it drains me. I have to recharge … Read more
