Friends, I am struggling! I’ve written here before about Olympic weightlifting, and how challenging it is. For the last couple of months, I’ve been working one-on-one with a coach to iron out some of my bad habits and improve my technique. He is incredibly patient as I make the same mistakes over and over again. … Read more
Practice
Many clients come to me because they want to be great public speakers. Typically, they are people who are already really good, and they’d like to get to the next level: the “wow, they’re terrific” level, the “get paid to give keynotes” level. I love working with people like this because they’re motivated, and they’re … Read more
Some popular advice for budding public speakers is, “Watch how so-and-so does their TED Talk, and copy them!” This…isn’t great advice. We never want to just try on someone else’s speaking style—it’s like putting on their suit. It might look kind of okay, but it doesn’t fit right, and you might trip over the cuffs. … Read more
In theatre, sometimes we talk about not “playing the homework.” What this refers to is when an actor tries to bring all the work they did in rehearsal into a scene. “Wait,” you may think, “isn’t that what all that work is for?” Yes and no. We spend days of rehearsal talking about the play, … Read more
If you wanted to increase your physical fitness, would you run two marathons per year and do nothing else in between? When we want to improve our communication skills but only think about them when we have to give a big speech or presentation, it’s the equivalent of lacing up our brand-new running shoes right … Read more
A few years ago, Ignite CSP was working with a company on their big annual event. Several of us were coaching their speakers, and one of my clients was the person tasked with speaking for a few minutes at the very beginning. I was excited—the kickoff speaker! Getting the opportunity to craft the first few … Read more
You’re comfortable in front of a crowd. You know you are engaging, maybe even charismatic. You seldom stumble over your words, and you just don’t get nervous. You might even get a few laughs here and there! This sounds awesome! Why would this be anything but terrific for the people lucky enough to describe themselves … Read more
When you write your presentation, you’re using your brain in a specific way, to convey messages in writing. But when you deliver that presentation out loud, you need to use the same information in a different way, to communicate with people verbally. Unless you’re very practiced at writing the way you speak, this shift from … Read more
One of the very best things I get to do in my job is watch my colleagues absolutely kill it. Last week, Ignite CSP had a big team of coaches at an engagement, and I got to see them do their thing at the highest level. Ignite CSP senior coach Neela Muñoz was delivering the … Read more
Practicing your presentation is a gift you are giving to your audience. Even if you feel totally comfortable, spending some time bringing some forethought and planning to what you’re going to say signals to the people listening to you that you cared enough to put your thoughts in order. Don’t skip this.
