In our coaching approach, we are really high on practice. My standard instruction is, “You should have your content complete at least a week before you are going to present, so that you don’t have to adjust at the last minute.” But let’s have some real talk. It’s rare that we’re working that far ahead. … Read more
Tips
When we commit to memorizing all or part of our talk, we also have to make another commitment. It’s this: we must commit to rehearsing in a way that ensures that our intention isn’t “to say the words in the right order.” This came to mind for me recently when a client told me he … Read more
This is one of the most important things to know when you are preparing a speech or a presentation. Audiences are selfish. Many people fear that the audience is judging them—that is usually misplaced. Most audiences are willing, and even excited, to see what you have to offer. But we’re not there for you. We … Read more
I got to tour Emily Dickinson’s house recently. It’s a museum now, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Our tour guide had worked at the museum for seven years, and let me tell you, she LOVES what she does. I had the idea for this blog post about 20 minutes into the tour, when we were in the … Read more
I’ve noticed an interesting tendency among many of the high-achieving, smart people I coach. When they’re telling me what they would like to get out of our coaching relationship, they drop their volume, avert their eyes, and confess, “Sometimes I get really nervous when I have to speak in public. I know it’s stupid, but—“ … Read more
I recently saw a short video featuring the actor, director, and writer Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live, Barry). In it, he is talking about the process of writing, and how to make what you write better. But what he says has application to many areas where we receive feedback. Here’s what he says: “When people … Read more
It was a busy morning in our house, and I needed to leave early. I asked my kids to do several things before they left for school. The first thing I asked my daughter to do involved looking up information on her phone. While she was doing that, I said, “Please make sure to get … Read more
I have coached a lot of people who are preparing for big presentations: to get promotions, interview for jobs, or speak in front of high-stakes audiences. Recently, for the first time, a client asked me: “When you’ve coached people before who have been successful at this, what is the common thread? Is there something they … Read more
Quick tip: If you’re speaking in a meeting, facilitating, or presenting in the same room with a projector, remember that projectors are loud. Projectors have built-in fans, and those create white noise. We acclimate to the white noise, and then we don’t quite realize that we need to project over the projector. Make it easy … Read more
Here is something that frequently happens when I’m working with a client on a speech, talk, or presentation: We rehearse what they’ve written, which is fine, but almost always takes a while to get to the point. I ask, “What are you hoping the audience will take away from what you say?” They tell me, … Read more
