As soon as you step foot in front of your audience you have less than a minute to convince them that what you are about to say is worth listening to. That is why the first 30 seconds of your presentation are crucial. You want to surprise your audience with a hook that immediately grabs…

Public speaking is feared by many and can be one of the most difficult tasks to complete successfully. It is a task that, when done well, can be extremely captivating.  On the other hand, we have all sat through our fair share of presentations where we were bored to tears.  Clearly, public speaking is not…

Giving a presentation can be a challenging task.  Many people are nervous about the idea of public speaking and that is coupled with the pressure of delivering pertinent information in a way that will captivate their audience.  Although this is no easy feat, visual aids play an important role in effective presentations.  A visual aid…

Let’s face it- most people hate the thought of speaking in public.  It creates fear and anxiety almost instantly and many people would do just about anything to avoid it.  However, in today’s professional world companies are seeking employees with superior communication skills.  Having great presentation skills will differentiate you from your peers and make…

One of the most challenging parts of giving any presentation is the ability to engage your audience.  After all, we have all sat through our fair share of boring presentations.  The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way.  There are a number of great presentation tools that will wow audiences and…

As crazy as it sounds, the average person ranks public speaking at the top of their list of biggest fears alongside their fear of death.  While the fear of public speaking might be shared among millions of people, the truth is that it adversely affects your ability to achieve your professional goals. How successful you…

We have all been in a situation where we had to sit through a presentation that was boring, confusing, and irrelevant.  You probably lost attention right away and took nothing away from it.  On the other hand, we have been to presentations that were dynamic, motivating, and inspiring.  You seem to cling to every word…

The use of visual aids is an important component in delivering a powerful presentation.  When the audience actually sees images of what is being presented it allows them to become more engaged and it increases their retention.  In addition to providing supplementary information, visual aids allow the audience to connect the topic to what it…

Much of your impact as a speaker depends on your body language.  These non-verbal movements can make or break your presentation.  Oftentimes presenters focus only on what they are going to say and forget about what they might be saying with their body language.  When you are presenting, strong, positive body language is an essential…

Whether you are giving a speech in a boardroom in front of a few coworkers or a presentation in front of a large crowd in an auditorium, it is vital that you connect with your audience.  You might have excellent information and be very knowledgeable about your topic but if you fail to connect with…