Two simple words can undermine your messages and set people up to think less of what you're saying. Yet people use these filler words all the time. The Two Words The two words are "I/I'm" and "just." As in "I just want to say that…""I just thought that…""I'm just a…" Whenever I hear people … [Read more...] about Two filler words that damage your credibility
Top 3 ways to help people remember what you told them
Over time, people forget what they've learned unless they consciously review it. So if you want your audiences to remember what they learned, you need to make it easy for them. Here's how to help people remember what you told them during your presentations long after the fact! The science behind … [Read more...] about Top 3 ways to help people remember what you told them
Free PowerPoint gift-giving game
I've created another PowerPoint game for you to play remotely or in person. And I'm giving it to you for FREE. "Oh, You Shouldn't Have!" is a game where speakers compete to see who can most enthusiastically show gratitude for what will often be a useless, extravagent, or very strange gift! To … [Read more...] about Free PowerPoint gift-giving game
Free Holiday Conversation Starters Game
I've created a special holiday conversation starters game for 2020 that can liven up any remote or in-person meeting! And I'm giving it to you for FREE. This PowerPoint game is played in the Slide Show View. To play, ask someone to choose a topic. Click on the “???” box to reveal the first … [Read more...] about Free Holiday Conversation Starters Game
Do you use big words to sound smart? Knock it off!
Last week I was talking with a girl, maybe 12 years old, who dropped a big word during the conversation. It seemed like she might've been doing it to see if I knew what it meant. I'll give her a pass since she's young, but there's no excuse for a grown-up like you do do this when you're … [Read more...] about Do you use big words to sound smart? Knock it off!
How to make amazingly useful PPT handouts
PowerPoint handouts help people to remember a presentation. But too often, presenters distribute handouts that are totally useless. Here's how not to do that. You might have seen handouts that look like this: How useless is this handout? If the presenter is lazy and exports every slide, even … [Read more...] about How to make amazingly useful PPT handouts
Features vs. Benefits: What’s the difference and why should you care?
Last week, I was teaching a workshop about how to write effectively for presentations. In one of the exercises, I showed the group a slide that they had created about the benefits to potential clients of choosing their company. Trouble was, it was actually a features list, which isn't nearly as … [Read more...] about Features vs. Benefits: What’s the difference and why should you care?
I give you the gift of time: A homemade meal that’s on the table in about 30 minutes
Ah, the holidays. The time of year we plan elaborate parties for friends and family, dust off old copies of Martha Stewart Living to learn how to make festive decorations from the flowers we've preserved this year from our gardens, and make gingerbread houses from scratch with help from the whole … [Read more...] about I give you the gift of time: A homemade meal that’s on the table in about 30 minutes