blog
Does hiring a speech writer Trump doing it yourself?
Jul 29, 2019 |
Presenting tips
For those of us with an interest in public speaking and speeches – the American Presidential campaign is certainly providing lots of entertainment, food for thought and opportunities to be armchair critics!
During the last week, the Convention speeches have given us plenty to talk about – in particular the spouses speeches. Last week, we had Melania Trump’s speech and this week it was the turn of Bill Clinton.
Melania’s speech was initially being hailed as a huge success. However, it didn’t take long for the ‘plagiarising’ accusations to appear and the plaudits to …… disappear. For someone who would be less used to public speaking than others on the campaign, I think she did well on her delivery. Slightly wooden but probably to be expected given the enormity of the occasion and the nerves this would bring.
Bill Clinton’s speech, on the other hand, is hailed as “making Hilary human again”. His delivery, in my opinion, was good but he certa...
During the last week, the Convention speeches have given us plenty to talk about – in particular the spouses speeches. Last week, we had Melania Trump’s speech and this week it was the turn of Bill Clinton.
Melania’s speech was initially being hailed as a huge success. However, it didn’t take long for the ‘plagiarising’ accusations to appear and the plaudits to …… disappear. For someone who would be less used to public speaking than others on the campaign, I think she did well on her delivery. Slightly wooden but probably to be expected given the enormity of the occasion and the nerves this would bring.
Bill Clinton’s speech, on the other hand, is hailed as “making Hilary human again”. His delivery, in my opinion, was good but he certa...
Top tips for TEDx – or any talk for that matter!
Over the past 10 years or so TED has become a global phenomenon. TED is the global stage where speakers get to share their big idea. TEDx events (as defined on TED) are organised by curious individuals who seek to discover ideas and spark conversations in their own community. As a TEDx speaker coach, my role is predominantly to help the speakers in the physical delivery of their talk. After all, it is their idea, their talk and their job to put it together.
I have been a TEDx speaker coach since 2014 and have loved every minute of coaching speakers to deliver at their very best. However, when I did my own talk in Dublin in 2016 – “You probably are more intelligent than you think you are” I picked a few insider insights which I now share with the speakers I coach.
While these tips are primarily intended for TEDx speakers – they can be helpful for any talk.
Get clarity on your idea.
This might sound pretty basic – and it is! You have to get absolute clarity on your...
I have been a TEDx speaker coach since 2014 and have loved every minute of coaching speakers to deliver at their very best. However, when I did my own talk in Dublin in 2016 – “You probably are more intelligent than you think you are” I picked a few insider insights which I now share with the speakers I coach.
While these tips are primarily intended for TEDx speakers – they can be helpful for any talk.
Get clarity on your idea.
This might sound pretty basic – and it is! You have to get absolute clarity on your...
3 key points to help you prepare for a virtual presentation
Jan 31, 2019 |
Presenting tips
|communication tips, online presentations, PRESENTATION TIPS, presenting virtually, remote presentations, virtual presentations |
With the advancement of technology, the world has suddenly become a very small place.
Whether you’re a small business using remote workers, or a large company with offices globally, it’s now a lot quicker and easier to reach people in different countries and timezones using virtual presentations!
The demand for virtual presentations is increasing and we are being asked about them more and more during our in-company Presentation Skills Masterclasses. Many of our clients are using them for not only team meetings, but also client meetings and sales pitches.
We ourselves regularly deliver coaching to clients in other locations using Zoom or Skype.
Just as you would expect in a standard face-to-face presentation, preparation is key! Below are our top 3 areas to focus on when preparing for a virtual presentation.
1. Software / technology
If you’re presenting to a client, make sure you let them know what software you’ll be using when you arrange the appointment. The chanc...
Whether you’re a small business using remote workers, or a large company with offices globally, it’s now a lot quicker and easier to reach people in different countries and timezones using virtual presentations!
The demand for virtual presentations is increasing and we are being asked about them more and more during our in-company Presentation Skills Masterclasses. Many of our clients are using them for not only team meetings, but also client meetings and sales pitches.
We ourselves regularly deliver coaching to clients in other locations using Zoom or Skype.
Just as you would expect in a standard face-to-face presentation, preparation is key! Below are our top 3 areas to focus on when preparing for a virtual presentation.
1. Software / technology
If you’re presenting to a client, make sure you let them know what software you’ll be using when you arrange the appointment. The chanc...
How to: Be Yourself, even in a presentation
Nov 29, 2018 |
Presenting tips
“Be yourself – everyone else is already taken”, one of my favourite quotes by Oscar Wilde.
It popped into my head, during a recent yoga holiday with my better half. The photo to the right is us doing our own version of the Tree Pose… hopefully no yoga teachers will be reading this! We most certainly are not doing it right. But, we are doing it our own way and being ourselves.
Over the course of the holiday, as we chatted to others on the trip – the topic of being yourself came up several times. There were discussions about how sometimes a partner or a job, can turn us into a different persona. Sometimes this persona can be at odds with what we feel to be our true persona.
Often, during presentation coaching sessions with clients, I see them struggling to be themselves. The struggle can be for many reasons. The tips below address some of the reasons why they struggle & how to overcome them.
1. Freaking out over doing a Presentation
I disli...
It popped into my head, during a recent yoga holiday with my better half. The photo to the right is us doing our own version of the Tree Pose… hopefully no yoga teachers will be reading this! We most certainly are not doing it right. But, we are doing it our own way and being ourselves.
Over the course of the holiday, as we chatted to others on the trip – the topic of being yourself came up several times. There were discussions about how sometimes a partner or a job, can turn us into a different persona. Sometimes this persona can be at odds with what we feel to be our true persona.
Often, during presentation coaching sessions with clients, I see them struggling to be themselves. The struggle can be for many reasons. The tips below address some of the reasons why they struggle & how to overcome them.
1. Freaking out over doing a Presentation
I disli...
Guest Post: 3 tips for professional looking PowerPoint presentations
Sharon works with us on the admin end of our business. She is a font of efficiency and knowledge on all things relating to running your business. On top of that, she is a whizz on all the Microsoft Office products, in particular PowerPoint. Below she shares some of her tips on making your PowerPoint presentations look more professional.
I often help my coaches with their PowerPoint presentations ready for their training workshops or networking meetings/pitches. I usually help with setting up their master slide templates and checking for spelling, inconsistency etc. Below are some of my top tips to think about next time you’re setting up your own slides…
1. Be Consistent
Consistency is key to helping your presentation look professional. Make sure the same fonts are used throughout – if you use one font for the header and a different one for the main body text then make sure this is the same on every slide. One quick way of doing this is to set up your Master Slide ...
I often help my coaches with their PowerPoint presentations ready for their training workshops or networking meetings/pitches. I usually help with setting up their master slide templates and checking for spelling, inconsistency etc. Below are some of my top tips to think about next time you’re setting up your own slides…
1. Be Consistent
Consistency is key to helping your presentation look professional. Make sure the same fonts are used throughout – if you use one font for the header and a different one for the main body text then make sure this is the same on every slide. One quick way of doing this is to set up your Master Slide ...
How to double your impact when presenting… halve your words and mind your voice!
Jul 09, 2018 |
Presenting tips
Just recently I had a severe cold and sore throat. It really hurt to talk – so I basically stopped talking for almost 2 days.
Torture for me. A treat for my husband!
After 2 days, my throat was still painful so I was making a real effort to speak less.
This involved a lot of thumbs up, thumbs down, nodding, head shaking, and making of sad faces … a lot of sad faces 🙁 ! I was out to squeeze as much sympathy as I could out of these few days in the bed.
Thankfully, my issue with my voice recently was a temporary thing. When I was back in the office, I did mention to any clients I was phoning, that I was just over a throat issue, so was minding my voice. This got me a bit more sympathy 🙂 but also helped them understand why my phone calls were briefer than normal.
However, what if you have ongoing struggles with your voice? Maybe you have to speak for an extraordinary number of hours every week? Maybe you have a voice condition? Below are some tips which can he...
Torture for me. A treat for my husband!
After 2 days, my throat was still painful so I was making a real effort to speak less.
This involved a lot of thumbs up, thumbs down, nodding, head shaking, and making of sad faces … a lot of sad faces 🙁 ! I was out to squeeze as much sympathy as I could out of these few days in the bed.
Thankfully, my issue with my voice recently was a temporary thing. When I was back in the office, I did mention to any clients I was phoning, that I was just over a throat issue, so was minding my voice. This got me a bit more sympathy 🙂 but also helped them understand why my phone calls were briefer than normal.
However, what if you have ongoing struggles with your voice? Maybe you have to speak for an extraordinary number of hours every week? Maybe you have a voice condition? Below are some tips which can he...
Tips on remembering names to help eliminate the 50 shades…of red!
Have you ever been in a situation where you have forgotten someone’s name?
Isn’t it even worse, when they have obviously remembered your name and use it several times?
You are left scrambling in your memory banks, hoping that it will suddenly come to you! Sometimes you might even go through every letter in the alphabet, in your head – hoping against hopes that it will jump into your mind.
It can be very embarrassing, you could even find yourself turning “50 shades of red”!
A few years ago I was visiting Kilmuckridge in Co Wexford and I met a 3 year old whom I hadn’t met since the previous year.
I was really surprised (and flattered!) when she shouted over “Hi Barbara”.
I commented to her mother that she had a child who was gifted with a fantastic memory for names, either that or I had made an amazing impression on her the previous year! Her mother burst my bubble by replying “her playschool teacher’s name is Barbara”. Therein, lies th...
Isn’t it even worse, when they have obviously remembered your name and use it several times?
You are left scrambling in your memory banks, hoping that it will suddenly come to you! Sometimes you might even go through every letter in the alphabet, in your head – hoping against hopes that it will jump into your mind.
It can be very embarrassing, you could even find yourself turning “50 shades of red”!
A few years ago I was visiting Kilmuckridge in Co Wexford and I met a 3 year old whom I hadn’t met since the previous year.
I was really surprised (and flattered!) when she shouted over “Hi Barbara”.
I commented to her mother that she had a child who was gifted with a fantastic memory for names, either that or I had made an amazing impression on her the previous year! Her mother burst my bubble by replying “her playschool teacher’s name is Barbara”. Therein, lies th...
And now for something … a bit different!
Mar 21, 2018 |
Other
Below is an interview that Barbara Moynihan, the founder of On Your Feet, did on South Dublin FM with Joe Dalton of Breakthrough Brands. It gives you an insight into the journey Barbara took to get On Your Feet to where it is now.
Press Play below to listen to the podcast:
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Press Play below to listen to the podcast:
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Oscars 2018 – who wins the best speech award?
Mar 05, 2018 |
Other, Presenting tips
|communication tips, Oscars, PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS, speech, Thank You Speech |
USA today described last night’s Oscars as a “relatively tame and predictable night”. Is that a fair description?
Maybe it was.
Maybe it wasn’t.
For me, I am always curious about the speeches.
Interestingly, in his monologue, Jimmy Kimmel referred to said upcoming speeches. He tried to encourage the winners to keep their speeches short, by promising a prize of a jet ski to the shortest speech.
So, I am sure Mark Bridges, who won the Costume Design Oscar for Phantom Thread, is whizzing in his brand new jet ski, somewhere off the coast of LA! He managed to get through his thank you’s in a mere 32 seconds.
But, the good thing about the lure of the jet ski prize, was that it gave several of the winners an opportunity to throw in a bit of humour early on in their speeches, by making throw back references to the infamous prize.
Overall, from what I can glean, the 2018 Oscars were nothing particularly special. In 2017, at least we had something to talk about, with the excitement...
Maybe it was.
Maybe it wasn’t.
For me, I am always curious about the speeches.
Interestingly, in his monologue, Jimmy Kimmel referred to said upcoming speeches. He tried to encourage the winners to keep their speeches short, by promising a prize of a jet ski to the shortest speech.
So, I am sure Mark Bridges, who won the Costume Design Oscar for Phantom Thread, is whizzing in his brand new jet ski, somewhere off the coast of LA! He managed to get through his thank you’s in a mere 32 seconds.
But, the good thing about the lure of the jet ski prize, was that it gave several of the winners an opportunity to throw in a bit of humour early on in their speeches, by making throw back references to the infamous prize.
Overall, from what I can glean, the 2018 Oscars were nothing particularly special. In 2017, at least we had something to talk about, with the excitement...
Oscar acceptance speeches – and why Liam Neeson may be glad he never won!
Mar 03, 2018 |
Other, Presenting tips
|communicating with confidence, Oscars, PublicSpeaking, Thank You Speech |
The Oscars are just a day away. I’m sure the question on everyone’s’ lips is – Who will be the winners?
But there are others who are more interested in 2 other questions:
What will they wear?
What will they say?
Whatever about the outfits – of particular focus this year, will be how many will wear black, in support of the #MeToo campaign.
My particular fascination is with wondering what the winners will say. Will we have speeches along the line of Oprah’s one at The Golden Globes, delivered with eloquence and passion?
While I am not a major movie buff, I do watch with fascination as actors and actresses step to the stage as “themselves”. It is quite amazing how we assume that they are as confident playing “themselves”, as they seem to be in the roles they play.
But that is not always the case, and for some making a speech is something they really fear.
Take for example, Liam Neeson. Neeson has played really strong powerful roles, including Oskar Schindle...
But there are others who are more interested in 2 other questions:
What will they wear?
What will they say?
Whatever about the outfits – of particular focus this year, will be how many will wear black, in support of the #MeToo campaign.
My particular fascination is with wondering what the winners will say. Will we have speeches along the line of Oprah’s one at The Golden Globes, delivered with eloquence and passion?
While I am not a major movie buff, I do watch with fascination as actors and actresses step to the stage as “themselves”. It is quite amazing how we assume that they are as confident playing “themselves”, as they seem to be in the roles they play.
But that is not always the case, and for some making a speech is something they really fear.
Take for example, Liam Neeson. Neeson has played really strong powerful roles, including Oskar Schindle...