A report to a senior executive group is not a conversation, although it should sound conversational. It is a communication designed to facilitate a prediction or a decision. In order to sound conversational you need to be relaxed. Ironically, relaxation… Read More »Presentation Skills: Presenting to Senior Executives
Reason makes us think, but emotion makes us act. So how can we build emotional arguments into our presentations? When we consult Maslow’s Theory, we learn that people have a hierarchy of needs. At the bottom of the pyramid are… Read More »Presentation Skills: Use emotional arguments
The Wise Presenter would do well to study how people make decisions (and how you yourself make decisions.) Jonathan Lehrer is a Rhodes Scholar out of Columbia University, an editor at large for the science-focused Seed Magazine and the author… Read More »Rationality and Emotion: How we Make Decisions
Browsing the web recently, I ran into a video teaching the purpose and structure of 3-minute elevator speeches. The advice was sound for structuring a formal talk, but I couldn’t conceive of an elevator speech lasting three minutes. I could see… Read More »Presentation Skills: I Hate the Elevator Speech
I am still holding my ground against Ford Harding. We have been debating the relative merits of raising FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) in persuasive arguments, or GOG (greed, opportunity, and glory.) For previous exchanges, please click on Fud, Gog, Ethics… Read More »Fear and Hope in Presentation Skills
Girls of a certain age expose their stomachs, and boys expose their underwear. Those of us who are too old to seek this kind of social status based on sex appeal are more concerned about dressing to project power, authority,… Read More »Public Speaking: Dress for Success