Luckily, every time I find myself searching for a blog topic, someone kindly asks me a new and interesting question during a meeting or workshop. One I recently received, from a highly experienced presenter and salesman just before Christmas, was “what’s changed in the presenting world in the last 20 years?” Read more...
F2F'S BLOG, GOOD READING AND COOL LINKS
How to present numbers so they make sense to the listener
I’m regularly asked in workshops how to bring numbers to life particularly for your less numerically inclined audiences, so here’s a quick acronym for you. To remember it, think ‘Very Compelling Maths’ (though I understand that Very Incorrect Grammar)! Read more...
Fact Check Your Presentations
In a world of fake news and alternative facts, good quality data matters. Good data at least allows the possibility of good decisions, and a culture of fact-checked presentations and reports can therefore be the difference between success and failure of a new product, process or entire business! Read more...
The Brain Chemistry of Presenting
I’m reading a book at the moment about human behaviour that includes a lot of information about brain chemistry. I like saying that because it makes me sound intelligent but in reality, I skim a lot of the science-y bits because I don’t really get them. And as the author, Robert Sapolsky freely acknowledges, the science doesn’t really matter. What matters is the outcome in terms of our behaviour and the other person’s response to that communication or behaviour. Read more...
Like it or not, presentation skills are a critical part of our role
Seven months ago my husband had a pretty decent motorbike accident. What could be decent about a motorbike accident you may well ask? Well, he didn’t lose his life, nor did he sustain brain or spinal damage. On the other hand, all the medical staff who’ve looked at the x-rays over the past seven months have gasped in admiration at the degree and intensity of the tibia and fibula breaks. I think it would be fair to say that this is not an area of life in which we’d ever hoped for recognition, but hey, we’ll take our infamy where we can! Read more...
Authenticity
It seems to me I didn't start to find my authentic voice until about 50. I'm a slow learner. Read more...
I'm now an author!
Woohoo! It’s finally here. After four years of joyful collaboration with my awesome illustrator, Jan Scherpenhuizen, we are proud to announce the release of our new all-graphic guide to presenting, 'Presenting to the Max'. Read more...
The Counterintuitive Series 1: “Sleep your way to the top” Arianna Huffington
In our hyper-competitive, 24/7, productivity-obsessed world, not only has sleep become a dirty word but lack of sleep has become a sign of virility. Comparing notes at the water cooler on how little sleep we got the night before, what time we worked til and how early we got up for our morning tennis game are commonly considered signs of success, power and wealth. Rumours abound of the limited sleep our leaders require. Margaret Thatcher famously got by on 4 hours sleep a night, while ex Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was dubbed Kevin 24/7 for his round-the-clock ‘work ethic’. Conversely, sleeping a full 8 hours, or heaven-forbid, taking a mid-afternoon nap, are considered almost criminally lazy. Read more...
THE COUNTERINTUITIVE SERIES INTRODUCTION
All two wheel vehicles steer differently from 3 and 4 wheelers. When a child moves from a tricycle with three wheels, to a bike with training wheels (4 wheels) to eventually having those training wheels removed (now down to 2), they will try and fail in the first instance to apply the steering technique that they’ve used up to this point. On 4 wheels of course, you turn the steering wheel or handlebars in the direction you want to go. Left to turn left, right for right. On a bike, you turn right by briefly applying pressure to the right handlebar, effectively pointing the front wheel to the left momentarily. This action initiates the turn. The bike leans over and the wheel and bike then turn into the corner. It’s called counter-steering. The child learns very quickly, if they want to stay upright and alive, that they must ignore the well-meaning advice of their parents to steer in the direction of the turn and, without realising what they’re doing, will figure out a way to counter-steer by themselves. Read more...
INFLUENCING SKILLS: GAME OF THRONES STYLE
Or "What We Can Learn About Influencing From The Masters Of The Game" Read more...
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Thanks, Carolyn
Recent Posts
- Powerpoint – the good, the bad and the rather pretty solution
- How to present numbers so they make sense to the listener
- Fact Check Your Presentations
- The Brain Chemistry of Presenting
- Like it or not, presentation skills are a critical part of our role
- Authenticity
- I'm now an author!
- The Counterintuitive Series 1: “Sleep your way to the top” Arianna Huffington
- THE COUNTERINTUITIVE SERIES INTRODUCTION
- INFLUENCING SKILLS: GAME OF THRONES STYLE
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