Why jargon and corporate speak hurt your message We all use jargon and shorthand every day in conversations with friends and co-workers. It’s a kind of code that helps us get from A to B quicker. It’s useful and saves time. I am writing this article from Washington and last week I heard staffers on Capitol Hill talk about going on a CODEL. [...]
How to use storytelling in your business pitch In business, pitches are things that some people have to do and other people have to listen to. People don’t like pitches or being pitched to – at best they tolerate them. That is why storytelling works in your favour: people enjoy stories and we all have loved stories since childhood. People are natural storytellers [...]
Public speaking: How to review your own speech You will probably always be your harshest critic. I know I am. I will occasionally call my speech or performance “OK” or mutter that “at least I didn’t screw up!”. But that doesn’t help me. A TedMed client recently emailed me to say they had only just gathered up the courage to watch their speech [...]
How to give a good speech – a cheat’s guide January 23, 2015 I know, I know. I have heard it all before. You meant to spend more time researching, you really wanted to get coaching, you intended to get input from friend or colleagues. But you didn’t. And now you are in trouble. The speech you have to give is this weekend, tomorrow, this evening or, worst [...]
How to overcome the fear of public speaking January 21, 2015 For many people, public speaking is not easy. For some people, it is simply terrifying. Speaking in front a large crowd, particularly of your peers, has been likened to the trauma of buying a house, going through a divorce or going to the dentist. Of course, it is far worse when your career depends on [...]
Is there ever an excuse to use PowerPoint in a presentation? December 10, 2014 Is there ever an excuse to use PowerPoint in a presentation? First of all, what is a presentation? It’s not a pitch. Pitches and presentations are different things. A pitch is a courtship – the (hopeful) beginning of a relationship. A presentation is the transfer of knowledge, facts, data etc within an existing relationship. [...]
How to keep your cool in a job interview October 17, 2014 A big job interview can be one of the most stressful things you will do in your professional life. So much is riding on such a short amount of time. Your future earnings, your home and where it is, your lifestyle, how you and your family live and how your kids are educated – and [...]
How to answer “why did you leave your last job?” In a job interview October 10, 2014 Hiring somebody is a huge and risky investment. Against the risks and the recruitment and ongoing costs – wages, training, expenses and recruitment agency fees – is the aim and the hope that you will be worth the time and the money and be good enough and hang around long enough to be worth the [...]
How to answer “where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” in a job interview October 8, 2014 Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? This is a popular interview question for a number of reasons. Employers like having workers with ambition. Ambition means having goals and aspirations and consistently working hard and understanding what you need to do in order to succeed. However, employers also want employees who will work [...]
How to perform well in a job interview: A storytelling approach to answering questions will help October 3, 2014 The most important thing is to remember that a successful interview is primarily about the employer and their issues and problems – not about your need to pay your rent or finance your lifestyle. They have a problem and you are a potential solution. Otherwise they would not waste their time. The employer could need [...]
