Did your last presentation leave your colleagues rubbing their eyes and chugging coffee? During your time at the front of the room, did your voice sound a lot like when an adult talked in the old Peanuts cartoons? Then your presentations are putting your audience to sleep—and your professional reputation is taking a hit in the process. The ability to communicate verbally,Read… Read more »
You want your presentations to show others that you’re credible, confident, and engaging. Using disfluencies such as um, uh, ah, eh, er, etc. erodes your speech. They bore audiences and make them question if you know what you’re talking about. Think you don’t use disfluencies? Use your Smartphone to record yourself; you may be surprised by the results.Read… Read more »
You need to rethink your PowerPoint presentations. We’ve all had the experience of being lured into a drowsy stupor by a lackluster presentation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A great PowerPoint can harness the power of visual aids, becoming a phenomenal recall aid to expand the impact of your presentation. Ready toRead… Read more »
You know what a toast is. You know that it should have an intro, body, and conclusion. You know that a toast should leave people with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Can you remember one that WOWed you? Do yourself and your honoree a favor and get your act together! PREPARE for the toast andRead… Read more »
Just four years ago I avoided speaking in public. Yet, to get ahead in my job, I knew that I had to start saying yes to invitations to speak. That meant I had to figure out how to get over my fear of public speaking. Jump cut to today and now I frequently give webinarRead… Read more »
Did you know that public speaking is the number one fear in America? Death is second. No, I am not kidding. When comedian Jerry Seinfeld heard that stat he noted that for the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. While SeinfeldRead… Read more »
My name is Lauree, and I’m an introvert. If you are one too, it can feel like an apology, as if we have to be different in order to be effective. It’s not true. Even at work, even with your boss, and even if you’re asked to speak in front of a group and youRead… Read more »
Presenting is no easy task, and causes many people serious anxiety. On Wednesday, GovLoop hosted a virtual training, “Ace Your Next Presentation: From Briefing the Boss to Rocking the Stage.” The two speakers, Lauree Ostrofsky, Chief Hugger and Coach at Simply Leap (a career and life coaching organization), and Dave Uejio, the Acting Deputy ChiefRead… Read more »
You don’t need the promise of a golden statuette in your hand to polish your presentation skills. While you may never take the stage at the Oscars, the acceptance speeches can serve as examples of what to do and what not to do when it comes to public speaking. This isn’t about debating the politics in some of the speeches, though there was politics aplenty atRead… Read more »
It’s Wednesday and your manager gives you a new task: write and deliver a speech for 100 people at a public event in two days. You will either react in one of two ways: thrilled at the professional development opportunity — or fearful of speaking publicly in front of large crowds. Fear of public speakingRead… Read more »