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The fate of your keynote speech has been up in the air for weeks, and today you finally got the word: That association meeting or annual conference you were eagerly anticipating will now be a virtual event because the coronavirus remains a threat.   What does that mean for you and your keynote speech? You […]

Are you overwhelming audiences with flotsam and jetsam in your B2B communications? Now overflowing the inboxes of leaders at all levels are hourly announcements of online meetings, webinars and virtual events we “must attend” as we figure out how to do business in a world stricken by the coronavirus. All of us now have a […]

Getting ready to make a work presentation from home in light of COVID-19? You will come off more polished if you follow these five tips to improve your public speaking. 1. Think People right now are being bombarded with urgent messages from everywhere. Don’t waste their time. Think about what you want and need to […]

In two years, we’ve completed a half-dozen brand messaging projects for B2B and B2C companies ranging from professional services firms to associations, coaching firms and consultants. We’ve found that when a company is new or rapidly changing, developing or revamping great brand messaging becomes a high priority for the firm. It’s work that’s typically required ahead […]

B2B companies that are growing and changing need to pause, revisit and rewrite their B2B brand messaging if it doesn’t tell the current truth about who they are, what they do and why — and how they do it differently than any of their competitors. What’s the best way to do that? If you are […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your presence when you speak in public:   1. Are you using your bio as your opening (“but first, a little bit about me”)? Inexperienced speakers sometimes bait and switch: They open by tempting the audience with the promise of a fascinating topic – […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your message when you speak in public:   1. Are you being unclear about your purpose? If you can’t state in one sentence the purpose of your talk, you’ll find yourself including information that does not connect, is irrelevant or both. The fix: Take […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your style when you speak in public:   1. Are you failing to reveal a little bit of yourself and your personality to the audience? As humans, we crave connection. The moment you reveal something about yourself to your audience is the moment you […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your voice when you speak in public:   1. Are you mumbling? If you mumble, you may be perceived as not credible and not competent (plus, you’ll frustrate your audience). The fix: Practice enunciating every word you say.   2. Are you talking too […]

Your hands can speak volumes. But are they saying what you want them to say? Have you ever thought about how your hands — and what you do with them when you speak in front of an audience — can give more meaning to your message? Your hands are an important tool in your speaker’s […]