9th August, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - 3 Comments
I just saw a video, part of the Washington Post’s good “On Leadership” series, featuring author Pamela Myer. Myer wrote the book, Lie Spotting. I bet it’s a good book, because her talking points are clear, memorable and useful. I even bet she’s smart and a confident authentic speaker – just not in this » Read More
17th July, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
Yesterday, Steve Jobs gave a press conference on Apple’s response to complaints about the iPhone 4. We thought it was a terrific example of two things: making amends when you need to, and pushing back when you need to. Lots has been written about apologies, and what constitutes an “appropriate” apology. Here’s a good piece » Read More
17th June, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
Forget about ‘em. Seriously. Because when your attention is on your hands, it’s not on us, out in the audience. And we matter more than your hands do. PLUS: Your hands are really smart. In almost all cases, they’ll do everything naturally and intelligently — IF you just let them do what they do. When you become » Read More
7th June, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
This weekend, I got a dose of my own medicine, when I spoke to an audience at the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. The topic was, “Using Intention to Transform Your Audience,” and it was a blast. These folks know that science is proving, over and over, that focused intention has an impact on the » Read More
25th May, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
“I pulled a few slides from a deck I gave last week to the Board.” Yikes. This speaker means one of three things, none of them good: – “I talk to the Board and you DON’T,” – “I prepared for them, but for you: leftovers. Deal » Read More
22nd May, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
One of the interesting things about humans is that we’re wired is that our brains crave novelty. In fact, psychological anthropologists think it’s left over from our days as hunter-gatherers. It’s why some of us (ahem) have 10 pairs of black shoes in the closet but remain in the hunt for another pair. Searching for the » Read More
15th April, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
Your mother was wrong: You don’t always have to say “thank you.” “Thank you for your attention.” “Thank you for taking time out of your day to be here with us.” How many presentations have you heard begin and end with, ”thank you”? How often have you actually felt thanked? From the audience perspective, it’s not like we » Read More
16th March, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - 1 Comment
Ever wondered why you hate being in the audience for so many of the presentations you hear? It’s not because you’re bored. It’s because of something else entirely. More specifically, we know you get bored. But you don’t get bored because those speakers are boring. You get bored because those speakers are paying attention to the wrong » Read More
7th March, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - 1 Comment
Forget what your mother told you. Gossip is good. And it ought to be in your next presentation. Yeah, gossip can be dangerous. But it’s always riveting and often useful. If you haven’t learned something interesting at the water cooler (or on the water cooler replacements of facebook and Twitter), you aren’t paying attention. The fact is, » Read More
1st March, 2010 - Posted by janebeard - No Comments
Think again. We’ve found that most speakers – even the seriously, can’t-get-a-deep-breath-afraid-I-might-throw-up speakers – ALSO are looking forward to some aspect of the presentation. Mixed in with the anxiety, in other words, is anticipation. Sometimes eagerness. The thing is, anxiety and anticipation can show up in similar ways. Your heart beat picks up. Your hands can » Read More
