Rob Biesenbach's Blog, page 10

Forget Everything You’ve Heard About Body Language

We’ve all heard that“93 percent of communication is nonverbal.” But like a lot of conventional wisdom, that figure is a myth.

But because so many people accept it as gospel, they almost literally tie themselves up in knots in presentations, job interviews, speed dates and other important moments.

Here’s what you need to know about body language.

Busting the 93% Myth

First, about that 93% figure. That’s a misinterpretation of an isolated laboratory experiment that was done more than 40 years a...

Ditch the Dull, Wordy PowerPoint Slides

Nobody wants to see your ugly, wordy PowerPoint slides. Slides arecalled “visual support” for a reason: they’re supposed to be visual. That means NOT like this:

I was reminded of this issue — well, I’m reminded of it at every conference and meeting I attend — but most recently during a debate on a forum for public speakers.

This speaker, who I do not know and may very well be a Winston Churchill among orators, objected to a group wanting to review his slides before his presentation.That’s a...

To My 7th-Grade Teacher: Yes, Learning Can be Fun

Sometimes life’s most important lessons come from being shown what NOT to do. Such a lessoncame to me courtesy of my seventh-grade history teacher, who announced on our very first day that “school is not supposed to be fun.”

My Teacher, the Drill Sergeant

“I am an army brat,” Mrs. Wood declared, marching back and forth, high heels clonking the floor, hair pulled tight up on her head, her black pant suit stiff as a drill sergeant’s uniform.

She promised that her class would not be fun, and by...

Holiday Sale: 11 Deadly Presentation Sins 50% Off!

A recent study showed that three out of four people who give presentations want to improve their public speaking skills. If that’s true for someone you know — a colleague or customer or maybe yourself — have I got a deal for you!

I’m getting a jump on Black Friday with a half-off sale on 11 Deadly Presentation Sinson Amazon. That means you can get the Kindle ebook for just $4.99 and the paperback for $7.50.(Similar discount applies in other Amazon stores worldwide).

The sale is over in a week...

Avoid Kitchen Sink Syndrome: Focus Your Presentation

As a presenter, one of the biggest challenges you face is how to focus your presentation. There’s SO much to say! How can you possibly fit it all in?

Obviously, there’s a huge danger to the “kitchen sink” approach. Audiences these days are suffering from information overload, attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and TED Talks have only raised people’s expectations for brevity.

Here are a few tips for separating the wheat from the chaff, along with a short video embedded below.

The...

Expressing Emotion is a Duty of Leadership

I work with a lot of executives on their speeches and find that one of their biggest hang-ups is a reluctance to open up and show emotion. And it’s a shame, because a proper display of emotion is one of the most effective ways for leaders to connect with an audience.

The Power of Emotion

Studies show that an “emotionally charged event” has a bigger impact and persists in people’s minds far longer than any ordinary neutral event.

So if you want to really break through to an audience, don’t jus...

Election Day Emotions: Faith, Duty and Dread

Election day always comes with a weird mix ofemotions for me. It makes it hard to focus on work and the everyday concerns when something so momentous is happening.

And it gets me thinkingabout elections past …

Shock, Dismay and Sadness

The morning after the presidential election of 1988, I sat, stunned, on a park bench in Washington, DC, utterly shocked at the outcome. I couldn’t believe Dukakis had lost.

An older friend and mentor was also in disbelief. Not at the results, but at my naivete....

No Avoiding It: Eye Contact is Essential to Your Presentation

One of the worst things you can do as a speaker is to avoid eye contact with your audience. It’s not just disrespectful, it’s actually detrimental to your ability to get your point across.

If you do any amount of public speaking, whether presenting around a conference room table or addressing a group of hundreds, you’re going to have to learn to look your audience members in the eye.

It may feel awkward, but it’s essential tothe success of your presentation. Avoiding eye contact makes you loo...

Stop Telling the Same Old Stories: 5 Tips for Being Original

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage and persuade an audience.

But not if you’re telling the same old stories we’ve all heard a thousand times before. You need to tell truly original stories — otherwise, people will tune you out.

Here’s What Not to Do

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

A professor fills a jar with rocks and asks his students if they think it’s full …

Or this one:

A battleship spots a light from an approaching vessel and orders it to adjust course …

Or...

Chris Sculles, President, McGuffin Creative Group

Rob takes an original approach to presenting and storytelling that had us all engaged from his first words. His insights are original, actionable and entertaining. I look forward to seeing him speak again soon.

The post Chris Sculles, President, McGuffin Creative Group appeared first on Rob Biesenbach.