Rob Biesenbach's Blog, page 2

How to Handle a Hostile Audience: 7 Rules

If you ever have to handle a hostile audience at a meeting or when giving a presentation, here are a few things I learned the hard way.

How hard? Like an employee interrupting a CEO’s speech to yell at him and then storming out of the room hard!

That experience taught me a lot about how to communicate sensitive topics to a skeptical audience and truly connect with them — and not just in bad times.

Before we get to those lessons, let’s briefly revisit that awful, insightful day.

How Our Best-...

3 Keys to a Successful Virtual Presentation

Virtual presentations have always been hard. Audiences are restless, distracted and can easily tune out since no one’s watching them.

But doing a virtual presentation from home is even harder — both presenters and audiences are dealing with isolation, disruptions and limited technology.

So if you want to make a real impact and achieve your goals (get your idea approved, rally your team around a goal, convince a customer to buy), now is the time to step up your virtual game.

You can do that by...

How to Nail Your Next Virtual Presentation

With millions of people working from home right now due to the coronavirus, its a safe bet that many of us are going to be leading or taking part in more and more virtual presentations and online meetings.

So I put together this 35-minute video tutorial designed to take the pain out of online communication. You can follow the link or watch the embedded version below.

Virtual Presentations are Harder Than Ever

Virtual presentations are hard enough. But doing them from home raises the...

Still Presenting Like it’s 1999? Take This Quiz and Find Out

Remember 1999? It was a magical time:

The dot-com boom promised an unbroken era of universal prosperity. George Lucas introduced us to Jar Jar Binks, destined to be an all-time fan favorite. And PowerPoint 2000 was released, ushering in a Golden Age of Business Oratory.

Yeah, not so much.

Maybe Prince was right. Party over, out of time.

Amazingly, even Microsoft’s addition of a sparkling new feature that allowed users to view their slide, outline and notes all in one window (!) failed to...

7 Phrases to Eliminate from Your Presentations Right Now

There are certain phrases speakers use that set off alarm bells in my head. They signal a lack of preparation, audience focus or commitment to the opportunity.

And it is an opportunity. You have a roomful of people who came to hear what you have to say and are hoping it will change their world in some small or large way. Don’t squander it!

So if you want to keep people from tuning out (or heading for the nearest exit), eliminate these phrases from your talk.

1. Is This Thing On? Can You Hear...

Lessons From 20 Years in Business: Following Your Heart is Not Enough

Twenty years ago I quit my job as a vice president at a top-10 PR firm. None of the things I’m doing now — author, professional speaker, workshop leader — were in my plan.

Hell, I barely even had a plan. But it all worked out … better than I would have dreamed.

As I celebrate two decades in business for myself (the anniversary is this month) here are a few hard-won lessons about finding your way in this world. But first, the story.

Why I Left a Great Job

Ogilvy was a great place to work. The people were (mostly) great, it’s...

5 Credibility Killing Mistakes Most Presenters Make

Being a professional speaker has absolutely ruined my ability to watch other people’s presentations. I can’t help but critique them, especially since working with people to improve their presentation skills is a big part of my business.

Here are some of my latest pet peeves — the mistakes most presenters make at conferences I attend. Mistakes that undermine their credibility and authority.

This list is by no means exhaustive, by the way!

Relying on Conventional Wisdom

Quick quiz. Are the foll...

Tyrion Lannister on the Power of Storytelling

I could (and do) cite studies all day long pointing to the power of storytelling. Like how the brain blurs the line between stories and experience, how stories activate our brains in ways favorable to persuasion, and how stories stick.

But in my next speech or workshop, I’m not going to bother with any of that. I’m just going to quote Tyrion Lannister:

What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Stories. There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy...

Happy First Birthday to Unleash!

Hard to believe it was a year ago today that Unleash the Power of Storytelling was unleashed on the world.

My latest book has not only exceeded my expectations, but it’s also exceeded the sales of my first two books combined. (Which says something either about the high level of interest in storytelling or the quality of those first two!)

And the momentum has been sustained throughout the year — it continues to rank in the top 10 in a key Amazon category. 

Learning Through Sharing

So I’m thril...

2 Indispensable Qualities for a Successful Presentation

A few years ago I spelled out my 11 Deadly Presentation Sins — the key factors that can make or break any presentation. But 11 of anything is more than a handful, so I’m often asked to narrow it down to my top three.

That always felt like an impossible task. But I’m happy to report that after years of thinking, I’ve found that a successful presentation can actually be boiled down to just two essential ingredients.

What Would You Choose?

My dilemma has been that all of these points are importa...