Category: Presentation Skills To Persuade & Influence

Enough of “umm, you know, like, and right”: reduce filler words for greater impact.

In every presentation skills class, at least one participant asks how to get around their tendency to use filler words. Also known as “crutches” and “disfluencies”, they are words  like “umm”, “you know,” “like”, “ I think”, and “right?”.

While there is nothing wrong with the occasional verbal filler,  especially because it can make the speaker more relatable, excessive use of fillers is usually a sign of  inexperience and nerves, and their effect can be both distracting and even irritating.

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From Baby Boomers to Baby Zoomers

If you are one of those people who has effortlessly transitioned into a virtual world, then you can stop reading now. You have already conquered the intricacies and technological challenges of our suddenly all-virtual on camera world.

However if, like me, you find  new technology daunting,  you will appreciate what I have to say:  I was born in 1964 which puts me on the cusp of Boomers and Generation X.

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Unlocking Your Persuasive Presence

Unlocking Your Persuasive Presence

I recently had the pleasure of working with a group of salespeople for a large retailer. Each participant had been a winner in their particular store for selling the most warranties.

What did they all have in common? What differentiated them from their less successful colleagues?

The one thing they all had in common was PERSUASIVE PRESENCE. Each of them had the ability to persuade and influence their target audience,

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The Greater Impact of Your Eye Contact

The Greater Impact of Eye Contact

When giving a presentation, one of the most important factors of success is the ability to make your audience feel like you’re genuinely connecting with them and interested in their needs. If they don’t feel like the information you’re giving them has been personalized – if it feels like a memorized speech – you’re likely to lose their interest. Instead, try to make them feel like you genuinely want your presentation to connect with them.

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