We all know the deal: second wave…social distancing…WFH for the foreseeable…As a team leader, your job is now a whole lot harder, especially when it comes to facilitating your team meetings. We’ve all taken for granted those casual conversations in the lift; the...

The Prime Minister of New Zealand has received much praise for her handling of the Covid crisis. Regardless of whether we agree with her policies, we can learn a lot about leadership from a woman who is a very effective communicator, both formally and informally....

What’s your most recent Google search? I’ll tell you mine: “Does Donald Trump have a public speaking coach?”. (I can’t find any evidence of one. This may or may not surprise you). This week, he gave his first Coronavirus briefing since March, when he famously...

Now we’re on day 27915 of lockdown, we’re into our stride. We feel we’ll never need to go back to the office; online conferencing is where it’s at. The problem is that the more used we get to something, the more casual we tend to get. I’m noticing standards are...

Why is empathy so important in your presentations? Because you need people to trust you. If you want people to buy in to what you’re saying, they need to believe that you understand them and that you have their interests at heart. In short, they need to know you’re on...

One day this Corona-crisis will end. But it has changed the way we work, forever. Conference rooms and lecture theatres are empty. But businesses and educational settings are realising that, actually, online communication is effective. Systems have coped. The world...

1. ONE CORE MESSAGE It’s tempting to cram in as much information as possible. Don’t! You’ll overload your audience and they’ll lose sight of what’s being asked of them. Ask yourself: What do I want my audience to do after this presentation? Why? What’s in it for them?...

We’ve all heard, and probably used, the idiom “the best thing since sliced bread”. The interesting thing about sliced bread is that it was not recognised as..er..the best thing since sliced bread until two years after it was introduced. This game-changer languished on...

Why are you afraid of speaking in public? Have you had a bad experience? If so, you’re not alone. My sessions are filled with people who’ve been put off public speaking because of other people’s comments. Sometimes intentional, sometimes careless, our words can have a...

Marketing is a crucial part of business, and it’s obviously worth investing time and money in promoting your product and your brand. Some businesses are big enough to warrant a full-time marketing team; others outsource as required, to experienced marketing companies...

Learn to breathe! This is EVERYTHING. Your breath supports your voice, to enable you to speak with resonance and give you choices about how you use your voice. Volume, pause, pitch, tone….it all starts in your breath.  Your breath is also the fuel for your body, so...

Leaders walk a fine line. They have to lead from the front, but still be ‘one of us’. They must drive innovation and change, whilst ensuring people are willing to go with them. Leaders need to be dynamic, inspiring and exciting, and they need to be all of those things...