Biesenblog
Riveting Insights on Communication, Storytelling and Presentation Skills
Anniversary Sale: Half Off 11 Deadly Presentation Sins
It was two years ago this week that I brought 11 Deadly Presentation Sins into this world and, just like that, Death by PowerPoint has been eradicated from the world's conference rooms and ballrooms. Not actually ... which is bad news for business people, but good...
Now Tweeting: #100SpeakingTips in 100 Days
Want to improve your presentation skills? For the next 100 days, I'll be tweeting one tip a day designed to help anyone craft and deliver better presentations. Follow #100SpeakingTips on Twitter You can follow the hashtag #100SpeakingTips or check out my Twitter...
10 Steps for Surviving a Dysfunctional Family Christmas
To butcher Tolstoy, all families are dysfunctional in their own way — especially around the holidays, when stress and expectations are sky high. Being a communicator by profession, I naturally believe most problems can be solved with communication (and that poor...
6 Steps to Delivering a Killer Presentation
Why do we continue to see so many dull, lifeless presentations? I've thought a lot about this problem, but the #1 reason is that speakers seem to think it's enough just to inform an audience. But it is not. Audiences want to be entertained. Here We Are Now, Entertain...
6 Keys to Acting Naturally in a Presentation
One of the most important factors in delivering a successful presentation is the ability to look and act naturally. If you're stiff, uncomfortable and "not yourself," that's definitely going to negatively impact how your audience perceives you. There's no magic...
A Full Week of Storytelling and Communication
Tomorrow morning I embark on a 36-hour marathon of travel and speaking and it couldn't have come at a better time, as I believe I'm coming down with yet another Teddy-related virus. I can handle minor illness with a bit of Tylenol Cold and adrenalin, but a scratchy...
Story Overload: Too Much of a Good Thing
If you're giving a presentation, storytelling can help you break down walls with your audience, earn their trust and, ultimately, influence them to do the thing you want them to do — accept your idea, approve your budget, invite you back, or hire you on the spot. But...
10 Fatal Mistakes Storytellers Make
Have you ever told a story that bombed? Or that just didn't get the response you were hoping for? Don't feel bad — it happens to everyone. But if you want to keep it from happening again, you need to diagnose what went wrong. Chances are, you made one (or more) of...
Ending My Brief Career as a Sort of SAHD
This week, Teddy turns three months old. And with Karen's return to work, it's also his first full week of day care. For me that means I've got the house to myself again. It also spells the end of any dream I had to enter the lucrative and rewarding work of...
Baby on Board: This Changes Everything
What did I do on my summer vacation? I had a baby! Well, my wife did, actually. It's been a little over two weeks and I still can't quite believe it. As a Facebook friend said: I am still amazed that they handed me the baby, just like that. No special degree or...
How to Be a Better Listener in 7 Steps
Have you ever met anyone who admits they're a bad listener? I haven't. Most people seem to think they're great listeners. But I haven't found that to be true. And I should know — I've long been a bad listener. But I'm getting better at it, and I believe anyone can...
Speakers: 6 Steps to Understanding Your Audience
Every audience has one thing in common: they want to know, "What's in it for me?" If your speech or presentation is all about you, you'll never grab and hold their interest. So whether you're presenting to a group of coworkers around a conference room table or to a...
