Public Speaking

The Hidden Cost Of Bad Presentations — How To Avoid Losing Business

by Andrea Pacini — Tuesday 28 June 2022

A presentation is your opportunity to make a great first impression. It’s a bit like a first date — only the stakes are financial rather than romantic. However, too many business leaders fail to consider the cost of delivering a bad presentation. Many companies fall into the trap of making an invisible first impression. When presenting an idea for the first time — be it a product, a service or a project — the impression they make is invisible.

Public Speaking: A Proven Process to Build Your Confidence

by Andrea Pacini — Thursday 9 June 2022

It’s easier than you think to improve your confidence when presenting or public speaking. The more prepared and structured your approach, the more confident you will be. Most business leaders don’t follow any sort of organised process when preparing a presentation. Keen to get started, they launch into things and hope for the best. We’ve all seen the person who decides to wing it or who turns up with chaotic notes.

Why complex presentations don't work (and what to do instead)

by Andrea Pacini — Tuesday 31 May 2022

The most successful messages are the simplest. The best writing gets to the point. The greatest speeches are concise and direct. However, too many business leaders fall into the trap of giving presentations which are overly complex and technical. They navigate their audience down side roads and off on tangents. Their visuals mirror this and are often confusing and convoluted. Why does this happen? It is all done for the right reasons.

Public Speaking

5 Presentation Problems Every Business Leader Needs To Avoid

by Andrea Pacini — Wednesday 4 May 2022

Think about how technology has evolved over the last 20 years or so. Think about the tools we can use today to communicate our ideas to the world. Now, compare that with the tools we had a few years ago. Today in most industries we have more competition—not only from a business perspective but also from a communication perspective. The tools we have today are designed to empower people—lots of people—to share their message with the world.

The Communication Battle Facing Us All

by Michael Rickwood — Tuesday 29 March 2022

Misinformation is the scourge of our time. It confuses and divides us and can do irreparable harm. What can we do to fight it? For the majority of us today working in business, life is good. In the last 15 years or so, I have observed huge improvements in the way large companies and corporations respond and communicate with their customers and peers on issues that matter: climate change, DE&I and Digital transformation being the most important.

Public Speaking

My Interview with Jerry Weissman

by Michael Rickwood — Tuesday 18 January 2022

Michael Rickwood from Ideas on Stage on how he got to meet the man who started it all for the presentation world. Once in a while we set ourselves some great tasks. Interviewing my presentation hero was a particularly appealing one. Over the years I have read many great books on business communication and have taken inspiration from authors from all facets of our industry: Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, Patsy Rodenburg, Dan and Chip Heath, Guy Kawasaki, Simon Sinek, Dan Pink, Dr.

Public Speaking

It is always the Season for Giving

by Joe Ross — Thursday 23 December 2021

We have recently completed coaching all the finalists for the latest installment of the INSEAD Venture Competition (IVC), an event where over one hundred teams of entrepreneurs pitch their start-up ideas for cash prizes. This is an internal competition where all MBA students are invited to participate. More than the cash prizes, teams are mentored through the process by experts in launching businesses, investors, and management consultants. Teams gain world class advice and guidance towards launching their start-up businesses.

Boris Johnson’s Peppa Pig Moment

by Michael Rickwood — Tuesday 7 December 2021

Say what you like about Boris Johnson, his style connects with the mob. Our institutional leaders need to put aside their intellectual bias and start figuring out why it’s working. Last month in London, Boris Johnson gave a speech at the Confederation of British Industry in South Shields in the North of England. He stumbled, got lost in his notes, and started talking about Peppa Pig. You might start reading this and assume where it’s going.