Presentation and Public Speaking News

• Timeless Presenter

In 1970, Art Fry had a problem. He sang in his church choir and kept losing his place in the hymnal. Paper bookmarks would slip out, and nothing seemed to work. He needed a way to mark pages that would stay in place without damaging the book. At the time, Fry worked at 3M. He remembered a weak adhesive a colleague had developed – too weak for most applications but maybe just right for a reusable bookmark.

• Timeless Presenter

Before you start designing slides or rehearsing lines, ask yourself: What change am I trying to create? Do you want your audience to see something differently? Do something they hadn’t planned? Feel something more deeply? A good presentation leads your audience somewhere new. Every choice you make – what to include, what to leave out – should support that shift. If the change feels too big for one talk, narrow it. Make it clear and achievable.

• Timeless Presenter

In Montessori classrooms, children explore. They choose activities and learn by doing. But they don’t do it in chaos. The environment is prepared – structured in a way that supports independence while providing direction. When you prepare a talk, freedom without structure can feel overwhelming. You have too many ideas and no clear path. On the other hand, a rigid structure can feel limiting, leaving no space for creativity. The best presenters find the middle ground: structure that supports creativity.

• Timeless Presenter

In the early 2000s, IKEA sold a desk named Fartfull – a Swedish word meaning ‘speedy’. But in English-speaking countries, the name caused laughter. What was meant to convey efficiency instead distracted customers and sparked jokes. IKEA hadn’t thought about how its message would land with a different audience. When our message doesn’t get through, it’s easy to say, “They just didn’t get it.” But if people didn’t understand or care, it’s on us to ask why.

• Timeless Presenter

In Influence, Robert Cialdini explains how you can persuade people – and how that power, if misused, can lead to manipulation. The skill to influence carries weight. And with that weight comes responsibility. I’ve met people who are excellent communicators. But being good at speaking isn’t enough. The real question is: what are you using your skills for? Communication can inspire and lift others up. But it can also mislead. The difference lies in your intent.

• Timeless Presenter

In the late 2000s, British artist Benjamin Shine began experimenting with tulle – the delicate netting used in ballet tutus. Instead of using paint or pencil, he folded and layered fabric to create portraits that looked like they’d been sketched in smoke. At first, his approach confused people. Some in the art world didn’t know what to make of it. He wasn’t doing what “real artists” were expected to do.

• Timeless Presenter

In her book Bookbuilder, Lucy McCarraher shared a tip that’s gold for both authors and presenters: “Be kind to your readers.” When writing a book or preparing a presentation, choose clear, simple words. Go for short, straight descriptions over long, winding ones. Stay away from jargon and acronyms. Your audience might not know what you do, and that’s why they’re listening to you. Explain any complex terms the first time you use them – if you have to use them at all.

• Events

In this live session, former White House speechwriter Terry Szuplat shares practical presentation skills and public speaking insights for business leaders. Learn how to prepare effectively, simplify your message, and communicate with clarity in high-stakes business conversations. At a recent Ideas on Stage event in London, we hosted Terry Szuplat, who spent eight years writing speeches for Barack Obama.