Public Speaking

The Persuasive Power of Analogies in Communication

by Andrea Pacini —

One of the hardest lessons to learn in communication is the art of keeping things simple. The more we know about something, the easier it is to fall into the trap of making our ideas too complex and too technical. It’s something I see business leaders doing all the time before they learn to improve their presentations. They wrongly assume that the audience will understand something just because they do.

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7 Ways To Lead Your Audience To The Next Step

by Andrea Pacini —

If there’s a common purpose to most business presentations it’s to persuade the audience to act upon your ideas in some way. The best way to persuade the audience to do what you want them to do is with a clear call to action. If the call to action isn’t clear enough, the audience will fail to act. Your presentation will have been in vain. For example, imagine you were giving a webinar or an introductory workshop on your area of expertise.

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7 Memorable Ways to Open a Presentation (With Examples)

by Andrea Pacini —

The first words of a presentation are the most important. Your opening needs to grab the audience’s attention and hold it. The philosopher Plato said: “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Sadly, most business leaders don’t think carefully enough about the way they open their presentations. Instead, they focus on the main body of their presentation and leave the opening to chance. Or they make the common mistake of opening with a boring agenda slide or by introducing themselves.

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6 Steps To Creating A Clear Presentation Storyline

by Andrea Pacini —

The greatest films, TV shows and novels are the ones with the best storylines. The same is true for presentations. A strong narrative can help you bring your presentation alive and make it memorable and successful. However, most business owners, leaders and professionals don’t pay enough attention to the way they structure their presentations. They fail to develop a clear storyline. I’ve come across many presenters who simply improvise their presentation around some slides.

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How To Take Control Of Your Fear of Public Speaking (Without Any “Woo Woo” Remedies)

by Andrea Pacini —

It’s almost pointless asking if you feel nervous before a presentation. It would be strange if you didn’t. The vast majority of people are afraid of public speaking. It’s perfectly normal to have a fear of public speaking, also known by its technical name of glossophobia. Research shows that more than 75 percent of the population has some level of public speaking anxiety. So you’re in good company. I’m a presentation coach and I feel nervous all the time before a presentation.

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Why Rehearsing Leads to More Confidence

by Andrea Pacini —

When you watch the best athletes their movement seems completely natural and effortless. The reason they look so at ease is because of the years of dedicated practice they’ve put in. No one is born with the ability to excel—it requires work. The same is true for business presentations. It’s impossible to deliver a great speech without rehearsing it thoroughly. You can spot a presenter who hasn’t rehearsed adequately. The giveaways are that they might:

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Do You Suffer From The Curse Of Knowledge?

by Andrea Pacini —

There is a famous saying that ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’. It warns against those who know something about a subject but not quite enough. We should apply the same caution to those business owners and leaders who pitch their presentations above the audience’s heads. They forget how much they know about a subject and aim too high. In Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, one of the best books I’ve ever read, they introduce the concept of the curse of knowledge.

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Your Idea Is Worthless Unless You Can Communicate It

by Andrea Pacini —

Right now there’s someone in the world having a great idea; their own lightbulb moment which could change the world. Many entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders assume that their ideas are the most important thing. They believe that their idea, whether that be a product, service, project or business, is all that matters. They focus on creating and working on their concepts without giving sufficient thought to articulating them.

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