Putting Your Best Foot Forward, And Not in Your Mouth
Once every quarter, CEOs and CFOs of public companies feel their pulses quicken and their temples throb as they stare at the boardroom's speakerphone.
Crush your TEDTalk with these 10 essential tips
One of our clients, Natalie Schneider, recently gave a TEDTalk about Innovation — going from zero to one.
Natalie is an amazing client, and this TEDTalk is the result of three sessions to craft the story and five grueling practice sessions. She practiced on her own about 24 times in between our last two sessions. Our last session was a dress rehearsal the day before the event, which was the first time she learned she had to stay on that little red carpet on a very large stage. She spoke before a 400-person audience, in which sat only 4 friends. The rest were complete strangers.
After completing this talk, we collaborated to create this article on 10 essential tips to crush your TEDTalk.
1. On the stage of the TEDTalk is a red dot. You’ve probably seen it as part of their branding. The red dot does […]
You Need to Be Heard!
When was the last time that you went to an event that didn’t have technology? No microphones, no speakers, no event lighting, no stage, no screens? It was a pretty long time ago, right? Now, we don’t consider an event a success without the proper technology, or at least a microphone! We can’t even go to church without coming into contact with some type of event technology that looks professional and amplifies the messages of the speakers and performers.
A couple of weeks ago, we spent time with Markey’s Rental and Staging – an onsite event technology provider based right here in Indianapolis. Did you know they have a 30,000 square foot warehouse? It houses many different types of event technology – from microphones to lights to speakers to stages and scaffolds – Markey’s has a variety of […]
Don’t Cry Uncle!
According to the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms, to cry (or say) uncle means to admit defeat and/or plead for mercy, especially in an informal physical contest of some kind.
It’s cited as an American phrase that came about in the early 1900’s attributed to bullying on the playground; however, there are also two other theories as to its true origin: Ancient Rome and 19th Century England.
The Roman theory suggests children who were in the throes of battle with a childhood bully were commanded to say “Patrue, mi Patruissimo” or “Uncle, my best Uncle” in order to be freed. Uncles at that time were given the same level of respect and regard as fathers were, and therefore the cry “uncle” was a way for the victim to grant the victor high status. The English theory states that it came from a joke regarding a […]
Let Us Introduce Ourselves
We are Alexis Blevins and Katya Kantar, the new summer interns at Accent On Business. As interns we were very excited to sit in on our first client session. We observed a small business entrepreneur who is developing a 45-minute keynote speech for marketing an innovative, new product. The session included an overview of basic presentation skills and how to deliver the content of the speech in a more significant and memorable manner. It began with Ellen Dunnigan, President and CEO, inspiring the client to think and question how she wanted her audience to perceive her and what the main goals of the speech are for both the speaker and the audience. We recognized that the client truly believed in the content she was presenting to us. She wanted to be perceived as relaxed and insightful while giving her speech, but she had no way of explaining what it meant […]
What it Really Takes to Nail Your Presentation
There are several “must-haves” for every great presentation. Of course, depth in your content is vital. Without stellar content, there is just no reason to stand before us as a presenter. Of course, your content must be carefully crafted. Always think about your purpose and your audience when crafting the content of your speech. Beyond depth of content, making sure you are properly channeling your energy (sometimes referred to as anxiety) allows you to show up as the capable and confident speaker that we’re expecting. We advocate our four-part process for mastering your fear of public speaking and for showing up with professional-level energy.
While the four-part process is an effective and essential component, it is not the only formula for successfully delivering your […]
Invest in Your Future! Improve Your Communication Skills
Uh oh, it’s happened again. You’ve been able to avoid it for the last 3 years. Now here it is again…the dreaded presentation. Ever been in one of these situations?
- You’ve been invited to make a key presentation at a Board of Directors meeting.
- Your dream job just opened up and you will need to interview for it.
- You have one single opportunity to have lunch with a prospective major account client.
- You have three months to prepare your 25th high school class reunion’s keynote address.
- You’ve been asked to fill in for a colleague in teaching a training session to senior management.
- Your company is in the peak of a crisis or incident and you need to speak about it live on television or on radio.
- You volunteered on a mission trip sponsored by a large company in your area and are […]
The Very Real Science Behind your Fear of Public Speaking
The sometimes debilitating fear of public speaking, technically called “glossophobia”, affects a large portion of the population. It is known in medical communities as a type of social anxiety, similar to “stage fright”. This includes symptoms of: a feeling of impending doom, obsessive thoughts of failure and worry, trembling and shaking, dizziness, accelerated heart rate, sweating, and nausea. You might also find that your mouth dries and your voice weakens and cracks.
When you get up to the podium, notes shaking in hand, feet nervously fidgeting, it seems like all the information you know well and rehearsed, delivering has just gone whirling away with your confidence. At that moment, staring at your anticipating audience, all you really want to do is flee. However, this reaction is a response to your brain’s necessary “fight or flight phenomenon”, the physiological response to a threatening situation.
For […]
7 Tips to Quell Nervousness Before a Speech (That Don’t Include Jumping From the Window)
The fear of speaking in front of 5 or 500 people is shared by virtually everyone and cuts across all professions, social classes and leadership levels. There are lots of reasons why this fear wells up and seems to choke our confidence and vocal chords. But this blog post isn’t about the problem - it’s about the solution!
Heartfelt and Memorable Holiday Toasts
There is no better time than this year’s office party to let your colleagues know how much you appreciate their hard work and great attitudes. Ellen Dunnigan, public speaking coach at Accent On Business, offers our annual tips on providing memorable toasts at the holiday office parties.
Give Thanks
Thank individuals for their contribution to the company. If your group is small, mention each person individually. In larger firms, thank teams or departments who succeeded in special initiatives or projects. Thank your partners and alliances, especially if they are sponsoring your company celebration. Be as specific as possible in your “thank you”, for example, “Thank you, Susan, for keeping us organized and managing our project calendars”. (We call this the “Power Thank You”.)
Share Successes
Share specific kudos about your team members with their spouses. You know, it doesn’t get much better than hearing that all […]