Are you afraid of public speaking? You are not alone! Public speaking is still quoted as being one of the most common fears. It takes determination, practice and support to put yourself on stage and overcome that fear. But the benefits of becoming a better public speaker go way beyond the ability to speak in […]
Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that in order to persuade an audience, you need three appeals: Ethos, Logos and Pathos. Now often referred to as the Rhetorical Triangle, here’s what that means and how to use them when writing a presentation. Ethos = Credibility Ethos is your authority as a speaker. Why are you the right […]
Diversity is a huge topic being tackled in many ways throughout business and society. Given its history, the property industry in no exception. How does diversity in speaking relate? I recently attended a public speaking competition. All of the participants were brilliant. Was the winner the best public speaker? Probably. Were they the person I […]
Recently I watched a friend practice a technical speech at our public speaking club. This was in anticipation of him delivering the presentation at an industry conference. I didn’t understand the presentation. He’d written it for an audience which would. As he should have. But this made giving feedback challenging. Thinking about your audience is […]
Just like you only get one chance to make a first impression, the same is true about leaving a lasting impression with your closing. How you open determines whether the audience is likely to listen to the rest of your speech. How you close determines what they are likely to remember (and do) after it. […]
Where to begin? It’s an important aspect of every communication. I’m referring to the start of a speech, presentation or any situation where you need to talk for more than a couple of sentences. I’m purposefully calling it the “opening” here, to differentiate from your “introduction” – a related, but different aspect of speaking where […]
If you want to learn from some of the best public speakers in the world, go to the Tower of London and take a tour with the Yeoman Warders (colloquially known as Beefeaters). Between 2022 and 2023, I worked at Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that looks after six of the UK’s unoccupied royal palaces, […]
One of the most common complaints about any seminar or presentation is that the speaker has put a lot of text on a slide and is reading it out. There really is no point to that. If there is just a lot of text on a slide, the audience could easily have read this themselves. […]
Whether online, back in the room or new hybrid formats, there are key things that make a seminar good (or not!). Here are some key aspects to consider when preparing and delivering seminars. What is it designed to do? As with any aspect of public speaking, you should start with purpose. Many professionals put on […]
The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed the world. As we move into new ways of working, it appears hybrid working is here to stay, and for good reason. Many are keen to get back to the connection and interaction you can have in a room. The advantages of enabling online attendance are also clear in […]
