Visually Speaking

Once upon a time… a speaker claimed it was difficult to get an audience excited about information simply because the content was so boring. Content is never boring — people are boring. A boring presenter delivers boring details. While there are a number of ways to bring content to life, the most obvious method is to smile. You can choose from any of the three kinds of smiles: outside, inside, and in-depth. Read more… →

Tom Mucciolo is interviewed by Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications on Ragan TV. This is part of a series (see the “Interviews” category). This clip features a discussion of how to be more effective on camera. Read more… →

Part of the challenge of interaction is guiding your audience into asking the right question at the right time. While you may be able to anticipate possible questions, based on prior experience with the topic, you really can’t predict which people will ask what, when. But, you can increase your chances if you use a strategy of forced choice.  Read more… →

The common belief is that when interacting with someone, you should always make as much eye contact as possible. This is true when you are LISTENING. You would like to appear 100% attentive, so making eye contact with the person is critical. But what about when you are SPEAKING? Read more… →

Have you even been asked a question and you did not know the answer? Whether this happens to you in a presentation, meeting, phone conference, or just in casual conversation, the feeling of not being able to respond immediately can be frustrating. Well, don’t despair! Help has arrived! Read more… →

Improvisation is mostly associated with theatre, where actors create a story (sometimes humorously) without a predetermined script. To develop consistency, improvisational performers use many techniques, one of which is an exercise called “triggers and handles“. This exercise can be quite useful, especially when developing consistency among “team” members. Read more… →

The element of caring is one of 21 skills preferred by audiences. One of the challenges to caring is a presenter’s use of sarcasm when delivering a talk. Read more… →

Interaction can be challenging for both a presenter and an audience member. As a speaker, what do you do when someone gives you the incorrect answer to a question? There is a way to handle the situation effectively! Read more… →