By Corrie Miller Recently I decided to check out  Toastmasters. The reason I initially set foot inside the local rec centre for my first meeting was not because I felt compelled to become a better speaker; it was for research. I wanted to know, in joining Janice’s Tomich’s business, Calculated Presentations, what the differences were in what she offered (which […]

  Today I stumbled upon an article a woman named Carrie Gallant had posted on Linked In. It was a piece written by the curator of TED Chris Anderson on what makes for a “killer” presentation: One that connects, has the audience hanging on your every word, and maybe even garners a standing ovation . If you don’t know, the TED conference […]

By Corrie Miller Being able to present well is essential.  If people listen, if you can achieve audience buy-in and engage when you speak, you have the ability to persuade. You can change minds. You can get the sale. According to Phillip Khan-Panni, UK champion business speaker and author, 80% of presentations fail to deliver their objective. If there is […]

Michael Santos is a man on a mission. Released from a US prison in August of last year after     spending 25 years behind bars, Michael has set to work educating any and all he can about how not to make the mistakes he did. He teaches how to survive life behind bars and most importantly how he would […]

Via my Twitter friend @Billy2373 – thank you – a brilliant TEDGlobal presentation on the necessity of trust. In public speaking it means we must trust ourselves that we know of what we speak and we are the best person to communicate our message. We must also trust that our audience wants us to succeed and is open to sharing […]

This is a sappy story about my vacation and my understanding of the significance of silence. With a home movie too! I have been preaching, ok I’ll tone that down to lecturing, on the benefits of silence while presenting. It is all right to stop and allow a good few seconds of silence: When you feel an um coming When […]

Your Ears Won’t Let You Down Students and clients are surprised when I share the importance of listening as a presenter. It is easy to conclude that as a presenter, your job is orator. Wrong. To be effective at the craft a presentation needs to listen. Three Keys ~ When to Listen While constructing the presentation, keep the needs of […]

Now I have proof that it is ok to smile as much as I do. Even during presentations. Yes, I mind the situation and audience but I do tend to be a smiler. If you look closely at my picture (to the left) you will see that my eyes are smiling too. The crinkles in the corner are the giveaway. […]

Speaking with Marion Chapsal confirmed my understanding of why women speakers are under-represented. Both of us agreed that it is purely lack of confidence. Let me interject here and argue against my statement. As a (woman) reader I would be annoyed (mildly put) to hear that in 2010 women lack confidence. Lack of confidence…WT! My theory contradicts my core beliefs […]