Content

16Oct

To Avoid a Bored Audience, a Science-backed Tip on Timing

Boredom is universal. So to avoid a bored audience, here's a science-backed tip on how to time some contrast. Even if you don’t believe in being bored (I count myself among those people), do you agree there are still moments when a situation is just…so…dull that it causes you to long for the exit? This is what’s called situational boredom, which happens when the environment or activity is uninteresting or lacks engagement, leaving us mentally stuck, despite having the capacity for interest.

If boredom is universal:

As a presenter or speaker, how often should we change up what we’re doing, to keep our audience...

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02Oct

“Your truth” or “Universal truth”?

Video link below. Last week, I watched a media interview outside a court in Hobart, where I heard this bald statement:

“The verdict demonstrates a simple truth. Women are better than men.”

The speaker was Kirsha Kaechele, the creator of the Ladies Lounge at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Hobart. The issue at hand involved a challenge to the women-only policy of the lounge, which some had claimed was discriminatory for excluding men. However, the verdict overturned the challenge, allowing the lounge to continue as a women-only space — if you weren’t aware of the case What stood out to...

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18Sep

Communication that Sticks: Simple, Succinct, and Spacious Communication

Communication that Sticks with your Audience Simple, succinct and spacious communication - easy to remember, sometimes hard to do! I've been working in-house with a lot of organisations recently. And a topic that comes up over and over again is this: our ideas are only as good as our audience's ability to consume and digest them. Whether that audience is 1 or 10,000. Would you agree? People don't learn by listening, or watching. They learn by reflecting on, and processing in the moment, what they see and hear. No matter how great our content is - if we don't allow reflection and processing time, we will...

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30Jan

How Much Time Should You Spend on Context in an Interview?

Whether you're answering a behavioural interview question using the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Actions, Results/Reflections), or giving upfront context during a presentation or meeting: what's the best % ratio to use when you're giving that context? How can you avoid spending too long on setting the scene? I used to get bogged down in detail with this (and still have to stay alert to the danger!)  - and so do many people I work with. Getting the ratio right can make the difference between your audience tuning out and drifting to thoughts of lunch or the weekend, or staying engaged right to the end. In this video, I...

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12Dec

Speak to me, not ‘everyone’!

Speak to me, not 'everyone'

As communicators, we're always on the lookout for ways to connect and engage with our audience. What do you think is not ideal in these two examples? 1. An email I received this week from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): "Dear Sarah, Thank you to everyone who has donated to help..." 2. My weekly email from Tim Ferriss of 4 hour week fame, which begins each week with "Hi All!" and ends "Have a wonderful weekend, all." Agh!

Tell me: do these communications engage with you directly?

Do you feel connected - as an individual, just one person -...

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19Oct

Low Clarity Equals Low Impact When Speaking

Low clarity equals low impact and it's so common when speaking in public: in fact it's one of the key areas my client and I focus on. Whether you're experienced or just starting out, it's easy to forget just how important being clear with our goal(s) for speaking and messages are. It's also important if you want your words to be remembered.

Why is lack of clarity so common?

I usually find there's one big reason that can then lead into lots of smaller ones: Low thinking time prior to presenting or speaking. It actually doesn't matter either if people are experienced presenters who've been...

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07Sep

Asked a Difficult Question? One Way to Navigate Away

Do you struggle with knowing what to say when asked a difficult question? One way to navigate away from it is by using a specific 'attention-directing' technique.

Whether it's being hit with a tricky question during a meeting or presentation, or caught in a 1:1 situation and don't want your answer to be "I don't know" or "I'm not sure": here's a redirecting technique that can get you out of trouble: Asked a difficult question? One way to navigate away

Zoom in or zoom out.

1. Zoom in: this is where you redirect by saying something like: “That’s taking a broad focus, which isn't within...

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10Jul

For More Influence, Try Grounded Cognition

What does your brain do when you hear the word 'pepper'? What about 'grasp'? Or 'hat'? All these words fire up not just your language circuits, but different senses through other relevant brain circuitry. 'Pepper' activates your taste circuits. 'Grasp', your motor movement circuits. 'Hat' - visual circuits. Whatever you see as a hat from past experience fires up the 'seeing' part of your brain. To influence more effectively, we can improve our chances of motivating our audiences by using language that's: Concrete Specific We'll come back to examples of these in a moment. By being concrete and specific, we build a richer, more powerful experience for...

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04May

Exhaustive Detail = Exhausted Audience

Exhaustive detail = exhausted audience!

If you've ever been in an audience and suffered through a stuffed - and possibly rushed - presentation, you'll probably relate to today's topic in exhaustive detail Cramming too much content into a talk or presentation is a bit like somebody feeding us, and continuing to put food into our mouth before we get the chance to swallow…let alone digest! We end up feeling bloated, distracted and uncomfortable. So if we now flip perspective, and you're the speaker or presenter: do you ever find yourself stuffing too much in? Cantering to the finish line to try to get through everything? I used to do...

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24Feb

4 Steps to Stay in Control when Challenged by an Audience Member

If you speak regularly in front of groups, at some point you're probably going to have your ideas, opinion or control challenged. And it may not be a perspective you hold lightly. Sometimes audience members can touch a nerve or challenge a deeply held value…if this has ever happened to you, you'll know that it can hit hard. Or perhaps you're not holding a strong viewpoint, but simply feel a bit raw that day: something in your life isn't working, or you feel vulnerable or unwell. I've certainly had to step up and run a group or speak to an audience while...

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