Is your tone tripping you up? The question springs to mind because of a quote I was just reading - a quote that should be pinned over the desks of all who make presentations or give speeches.

'We often refuse to accept an idea merely because...

Thinking of writing some copy for a website or flyer? Here are eight quick tips to ensure your words work hard for you.

• Abbreviate
  Simple words in short sentences work best. If you smell smoke, shout ‘fire’. Shout...

Do you ever get those moments when you think “Why didn’t someone tell me that a long time ago?” I was thinking the other day of some of the advice that would have saved me a lot of work and frustration if I’d received it...

An audience will start judging you before you’ve even said one word.

They read your body language, they feel your emotion, and they start to form a conclusion about what kind of speaker you’ll be. 

All of this happens in a few...

“Stories are wondrous things. And they are dangerous.” A neat quote from an even neater book called The Truth About Stories, by Thomas King.

King - Cherokee on his father’s side, Greek on his mother’s side - is an acclaimed...

Here are eight sure-fire ways of improving any speech or presentation. With these tips you will feel more comfortable, and you’ll have a much better chance of persuading the audience about the merits of your message.

Be conversational

You...

Today I want to share what I think of as a checklist for a successful presentation. 

Before you start

• What’s the most important idea or message you want to share?
• What does the audience expect from you?
• What is the outcome you desire?
...

As speakers and presenters, we need to embrace storytelling if we want to persuade others to march to our drum, or buy our product, or support our cause.

If you want to win an audience, tell them a story. In fact, tell them lots of stories. You...

How much can you say in 25 words? If you are asked to do a radio or television interview, you’d better figure out how well you can express a big thought in a few words. 

The average soundbite in a recorded interview is about 7 seconds....

The one thing that truly horrifies horror writer Stephen King is the adverb. “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs,” he says. “They’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique....

Need to write new copy for your web site? Need to produce articles for your newsletter? Try these seven tips to improve your writing. 

1 - Don’t bury the lead

Take a tip from a former newspaper reporter: grab the audience’s...

Telling your story better is a surefire way to get people thinking about you, talking about you and remembering you and your message.

Facts and figures are important. They have a place in your presentations and promotional copy. But facts are...