Manhattan, New York isn’t a scary place. And yet, as I stepped out of the subway into a sea of people, I was intimidated. I wasn’t sure where to go. Or what to do next. I was completely out of my safe-zone. I’d gone from a country of 4 million people (and a zillion sheep), […]
How To Get Maximum Impact From Your Speaking Engagements
Have you ever seen a rock concert where the singer holds out the microphone in the middle of a song. And not surprisingly the audience sings the lyrics of the songs, while swaying madly to the music. Your audience should be so adoring, eh? Well, if you can’t exactly be a rock star to your […]
How To Get Higher Scores In Seminars: Part 1/4
When I first started doing seminars in the year 2001, I’d start off talking. And flipping slides. And then talking some more. And then two days or three days would pass. Then I’d hand out the feedback forms. And invariably someone would be upset. They’d think the music was too loud. They’d wonder why there […]
Teleclass Techniques: Part 2-How To Warm Up An Audience
On a teleconference, you’re going to run into another big hassle. Somehow it seems like the participants have been yanked to the call. They’re almost unwilling to be there. No they’re not. They’re just unsure of what to expect. And of course you haven’t warmed them up. So pray, how do you warm up an […]
Why ‘Impossible-To-Goof-Up’ Questions Relax Your Audience
Put a two year old child in front of a Barney video for the first time, and watch the child’s face. It’s intent. It’s focused. And not very relaxed at all. But put that child in front of that same Barney video for the seven hundredth time, and watch the anticipation on her face. She’s […]
How To Avoid Getting Caught Off Guard When Training
If you’re a trainer, there’s one scenario that’s almost impossible to avoid. It’s the scenario where you see a hand going up. The participant is about to ask a question. And there’s nothing wrong with the question, except that it’s out of left field. The participant is asking: How do I blazaboo the configulation spectroconfiture […]
Teleclass Techniques: Why The Common Pool Of Understanding Helps Increase Participation
So you’re going to run an online course or teleconference. And you’re pretty darned sure that you’re going to do all the talking. Which is kinda counterproductive at best. Clients learn better when they’re in the thick of things instead of just listening to your yada-yada. But it’s not like you haven’t tried to get […]
How To Get Audiences To Speak On A Teleclass
You’ve just finished your teleclass and you’re moving on to question stage. And then comes the moment that you think you’ll be flooded with questions, so you ask, “What questions would you like to ask me today?” And all you hear is the chilly wind of silence. So how do you get the audience to […]
How To Avoid Throwaway Lines In Article Writing
Let’s say you’re writing an article. And let’s also assume that you’re writing a pretty good article when suddenly you manage to slip in a ‘throwaway line’. So what’s a throwaway line? A throwaway line is a line that’s often not related to the article. It’s probably just a thought that popped up in your […]
How To Create Flow In Your Articles
How To Know If Your Article Is Exciting Enough For The Reader When you complete an article, you always have one of two reactions You think it rocks. Or you think it sucks. And you may be wrong on both fronts. You may think your article rocks, when in fact it sucks. And vice versa. […]
