Literally Speaking: The Art of Talking About Your Book
Congratulations! You’re an author! If you’re generating some “buzz” about your book (or even if you hope to), you’ll need to know how to talk about what you’ve written in…
Media Training: Why Your Company Needs It
If you speak on behalf of your company or organization, you need media training. Media training is about learning to present your messages effectively to reporters, and through them to…
One Disastrous Performance Public Speaking and the Lessons of Bobby Jindal
A once little-known senator from Illinois became living proof of the power of one great speech to launch a national political career. We’ve now had a painful reminder of just…
Media Tips for the Novice A media training guide for those new to the media spotlight
Media interviews can be difficult even for those used to public and media attention -but they can be downright terrifying for those who've never been in the media spotlight before.…
Media Training What It Is and Why It Just Might Save You
Let's start with what Media Training is not. It's not spin. Media Training isn't designed to teach those in the public eye how not to deal with the obvious, avoid…
Media Training – Why Those in the Public Eye Need It
Media Training is simply a way of giving those in the public eye the vital tools they need to tell their story effectively to the public. Companies, organizations and public…
Media Training: Coaching Tips for Media Interviews A media training guide for today’s executive
Ever notice how the media tends to interview the same experts time and time again? Have you wondered if those executives have better communications staff, take advantage of personal media…
Selecting A Media Trainer
Is your media trainer qualified? Here's how to make sure the media training expert you select knows the score. We hope you’ll select The Pincus Group, of course, but regardless…
PowerPoint or No PowerPoint: That is the question
During every coaching session, the question is sure to come up. “Do I have to to use PowerPoint in my presentation?” PowerPoint has become almost synonymous in some circles with the modifier “boring”, but that’s not the fault of the tool. It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of that tool’s purpose.
Before you toss the tool, ask yourself whether you’ve been using it effectively. Are your slides packed with text? Is the point of each slide difficult to follow? Are the slides chiefly there to help you communicate your points? Are you using your slides both as presentation tools and as handouts for the audience to read and refer to later?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may not be using PowerPoint very effectively. Remember, if your audience can see and hear you, you need to be communicating differently than if you sent your information in an email, or mailed out printed material. Oral communication demands something different from both the presenter and the presentation. (more…)
Do Presentations Or Public Speaking Terrify You?
“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” ~ Mark Twain
I offer communications training, including business writing, presentation skills training, and media relations. The latter two, I’ve found, have much in common in that they force one to stand up and talk to strangers who may or may not be receptive. Over the years, I’ve come up with several teaching points, largely by watching accomplished professionals draw audiences in and make them comfortable, open to new ideas, and eager to share in what becomes a productive conversation. (more…)
