Presentation Skills

Ask anyone who performs at a high level: athletes, dancers, singers, etc. They all prepare and practice their skills the same way. They break their skill down into smaller “sub-skills,” then practice each one individually, then put them all back together, and their overall skill level has improved. The same is true with communication. “Great […]

As you think about your next meeting, presentation, or sales call, consider how difficult it may be to persuade this audience to act on your message. Moving someone to action is a challenging task, especially if minds and behaviors must be changed in the process. But it can be done, and there are ways we […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council, September 2018. As a coach, I see a lot of different kinds of speakers: those who are confident and controlled and others who are nervous and still figuring out how to get their point across. And I’ve had people ask, “Don’t you sometimes want to laugh at how bad some […]

This post was written by Dan Cooney, Director of Coaching and Senior Facilitator at The Latimer Group. At the Latimer Group our mantra is “Great communication skills can change the world” and I was asked recently why I felt that was true both from a personal and a professional standpoint.    When I speak with workshop […]

This post was written by Dan Cooney, Director of Coaching and Senior Facilitator at The Latimer Group. I’m a sailor and I compete locally, often teaming up with family and friends on Thursday nights. We are trying to win, for sure, but the laughs and camaraderie are central to the exercise.  Recently, we competed in […]

My colleagues and I speak all the time about the importance of “knowing your audience.” And many people nod when they hear us discuss this, because we are certainly not the only people who preach this principle. But even though lots of people know about the concept, lots of people also don’t do it very […]

One of the questions I get asked all the time is, “How can I be less nervous when I stand up to present?” Confidence in public speaking continues to be a problem for lots of people. The spotlight is fully on you, everyone is listening, and we all want to do well. It is not […]

This post was written by Kendra Raguckas, eLearning Designer and Facilitator at The Latimer Group. This week I began working on a new eLearning module for creating strong slide decks. In our work with clients, we always give the same advice: make sure your slides complement the speaker, capture the audiences’ attention, and help them […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council, August 2018 It’s a fact of modern office life: We all have to conduct business remotely. And many of us have to bring together a team of far-flung colleagues or reports. We all know that absorbing information given to us over the phone or through video conferencing is much […]

Here is a great way to think about your message, in three acts. ACT I: The Open You meet your audience, and your audience meets you. Your goal is to get them engaged right away, and the best way to do that is showing them what will be coming. Give them the topic, the main […]