When I was cast in a production of Claire Booth Luce’s play The Women at the San Diego Repertory Theater, I learned a lesson that has stuck with me ever since. Our cast of about 20 incredible women was guided by the visionary director Anne Bogart. Over the month-long rehearsal period, we fine-tuned every movement and choice to bring the script to life in alignment with Anne’s creative vision. By opening night, our performances were consistent and solid. But as often happens in life and on stage, things started to shift once the guiding force—Anne—left to direct another play in …
5 Practices for Presence & Presentation Mastery
When it comes to presentations, how skilled are you at giving them? How activated and consistent is your Charismatic Presence, the magnetic life-force that draws people into you? No matter where you are in your journey as a speaker or communicator, you’re never truly “done.” There’s always room for improvement, and peak performers know that mastery is a lifelong pursuit. They understand the importance of stepping into discomfort again and again to grow beyond their current skill set. Think Like An Actor And Move Towards Mastery Adopting an actor’s mindset can be invaluable for your journey toward mastering presence and …
Presentation Tip: Managing The Moment Before
Recently, I had the opportunity to watch Sing Sing, a film that tells the inspiring story of inmates at the famed Sing Sing prison who participated in a transformative program called Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). This powerful film, enacted predominantly by actual RTA participants, centers around a character named Divine G, played by the incredible Colman Domingo. Divine G is an inmate wrongfully convicted of a crime, but he discovers a renewed sense of purpose through his involvement in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men. The film’s portrayal of how the essential elements of acting—trusting oneself and others, …
10 Ways To Make Your Power Point Slides Better
Over twenty years ago, an excruciatingly dull PowerPoint presentation drove me to become a presentation coach and trainer. Today, poorly executed slide presentations still make me want to shout, “TURN OFF THE SLIDES AND JUST TALK TO US!” (And yes, I often do this when coaching clients.) Why Slides Matter It’s not that I dislike slide presentations; I dislike poorly conceived and poorly delivered ones. When used correctly, slides can powerfully reinforce your spoken points. However, all too often, slides and their accompanying technology distract from the speaker. Remember, you are the star of your presentation, and your slides should …
Stop Preparing And Just Do It
When I teach presentation skills to my coaching and training clients, I always emphasize the importance of knowing their material inside out. As jazz musician Bradford Marsalis wisely said, “If you’re not prepared, it’s too late.” This principle applies to all aspects of life, not just public speaking. However, there comes a point where you need to stop preparing and just DO it. This leap of faith can be terrifying for many people, causing them to remain stuck in a perpetual state of preparation. I call it “getting ready to get ready,” which can prevent you from showing up, stepping …
To Amp Up Your Presentations, Banish the Beige!
If you’ve ever participated in one of my presentation skills training classes, you’ve heard me say the following words: BAN WISHY-WASHY! I even reinforce this point with a sign slashed through with a big red line. When it comes to public speaking, nothing irritates me more than ho-hum, sorta-kinda-not-really-sure-what-I’ve-decided-to-do-or-say-here moments. Unfortunately, most of the presentations I see are full of wishy-washy, bland, or what I call “beige” moments. What Exactly Do I Mean By Beige? For those of you who don’t know what beige is, here’s a nifty definition from Merriam-Webster dictionary: “A variable color averaging light grayish-yellowish brown… a …