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Present Like a Pro

Mic Drop Wisdom: Say It, Then Stop

Mary Doria Russell, author of “The Sparrow,” a popular novel among my university classes, said that people who go on and on and on and on should join the support group “On and On Anon”! Whenever you’re giving a short or long presentation and you know that what you just said was it… Stop! You are done, that’s all. Sit. Trust your inner self and let it be. Don’t belabor or repeat the it, just let it linger in the air. You’d made your point, enjoy! Take your applause with humility and grace and sit down. Let whoever is in charge ask for “Any questions?” All you need to do is say that magic of wisdom that came from within you and sit.

Your Slides Are Talking Over You—Here’s How to Fix That

Ever find yourself cramming too much info on your slides? We've all been there. But here's the thing—if your audience is busy reading, they’re not really hearing you.

Watch my latest video to learn why embracing the “less is more” approach in PowerPoint can transform your message. Fewer words, more impact. Let the visuals support you, not compete with you.

Your Slides Are Talking Over You—Here’s How to Fix That

Ever find yourself cramming too much info on your slides? We've all been there. But here's the thing—if your audience is busy reading, they’re not really hearing you.

Watch my latest video to learn why embracing the “less is more” approach in PowerPoint can transform your message. Fewer words, more impact. Let the visuals support you, not compete with you.

Skip the Small Talk—Start with Impact!

Ever been in a presentation where the first few minutes are filled with weather updates and casual chit-chat? It often signals nervousness rather than confidence. But what if you flipped the script?

In my latest video, I share a simple yet powerful strategy: start with dessert first. Watch the video to see how you can transform the way you deliver presentations. Let’s make every word count!

Answer the Question You Wish They’d Asked

In all my presentations, I interview someone “Larry King Style.” which includes questions about their leadership journey from grade school to the present. We do not prepare the interview, I often know nothing about them. The interviews are much better that way, spontaneous, personal, from the heart and the head. Most of my interviewees say “Yes” when asked either in advance or on the spot. It is often the most popular part of the program (in addition to my infinite wisdom of course!).

A recent interview was with a CEO of a major southern hospital. He was terrific, popular, wise, experienced, and a giving person. He did something I’ve never seen before: he prepared! He had a fist full of notes, typed, labeled “the interview”! He didn’t refer to the notes very much, but I knew he was ready for whatever question came from me.

The great part of this particular interview was my questions were just the diving board, he decided how to dive! I’d ask a question, and he gave an answer and then he went on to what he most wanted the physicians in attendance to know, regardless of my question! He seemed to know that this was his moment with these 15 doctors, and he wanted them to know what he wanted them to know.

It was quite different from my other 900+ interviews over the years, and he taught me an important lesson…if you want to make an impact prepare what you want regardless of what happens. Robert Macnamara from the Kennedy and Johnson administrations said words to the effect of the media, “Answer the question you wished they had asked!”

So no matter if it is a ten-minute update or a spontaneous conversation, you always have time to prepare.

Make your presentations more powerful and impactful!

When you're giving a presentation, your audience is thinking one thing: "Can you help me solve my problem?"

Get straight to the answer. Be clear, be direct, and focus on what matters most to them.

Watch this quick video to learn how to make your presentations more powerful and impactful!

Trust your expertise

Trust your expertise—it’s your greatest asset when presenting. Watch this quick video to learn more and let me know what you think in the comments!

Presentation slides

If your presentation slides are packed with text, your audience has to choose: read or listen? Spoiler: they’ll read—and tune you out.

Want to keep your audience engaged? Design your slides for listening, not reading.

Pro tip: Create simple, impactful slides for your talk—and send detailed "archive slides" afterward for reference.

Watch this short video to learn more!

Look at the outliers

Next time you review evaluations, don’t just look at the trends. Look at the outliers. They might just hold the key to your next big breakthrough. Watch this video to learn more!

Reviewing evaluations

Next time you review evaluations, don’t just look at the trends. Look at the outliers. They might just hold the key to your next big breakthrough. Watch this video to learn more!

Jump straight into the content

In your next presentation, just jump straight into the content! Watch this video to learn more and let me know what you think in the comments.

Dessert first!

When giving a presentation, I always say: Dessert first! Why? Because people come to your talk with a hunger for something specific. When you lead with the most valuable insight upfront, you grab attention, create engagement, and ensure your audience stays invested in what’s next. Watch this video to learn more!

Be audience focused

I am continually amazed by presentation after presentation where the opening lines are about the presenter and not the audience. Are you guilty of ever starting with any of the following?

·        “You probably want to know a bit about me…”
·        “I am blah blah and I studied at blah blah and blah blah blah…”
·        “Before we get the meat of today I want to thank…”
·        “Before I get to the report you’ve been waiting for, you have to understand…”
·        And of course, the infamous, “How’s everyone doing this morning?” (followed by “I can’t hear you!”)

While the audience will be patient with you nonverbally (we’ve been taught to sit and listen politely!) they will also mark you as ordinary, expected, and frankly, wasting their time.

Dale Carnegie’s famous admonition, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them” still works today for the soul reason - it is audience focused. Our nervousness, our ego, our desire to please or our wish to look good unfortunately puts the focus on us instead of those who came to hear us. The hard truth is that the audience don’t really care about you. No matter how important you are, the audience has one pivotal question in their minds “Can you help me solve my problem; can you improve my condition.” Start there and you will see and maybe even hear your audience say, “Whew! Yes!”

Is this slide truly necessary?

When creating your next PowerPoint slides, pause and ask yourself: Is this slide truly necessary? Sometimes, less is more when it comes to impactful presentations. Watch this video to learn more...

Project Confidence

As a presenter, eye contact is one of the most powerful ways to project confidence. Watch this video to learn more and let me know what you think!

Hit the main presentation topic first

Tip for your next presentation: Hit the main topic first! This approach is especially effective when dealing with a complex slide deck. Curious why it works so well? Watch this video to find out more.

Presentation focus

In presentations, it’s easy to get carried away and forget to pause. Instead, focus on your key point—make it clear, concise, and impactful. Less is often more! Watch this video to learn more...

Your Presentation Introduction

Next time you're giving a presentation, write your introduction for someone else to read—keep it short! And don't forget to include a fun fact about yourself at the end to make the audience smile. It’s a great way to set the tone and connect with your listeners right from the start! Watch this video to learn more...