By Theresa Pojuner on May 14, 2012
One of the most difficult things to do is to describe to someone how to put something together or how to operate a device. How do you communicate to someone the procedure to put parts together to build a plane, boat, or car? Or how do you put the pieces of a table or chair [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on May 7, 2012
J is for the pure Joy of presenting. How often we view presenting as a chore, something to be worried over, gotten though, and sometimes frightened by. The truth of it is, if we can get into the moment, presentations can be nearly effortless and even joyful.
By Theresa Pojuner on April 30, 2012
With social media connecting us to more people globally, technical writing was sure to follow the same path. What does it take to be a global technical writer? How much the global clients need and what they need has to be clearly defined. The key will be in understanding the local culture and language. But [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on April 23, 2012
Have you ever stumbled a little over your introduction? I sure have! I vividly remember once I was being introduced, and the person introducing me forgot my name. The nervousness must have been contagious, because when I started to speak, I practically forgot my own name as well. Not an auspicious beginning, right? Introductions are [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on April 10, 2012
As you know, we continue our alphabetical count-down of communication attributes and skills. Today we focus on some key words for the letter H. H is for… Heart. When we focus on just the facts, we are missing such a critical element; the heart. Great speakers speak from their hearts. They have an attitude of [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on March 26, 2012
Here are some of the words starting with the letter G that we can use to describe a highly effective speaker. See which ones you resonate with, and then let me know if you can think of others. Gracious. I know it sounds obvious, but when we are speaking we often become terribly self-focused. Instead [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on March 12, 2012
We continue with our alphabet of terms for great speaking. Focus. When we speak in a focused way, all our energy works toward the same end–getting our message across. Our thoughts, our words, and our bodies all work together to send a unified, cohesive message. When we are in this particular state, words tend to [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on February 27, 2012
If you follow this blog you know we are working our way through the alphabet, selecting words for each letter that embody different aspects of speaking and presenting. We have made our way to the letter “E.” Energy. We all know how important energy is; too much and you feel like a nervous wreck, speaking [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on January 31, 2012
We continue describing effective presentation skills by the alphabet. C is for Courage. It takes a certain amount of courage just to get up and speak. It takes even more to be authentic, or to take a risk in front of your peers. Tap in to your courage like the cowardly lion in the Wizard [...]
By Gail Zack Anderson on January 17, 2012
We have begun to explore the qualities of great presenters, starting with A and going all the way to Z. In each post I will list one or several attributes of great presenters and communicators, and suggest some ways you can build that characteristic in your own speaking. B is for brilliant…..