In this episode we're discussing the speaker is the presentation, not their PowerPoint slides.

While your slides should aid you and your talk, your audience's sole focus shouldn't be on the visuals, otherwise you've lost them.

We'll discuss:

• Why dense slides can hurt your talk
• How to simplify dense slides (which can mean different things to different organizations)
• The real purpose around slides and how great communicators interact with them

The slides are there to help guide your audience, give them something else to engage with, and be your speaker notes, but they shouldn't be the main show.

Hybrid work. It's not going away. So the best thing we can do is learn how to make it most effective, whether you use it daily or just a couple of times a month.

You need to consider a few things:

1. How to prepare before the meeting even begins
2. The best practices that can help you be clear, confident, and prepared
3. Whether cameras need to be on or off
4. Understand how to end effectively

A lot of people start virtual meetings on a whim. This can work at times, but if you want your meetings to be purposeful, engaging, and you want people to come back in the future, there's a lot more that goes into making this happen.

Don't skip the prep work simply because all you need to do is hit "start meeting".

This month, we're discussing Storytelling as an influential tool.

People tend to remember a story long after they forget the data. A great message may inform, but a great story can help people feel the message.

We discuss a few specific areas:

1. Why stories influence better than information alone
2. Where we see stories show up, and why they work
3. Some common mistakes people make with their stories

Storytelling can be an effective tool in so many areas; you just need to know how to tell the right story.

This month, we're talking about eye contact.

We've all heard we should look at people as we speak, but what exactly does that mean? How long do we look at them? How do we move when there are multiple people to look at? If it feels awkward to the speaker, does it come across awkward to the listener? All great questions.

Here's what we unpack:

1. Why eye contact matters
2. What does your eye contact communicate
3. How to vary it based on the setting/situation
4. When and how to practice it

We're talking communication anxiety this month.

Nervousness is an age-old topic that we really can't discuss enough. This month, we'll cover:

1. Common causes of communication anxiety
2. What it can look and feel like to the speaker and audience
3. Ways to manage the feeling in the moment
4. Some long-term approaches to alleviating nerves

In today's episode, we're discussing persuasion at work.

It's an element of many people's jobs, so understanding its importance and how to create a safe and comfortable space for persuasion to live is important.

Here are a few things we'll discuss:

1. Persuading is not convincing; it's alignment
2. Know what your audience wants or needs (one we always talk about)
3. Create credibility by asking questions and listening just as much as you talk
4. Knowing when to take a step back and maintain your image/trust

If people leave agreeing but not acting, persuasion didn't happen.

It's January, so of course, everyone is focused on goal-setting for the year to come.

As you plan your goals out, consider a few things:

• Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)
• Be realistic - lofty goals are fine, but know how you're going to get there
• Communicate your goal(s) clearly to yourself and others
• Check in often and reflect on how the goal is going - make changes if necessary

Going in with a plan helps breed success. Understanding that failure is sometimes part of a goal creates consistency in showing up. Being clear and reflective with yourself allows room for adjustments or getting back on track.

Some people can captivate an audience when they speak. Others, the audience walks away while they're still speaking.

Many factors can influence this, but one key determinant of audience engagement is the speaker's ability to stay on message.

Being clear and concise is a skill. It's important to understand:

1. Why it can be so difficult to accomplish
2. Understanding what your audience wants or needs
3. Knowing what point you're trying to make
4. The ability to practice purposefully

In this episode, you'll hear how you can approach the coming holidays with clear, concise, and on-message conversations.