The Life Is A Speech blog
Speaking, presenting and being heard.
Short, practical notes for people with a room to walk into: the board, the investors, the stage, the team.
Why you freeze when you read from a script (and what to try instead)
Reading from a script can make your place vanish and your voice go flat. Here is why it happens, and what to try instead.
Read the articleHow to open a talk without “Hi, my name is…”
Most talks start with a thank-you and a name. Here are three stronger ways to open a keynote or TEDx talk in the first 30 seconds.
Read the articleHow to present bad news to the board
Missed your target? Here is how to give a board bad news clearly: say it first, own your part and bring a recommendation.
Read the articleWhy communication training doesn't stick, and how to make it last
Most workshops fade by Monday. Three questions to ask before you book communication training, and a 30-day plan to make it stick.
Read the articleLosing your train of thought when presenting with ADHD
A route map, a reset phrase and a recovery drill for fast-thinking speakers who lose their place mid-talk. Practical, not clinical.
Read the articleHow to explain a difficult idea without dumbing it down
Keep the nuance and lose the confusion. A three-line exercise to help specialists explain technical ideas to people outside their field.
Read the articleWhy investors like your pitch but don't invest
Investors nod, say “interesting” and go quiet. Here is why a good pitch fails to get a decision, and how to make the next step clear.
Read the articleHow to answer a difficult question in a board meeting
Blank on a board question? Use a three-part response, recognise, answer, return, to give a clear answer without bluffing or rambling.
Read the articleHow to find the one idea your keynote is built around
Informative talks get applause and change nothing. Ask one question to find the idea your keynote or TEDx talk is really for.
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