If you’ve ever felt you were the only one fearful about making a presentation, be assured, you’re not alone. In fact, you have most of the world agonizing with you. For many people deciding what to say, how to say it, then standing up in front of others is like confronting a fire-eating dragon. Read more
Do people really want to hear my story? Do I want to relate personal details to strangers? Whether you’re an executive presenting your sales pitch, a college graduate interviewing for your first job, or a high school student speaking with an admissions officer, your personal narrative can be the key to reaching your goals. Telling Read more
Create a Dialogue If I’m giving a presentation, why do I need to create a dialogue with my audience? When you make a presentation — to one or 500 people — you want to capture their attention and engage them so they see your point of view. If you’re simply speaking “at them,” it’s likely Read more
How important can storytelling be if it’s not taught in school? In a recent article in The New York Times by Frank Bruni entitled, “How to Get the Most Out of College,” he writes: “Every successful pitch for a new policy, new product or new company is essentially a story, with a shape and logic intended to Read more
Stuttering as a form of therapy has been successful for many famous actors. See my interview to find out who they are and why it works. See the full article here. After his interview with Emily Blunt who speaks about her stuttering, Sandy Kenyon became intrigued about how dramatics can help stutterers. He reached out Read more
After childhood, what value lies in storytelling? As adults, the willingness and ability to talk about one’s observations and experiences not only provides a way of keeping verbal skills sharp, but perhaps as importantly, becomes of means of emotional health. As we grown older, many people hide their feelings and experiences out of embarrassment or concern Read more
Whether speaking or writing the following key points apply for effective business communications: Tailor your message to your audience If you’re trying to create a dialogue with another individual, consider the interests of the person you’re interacting with: are they receptive to what you have to say? Do you need to capture their interest? What Read more
Good speakers are born that way. Being shy will prevent you from being a confident speaker. You need to have a theatrical flair to capture an audience’s attention If you believe any of these statements, you’ll be relieved to know that these are merely generalizations. Being able to translate one’s thoughts into words and then Read more
If you’re invited to make a speech, accept an award, introduce an honoree or give a toast, you can have a polished, professional speech written for you no matter where you live. Gloria Lazar has written customized speeches for clients all over the country. She creates a presentation to reflect each speaker’s goals and ideas. Read more
Isn’t listening easier than speaking? Aren’t listening and paying attention the same? Most people will answer “yes” to these two questions. But listening is actually more complicated than most people realize and in some ways, as difficult a process as expressing yourself. While you must be paying attention in order to “listen” there are actually two Read more