We shot a few videos recently focusing on some of the fundamental aspects of our work. Here are two that define meetings and presentations as Orderly Conversations. Understanding the consequences of that definition helps facilitators plan and run more effective meetings. Meetings and Presentations are Not Speeches Transcript: “When it comes to improving face-to-face communication,...
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Most of our blog content focuses on presentations and meetings because that’s at the heart of our business. However, if you aim to be a good presenter and meeting leader, you’ll want to elevate your written communication as well. Emails are a good place to start as they are the most frequent communications that people...
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I recently delivered a workshop for eight very nervous presenters. They were a great group and talked very frankly about their worries and concerns about presenting. Their nervousness stemmed from different things. For example, One of the presenters hated being the center of attention, so speaking to groups increased her anxiety. One was a non-native...
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A myth we thought was long debunked came back around a few weeks ago. In talking about how to do demonstration presentations, an experienced presenter (not a Turpin trainer) said that real eye contact isn’t necessary, “Just look at the back wall, and people will think you’re looking at them,” she said. Even if that...
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When people participate in Turpin workshops, individual members and teams enjoy a host of secondary benefits beyond greater comfort with their own communication skills. Managers and leaders are often pleasantly surprised by how team meetings become more efficient, leadership skills start to emerge, relationships blossom, and so on. We often hear that teams “Turpinize” their...
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Greg, Turpin Communication’s VP, has written a couple of great blog posts on preparing yourself to deliver presentations and training sessions. Don’t Overlook These Steps When Preparing Your Presentation Dry Runs: The Key to Training Readiness in the Virtual World Among the things he talks about is how we recommend dry runs rather than rehearsal....
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The year 2020 will be remembered for many things, most of them incredibly sad, frightening, and shocking. In this global context, the frustration we all feel with virtual communication seems like such a small thing. We have to stay at home and work online every day? In the big scheme of things, that’s not even...
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In all of our workshops, a certain amount of unlearning has always taken place. Over time, we realized that everything we were helping presenters unlearn came from the world of speechmaking. Although presenters knew they were not delivering formal speeches, the assumptions they made and the strategies they used didn’t reflect that. They were simply...
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Josh Bersin wrote an interesting article on LinkedIn about the mismatch between academic education and job skills. What jumped out at me was research showing that while 72% of educational institutions believe newly educated workers are ready for work, only 42% of employers think the same. That’s a pretty big disconnect, but it’s one that I’m...
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One of the most important things for business communicators to understand is the distinction between a speech and a presentation. They are not the same. The problem is not that people struggle to articulate the difference between the two or have a hard time distinguishing one from the other as an audience member. The problem...
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