We constantly remind our clients that perception plays a huge role in whether presenters succeed or fail with their audiences. Using the wrong word while speaking, or inserting bad grammar into written communications, can lead to poor impressions, distractions and occasionally lasting headaches.

We ran into an interesting article that points to one of the challenges of using PowerPoint. Ironically, the piece, posted earlier this month on the Inc. website, is about a vice president of Microsoft, the company that creates and markets PowerPoint.

Opportunities to present your ideas, qualifications and proposals come up every single day. Here are some ways that you can prepare yourself to make the most of those situations when they arise.

Watching an old M*A*S*H episode, we saw Colonel Potter (played by the late Harry Morgan) reading to a group of Korean children. Since he had no children’s books, he read to them from his gun manual, and managed to bring the content to life through intonation and expression. Sometimes communicating with young people can help you prepare to speak to a corporate audience.

This year’s Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking attributes part of his success to calling an audible just before giving his final presentation, making adjustments in his content and style to fit the audience’s energy. As a speaker, when—and HOW—should you consider making a last-minute adjustment yourself? 

To start the school year, we’re highlighting a fascinating education-related TED talk, and looking at what speakers can learn from the examples set by the best teachers out there.

One of the big stories in the aftermath of the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia was the series of mixed messages that kept coming out of the White House. But we heard strong messages as well.

How do you keep up the enthusiasm when you have to give the same presentation over and over? For inspiration, let’s take a look at performers on the Broadway stage.

All-time great base stealer Tim Raines gave a nice speech in honor of his induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. He smiled, told great stories, and made solid connections with his audiences.