Understanding your audience

Understanding your audience

Good presentations do not happen in isolation – if it’s all about you and your message, you are missing 50% of the equation.Persuasion means to win others over, not defeat them. In order to do this you need to uncover the audience’s wants and needs.Get curiousQuestion...
Turning complaints into compliments

Turning complaints into compliments

In 2008 a young musician named Dave Carroll was flying with his band from Halifax Nova Scotia to Omaha Nebraska. He wrapped his Taylor guitar carefully and placed it in a hard carry case. He labelled it is fragile and handed over to the airline. At the stopover in...
Build your network now

Build your network now

This week I ran a workshop for graduate students from the University of Adelaide. It was great to spend time with young motivated people. I was surprised that I had to sell them on the importance of networking. In every industry you work with interacting with people....
Presenting Your Research

Presenting Your Research

I was asked the other day what I like most about my job. My answer came easily. What I most enjoy about my job is helping smart people explain what it is they do.  I’ve been doing a bit of this lately having facilitated a number workshops for researchers and academics...
Stand Up Speak Up And Persuade

Stand Up Speak Up And Persuade

Think about your job. How much would you get done if you were passive? Probably not much. What if you were pushy? You might get something done – once. Why? Because pushy kills relationships. People may let you get away with it once and then after that...
Attention spans and infomania – how we need more learning and less information

Attention spans and infomania – how we need more learning and less information

Earlier this month I spoke at the AITD EduTech conference in Sydney on the topic of ‘Facts Tell, Stories Sell.’ Most people I speak to want to deliver an engaging presentation that is memorable and moves people to action. Stories can help you achieve this.  By...