“Agenda Setting The most common mistake I hear throughout all corporate America is the ubiquitous and übertedious agenda-setting start (calling it by its acronym would actually be quite fitting). Here’s how an ASS sounds:” — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“For the next three hours . . .” Wow! Talk about an interest-killer. The last thing any audience wants to be reminded of is that it will… — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“fact, good communication is a lot like pasta sauce. The more you boil down and reduce a sauce, the more dynamic the flavor. Speaking… — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“According to Inside Apple, Steve Jobs practiced dozens of times before a big presentation, staging and rehearsing so that nothing was left to chance.” — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“The Conviction Principle Convey certainty with words, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice.” — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“To Drive Home a Point People think that the more they elaborate and explain, the more convincing they will be. They confuse quantity with… — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“To be more thoughtful and selective, we need time. To gain more time, we need to slow down. Yes, it really is as simple… — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“Speaking cleanly is a very Zen experience. It’s about being 100 percent focused on the thought you are in the midst of articulating. If you’re talking away but your brain is replaying and analyzing something that you said five seconds ago because you’re not sure it was the best way to say it, that puts you in peril. Allowing your… — Bill McGowan Copy Share
“Gratuitous Gratitude Gratitude has a place, but don’t spend the first full minute of your remarks thanking a long laundry list of people. If you must convey thanks—for instance to your superiors—do it quickly and then view what comes after your thanks as your true headliner. The Buried Lead Nearly all presentations could be drastically improved with one quick and… — Bill McGowan Copy Share
“Consumers don’t want to know about the process of how something came into existence. What they want to know is: How will this product… — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
“Focus on What You Want to Say, Not on What You Think the Audience Is Thinking Many people pay too much attention to how others perceive them, and this puts too much power in the hands of the listener and not enough in the head of the speaker. There is not enough bandwidth in your brain for you to concentrate… — Bill McGowan Copy Share
“Prepare, prepare, prepare. Practice, practice, practice. From here on, accept every invitation you get to do public speaking. Be the first one with your hand in the air when someone asks, “Would anybody like to say a few words?” Think of me as your golf or tennis coach. I’ll give you the secret to the right swing, but then you… — Bill McGowan Copy Share
“Discomfort Many of us are uncomfortable with silence, so we compensate by filling that silence with words.” — Bill McGowan Copy Share Image
