Tips & Tricks
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The Best Books on Presenting...That Aren't About Presenting
February 18th, 2025
I often get asked to recommend books on presenting and public speaking, but I've found some of the best books to improve your presenting skills aren’t about presenting at all.
Does Your "Update" Presentation really do Anything?
October 18th, 2024
Sometimes I hear that an inform-style presentation is “just sharing information.” “But why are you informing?” I’ll ask. “It’s just an update. We’ve always done it this way.” And then I channel my inner toddler: “But why? What do you want them to know?”
Loose Briefs Cause Grief - and I'm not talking undies...
August 19th, 2024
We’ve all been there, right? You check your inbox at the end of a busy day, and there it is: a last-minute email from your boss asking if you can “quickly cover” something for tomorrow’s leadership meeting. No details on what they really want, no context, just a “thanks heaps” at the end. You’re left wondering, “What am I supposed to focus on? How much time will I have? And, wait—do they even need slides?”
Waffling Woes: Is Your Leadership Style Lacking?
July 8th, 2024
I've previously mentioned a common type of presenter: The Waffler. Despite good intentions, I've recently seen a team get completely derailed by a Waffler Leader who struggled to explain ideas, tasks, and strategy clearly. They were lost in the fog.
No such thing as an ‘update’ presentation
May 23rd, 2024
No presentation really is ever just an ‘update’. There’s always a deeper purpose. And once you know that, you don’t just have a compelling presentation – you also have the chance to go further. Read more.
Cut the Cord: Overcoming the Rise of the ChatGPT-Generated Presentation
May 2nd, 2024
AI is everywhere, and it’s cropping up in more places, making some pretty convincing pictures, deep fake videos, and articles. The New Zealand Herald even briefly used an AI image as part of an article for International Womens’ Day earlier this year
Defeating Story Fatigue
April 4th, 2024
Recently, I was working with a client who is the tech officer in charge of his organisation’s IT, and he was struggling to come up with a way to open his next presentation.
How do you prepare a presentation when you don’t know your audience?
March 25th, 2024
Recently I was asked this question at a workshop. So I did what I always do when this question comes up: I pushed back.
The Problem with ‘Presenting Skills’ as a Brand
November 7th, 2023
With the end of the year just around the corner, I wanted to look forward at what presenting could mean for 2024 and beyond.
You don’t have to be the best presenter to be the right presenter
October 23rd, 2023
A lot of books out there focus on the leader’s duty to deliver inspiring messages, unite teams, and drive people towards a common purpose. But what about the presentations that happen at every level of your organisation? What do you do when you’re trying to persuade your people, and you’re not at the top of the heap?
Not what they say, but what we hear
September 14th, 2023
Welcome to the hotly anticipated – and much reviled – triannual season of point-scoring, populism and brouhaha that is the lead-up to the election.
Want to win hearts and minds?
August 23rd, 2023
I recently ran a mastery programme. Four half-day workshops and coaching sessions, with eight people in the group.
From Waffling to Inspiring: Mastering the Archetypes of Organisational Speakers
July 26th, 2023
Would you recognise a Waffler or Trickster presenter? Do you know how to spot if you’re a Reader – and more importantly, do you know how to become The Inspirer?
In praise of physicality – but why great presenting doesn’t stop there
June 14th, 2023
Whenever I run a presenting course, I will get one or two people who are tied up in knots
What 15 years of professional acting taught me about presenting
May 8th, 2023
When people find out that I was a professional actor, the first thing they’ll ask – after “What were you in?", is “What do acting and presenting have in common?”
How understanding obstacles can lead to creating great content
April 11th, 2023
If you want to capture your audience’s attention – and their hearts and minds – then relevant, engaging content is going to be a top priority. If you understand your audience, you’re that much closer to creating content that really resonates with them.
Change is the only constant
March 12th, 2023
Communication is an evolving art. Not only does that keep people like me very busy, but it means that we need to keep an eye on evolving trends – lest we get left behind!
Is 2023 the year for showing up?
February 12th, 2023
We’ve been forced to show up a lot already this year. Many of us have had homes or workplaces affected in the flooding and, if we didn’t, then chances were high that we knew neighbours or family members who were impacted.
Finding your courage
January 13th, 2023
In the Chinese Zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Known for being calm, collected, and graceful, those born in the Year of the Rabbit are told to bring hope and peace to the world.
Signing off for 2022
December 18th, 2022
Just a short note from me to wish you all the very best Christmas wishes and special time with your favourite people over the break.
Key ingredients for a good open and close
December 6th, 2022
What’s the most important section of any presentation?
Easier said than done: Owning who you are
November 21st, 2022
Courage trumps confidence. Where confidence is a feeling (and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t yet mastered total control over my feelings!) courage is a decision – a choice we make about how we show up.
Informing isn’t presenting – why some speakers fall flat
November 9th, 2022
Have you ever sat through a presentation only to realise the next day that you can’t even remember what was said?
Who wants to present with impact, inspire confidence, and get results?
October 25th, 2022
2022 has been a year… and it’s not over yet.
Your living room stories belong in your presentation – here’s why.
October 10th, 2022
If I asked you to recall the most memorable speaker you’ve seen, who springs to mind?
A peek at the data - What years of participants tell us about presenting
September 28th, 2022
Presenting is intimidating, and most of us are quick to admit we’ve got room for improvement. But that’s why I do what I do.
Practice makes near perfect
September 13th, 2022
How many times do you typically practice a presentation before you deliver it? Be honest.
The thing that stands between you and where you’re going
August 30th, 2022
You’re up there with all eyes on you for one reason: to get your audience to that golden destination where they’re compelled to act or adopt your big idea. I call it point B and it’s the purpose of your presentation.
May I have your attention please?
August 15th, 2022
Early on in my career, I took it personally when someone would yawn, fidget, or glaze over while I was presenting. Never mind how much animation and enthusiasm I was bringing to the room, or how well I’d prepared my content to be compelling, I’d see this sometimes. And it really bummed me out.
Point B: The Destination – aka ‘Where are you going with this?’
August 2nd, 2022
You know the well-worn phrase; ‘it’s the journey that matters, not the destination’. While it’s a good mantra for life, when it comes to presentations, the destination – your prime objective – is king. Without precise coordinates, presentations have no direction, and waste the audiences fuel on waffle, leading them down the road to nowhere.
Presenting is unique from other forms of public speaking
July 19th, 2022
Whatever your level, great presenting skills are an essential part of leadership. Those who can communicate effectively and demonstrate solid persuasive speaking skills go further. They’re able to engage others with their ideas and, in today’s increasingly critical knowledge economy, they’re better recognised and rewarded as a result
A is for Audience
July 5th, 2022
When we’re worried about presenting, it’s common to focus on ourselves – our worries, how we’re feeling. But the most important element in any presentation is your audience. You’re there to connect your ideas to them in a way that elicits some form of action. Your presentation is for them, not for you.
Loose briefs cause grief – getting super clear on what you’re there for
June 21st, 2022
Numbers for the leadership team, quarterly update, employee induction welcome or conference slot… you’ve been asked to deliver a presentation. Woohoo.
We may be back in the office, but we need to avoid the old traps
June 8th, 2022
Now that we’re back in the office – and presenting in person more again, hooray! – many of the old bad habits are popping up again. Already, many of us are suffering from ‘Death by PowerPoint’. You may even have been guilty of perpetrating it.
What’s wrong with the shadows anyway?
May 25th, 2022
Come on – admit it. You love the unthreatening nature of your comfort zone. It’s warm, it’s safe. It’s like the cosy slipper of life experiences.
Start with something worth saying
May 11th, 2022
You wouldn’t believe the number of calls I get from people that go something like this: “We need you to come in and work with [insert name here] on their presenting skills. They’re really struggling to make an impact. The issue’s not with their content – that’s sorted – it’s more to do with their delivery. We need them not to suck.”
Communicating in a hybrid environment
April 26th, 2022
Early last year I ran a training with a large professional services firm. Some of the team were in-person in Auckland and the other half joined virtually from Wellington. The Wellington crew were all in a meeting room and joining from one video conference unit.
Presenting is not about acting...or is it?
April 12th, 2022
We tend to think of acting as pretending – as something constructed or contrived. However, great acting is the opposite. It’s about truth. Great acting isn’t really about acting at all – it’s about being.
Suzi McAlpine's interview with Russell
March 23rd, 2022
Recently I had a blast chatting to my good mate Suzi McAlpine about my new book Step into the Spotlight. Suzi is author of the bestselling book Beyond Burnout and pens the award winning blog The Leader's Digest where she writes and chats about all things…you guessed it…leadership.
Imposter syndrome: are you faking it?
June 13th, 2021
Imposter syndrome: a lurking doubt in your achievements and abilities. What if you’re actually not competent and no one’s noticed yet? Surely the truth will eventually come out. You’ll be humiliated, but ultimately relieved that you can stop this insane charade and take up an enticing new pastime, like rocking gently in a corner. Here’s the thing: you’re probably fine, and you deserve to feel fine about it. Let’s work through this.
Handling questions like a pro when presenting
May 26th, 2021
One of the questions we’re asked most often is how to handle, well, questions. And we have answers! A Q&A can seem nervewracking, but generally if you know your subject it can be the most engaging and convincing part of your presentation. Imagine it’s quiz night, but all the questions are on your specialist topic. You win the bar tab, your table is cheering, there’s karaoke later, life is beautiful. This could be you at work too. How? Glad you asked.
More tips from the vaults
May 9th, 2021
When you’ve been around the block a few times you get to know the neighbourhood. We’ve been around the presenting block for long enough to know about the tricky bits of footpath and that vicious cat at number 43. In the interests of, well, interesting things, we’re going to share a few of the little tips we’ve learned over the years.
Glossophobia, Alektorophobia and more...
April 19th, 2021
You’ve heard it a million times: the number one human phobia is Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. It seems like nonsense, doesn’t it? That speaking in public could be more terrifying to more people than, say, death, or being stuck in a lift with Kanye West. But consider the consequences.
Are you a nervous presenter?
March 15th, 2021
Are you, like Mr Brooke, a nervous sailor when it comes to business presenting? It might depend on how you regard an open sea. The sea can be calm and smooth under an untroubled blue sky. Foils in the water, spinnaker doing whatever spinnakers do, filled with opportunity and adventure and the odd superyacht. Like Rod Stewart, we are fricking sailing, yo.
Is Persuasion a Dirty Word?
March 1st, 2021
A few weeks back I had an interesting discussion with a long-standing client. She was getting some push back from a member of her team around her idea of wanting to put them through our Secrets of Influence and Persuasion programme. His concern was the perceived ‘ick factor’ of persuasive speaking skills. He was worried they would turn from careful, considered experts into Donald Trump!
5 Tips for Better Virtual Communication
February 15th, 2021
Okay Zoomers, it’s déjà vu all over again. But virtual communication is part of life now, and hopefully the basics are familiar enough to really start finessing your skills.
More fun devices to play with
February 1st, 2021
Last year we shared with you some of our favourite rhetorical devices and their infectious-sounding names. Have you managed a pleonasm yet? That’s okay, it’s perfectly natural, it’ll happen when you’re ready. Rhetorical devices are just communication tools, and we use them every day without realising it, so let’s get on a first name basis with a few more fun ones.
Welcome to 2021
January 13th, 2021
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind, hi! It’s us! Your friendly neighbourhood Pickering Group wishing you a very happy New Year. We hope it’s everything you want it to be, but there’s a ton of pressure on 2021 to deliver us everything we missed out on last year. 2021. You got this.
Our annual Xmas Jokestravaganza
December 21st, 2020
Last year we started our tradition of providing you with cracker jokes that you can read aloud to your loved ones around the dinner table until they politely ask you to stop. They’re puns! They’re vaguely business related! They’re better than the paper hats!
Seven stories leaders should tell
December 7th, 2020
Now settle in, Best Beloved, it’s time for a story. But what kind of story? When we talk about business stories, we’re really talking about illustrating our core message with a tale that puts it in context. We’re making points and making connections, and we’re using stories to make them memorable, clear and emotionally effective.
Have you heard of Vulnerable Narcissism?
November 23rd, 2020
Is there someone in your workplace who always has to draw attention to themselves? Or do you have a client whose demand for your focus go way beyond what’s necessary to service their needs? Does Dave really need to spend all that company time making TikToks? You might be dealing with a narcissist.
KISS: Keep It Simple, Squad
November 9th, 2020
Let’s be clear: no really, let’s. Clarity in both written and spoken communications is key to getting the results you want. And yet persistently we see superfluous and extraneous verbiage that is impedimental to both comprehension and ratiocination. Or rather, words are confusing and it sucks.
Are your PowerPoint's poisoning us?
October 26th, 2020
It seemed like the best idea ever: liven up business presentations with a slide show. Pictures! Graphs! A weird 80s Dr Who-style spiral dissolve vortex! Surely visual aids would turn boring meetings into a mashup of Mad Men and a game of laser tag.
It's a conspiracy!
October 3rd, 2020
This election cycle we’ve seen conspiracy theories come to new prominence. The upswell in conspiracy thinking is having a tangible influence over political discourse, and it's tiring. Even the lizard people are over it.
A guide to using humour in your presentations
September 20th, 2020
We often stress that your one job in any business presentation is to deliver your message - clearly, concisely, in a way that’s relevant to your audience – communicate your message. You shouldn’t feel any pressure to entertain, especially if worrying about your delivery is going to distract you from the job at hand. But - and it’s a big but – humour can be a way to deliver that message more effectively.
Should you use memes in presentations? Take the test.
September 14th, 2020
What is a meme? We’re glad you asked. It’s a unit of social currency, a piece of concentrated information that spreads around a group. It’s an in-joke, like what we all know about Ian since the conference last year.
On spontaneous pleonasms and other devices
August 31st, 2020
Riddle time! What sounds like a disease, but makes people want to get closer to you? Literally any rhetorical device. Many can make your written and spoken language more engaging, some we should be wary of, and some we should avoid.
Working with the Uncertainty
August 17th, 2020
Sometimes it feels like the only thing we can control is the remote, and we’re all out of Netflix. Life seems paused, but at the same time world events are rushing forward at a terrifying pace.
Ready to see the light? Evader to Inspirer - Pt III
August 3rd, 2020
Over the last two weeks we’ve been breaking down our Spotlight model, our tool for identifying your current public speaking skills status.
Evader to Inspirer - Part II
July 25th, 2020
27/07/20. We’ve been breaking down our Evasion to Inspiration model for you. If you’re just joining us, our model identifies ten archetypes of organisational communicator (presenter or public speaker), grading them on a continuum from in the shadows (not reaching their potential in terms of communicating clear and effective messages) to in the spotlight (achieving persuasive, authentic and impactful communication).
What is your public speaking type? Evader to Inspirer - Part I
July 20th, 2020
20/07/20. How many personality quizzes did you do over lockdown? Whether you prefer to tell people you’re a Virgo Dragon or an ENTJ, it can be fascinating, even enlightening, to find a fitting category. Did you know your public speaking style falls into one of ten categories too?
The Bold And The Beautiful: Modelling Courage
June 29th, 2020
29/06/20. There’s a famous quote attributed to Mark Twain: “There are two types of speakers: those who get nervous, and those who are liars.” The Venn diagram of people who speak in public and people who are nervous about their public speaking is a circle. But what if we had another Venn diagram for you – one that showed how to draw on your courage when it comes to public speaking? Because – wait for it - we do have one.
Comparison: The Thief of Joy
June 3rd, 2020
03.06.20 It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison when it comes to our public speaking. We see a compelling speaker and wonder if we can ever rise to those standards.
Our virtual communication skills webinars
May 19th, 2020
Check out our three free webinars: virtual presenting tips, virtual meetings tips, and leadership post-lockdown.
May Webinar: The End of the Beginning
May 6th, 2020
Expert Panel Webinar: 4:30pm – 5.30pm, Wednesday 13th May 2020
Ok Zoomers...the fatigue is real
April 30th, 2020
1/5/20. You’ve finished a long work week of video meetings and you’re looking forward to some hard-earned video work drinks. You’re gearing up for a weekend of video calls with family and you’ll fit a video quiz night in there. Maybe you even make a little on the side with other on-camera activities. That’s fine, no judgment, you do you. But if you’re like everyone else (at least, everyone in the third of all humanity currently on lockdown) you’ll be experiencing a brand-new phenomenon known as Zoom Fatigue.
Tips for your next Virtual Meeting
April 28th, 2020
22.04.20. By now you’ll have many virtual meetings under your belts, as well as far too many biscuits. Us too.
Tips For Giving Great Remote Presentations
March 31st, 2020
31/03/20. One of the most disconcerting things about working in a virtual environment is having so many things out of our control. Tech can let us down, someone might forget to dial in, our pyjama pants might fall down at a crucial moment. Just kidding, all the snacking means those pants are going nowhere. But how can we feel more in control?
Free Webinar: Remote Presenting Tips.
March 19th, 2020
Wednesday 25th March - 11am. Please join me, Russell Pickering, for a free 45-minute webinar on the fundamentals of presenting remotely. Open this blog post to register.
Plandemic: Tips to handle your COVID-19 response
March 16th, 2020
16/03/20. It’s a famous old curse: May you live in interesting times. Well, here we are. You’re likely to have some difficult conversations with your team at some point, whether it’s about the current pandemic or future interesting times. We’ve put together a guide to help you prep for those conversations.
U2 can embrace a growth mindset
March 7th, 2020
07/03/20. How do you feel about your talents? Are they limited to what you were born with? It may surprise you to know that Bono couldn’t sing when he started fronting U2. Maybe that didn’t surprise you because you still think Bono can’t sing, but let’s leave that debate to a reddit thread somewhere.
Is Public Speaking Anxiety A Form Of Selfishness?
February 12th, 2020
21/02/20. Take a look at this video. It comes not from the world of presentation training, but from Westeros. Actor Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow in Game of Thrones) somewhat bluntly describes stage fright as selfishness. Ouch. That’s so cold it actually feels like winter is coming. Jonathan suggests your focus should be on the audience and what they’re getting out of the encounter, not yourself and how you’re performing, and we think he’s onto something.
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Why repetition is your friend when presenting
February 7th, 2020
11/02/20. We live in a world that celebrates novelty, a world in which repetition is seen as a bit of a faux pas. But repetition is useful in so many ways. As a rhetorical device it can be an effective way to make our public speaking memorable. It’s also a key component of useful rehearsal, and it’s the basis of deliberately creating new positive habits.
Bad Xmas Jokes
January 29th, 2020
16/12/19. Sleigh-bells ring, are you listening? It’s Santa, or at least someone cosplaying as Santa charging for selfies in a mall. The silly season is upon us! Formerly sane colleagues suddenly want to chat about Elf on the Shelf. There was talk of a company float in the Christmas parade, but no one owns a ute. There’s an increasingly angsty office-wide debate about the eco-friendliness of tinsel. Are you getting anything done at work these days, apart from bravely not commenting on the receptionist’s antler headband?
Can Stand-up Make Your PowerPoint Better?
January 29th, 2020
4/12/19. Greetings, fellow human. We are communicating with you via a televisual interface, whereby our words are transmitted directly into your brain without the necessity of speech.
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Dreading Your Work Meetings? Read on...
January 29th, 2020
28/01/20. Chances are your day will include a meeting. Our condolences. If it’s like most meetings it will drag you away from something else you were in the middle of. It’ll be held up by that one colleague who just has to make a coffee first, keeping everyone in awkward silence while the milk froths. The PowerPoint will develop an interesting issue that the IT guy has never seen before, leaving the projection screen ruthlessly frozen on your holiday selfie wallpaper. Nice togs btw.
How To Avoid Procrastination
January 29th, 2020
14/01/20. Happy New Year to you! How are you doing with your resolutions? If your goal for 2020 was to procrastinate less, you’ve probably already put it off. New Year, new you… eventually, right? It’s honestly not your fault. Let’s tackle it together. Yes, now.
What's your Presentation Preparation Personality?
January 29th, 2020
31/10/19. Why am I great ‘til I gotta be great? Or whatever Lizzo said. You know the feeling: you were sure you could wing it right up until the moment you couldn’t. Maybe you prepared a good deck but blew the delivery. Or you think decks are for drinking on which is how you came up with the idea to pad out the last quarter financials with twerking and jazz flute. Blame it on the juice.