The New York Mets’ young pitching phenom, Matt Harvey, recently had an embarrassing interview on The Dan Patrick Show. What the story tell us, is that if you’re planning on making a “pitch” (no pun intended) during an interview, you and your media advisor(s) had better discuss it with the interviewer — and/or his or…
On this day, the 50th anniversary of Doctor King’s immortal speech, the following article asks, “Why does Dr. King’s “Dream†speech exert such a potent hold on people around the world and across the generations?” In reading the article, what was striking to me is the work and preparation that allowed him to “riff” in…
The next time you’re planning to be recorded on-camera, remember to apply the same rules for a good presentation to your video appearance. Whether you are speaking to a live audience or straight to camera, open your presentation with the “Headline” or — in TV parlance — “Tease” your audience. Give them a reason to…
Much of what Chris Anderson says about what makes a great talk great, reflects the concepts that The Gotham Group teaches. Check this out: Chris Anderson on what makes a great talk … great | TED Blog.
I’ve written before about the skill of listening and how important it is for interviewers. Here’s a terrific article that takes a deeper look at other aspects of this over-looked skill. How to Listen – NYTimes.com.
I’ve been reading a fascinating and well-written corporate “self-help” book, “Lead With A Story” by Paul Smith. For anyone who wants to reach employees, managers and top executives with messages that resonate, inspire and “stick”, I suggest you pick up a copy (see amazon link below). Storytelling is embraced by several Fortune 500 companies because…
Through a post on LinkedIn, I recently came across a terrific speech by Steve Jobs; his 2005 commencement address to Stanford University graduates. The reason the speech is so good? He used just three personal stories to relate “lessons learned”. If nothing else, this tactic makes it easier for people to relate to and —…
This week on TED talks, Julian Treasure gives an 8-minute presentation about the skill of listening. His claim: We are losing our ability to listen. Is he right? One observation I have is that many interviewers don’t listen to the people they’re interviewing. In their rush to impress the viewing audience (and their producer/boss), interviewers…
Recently, 16-year old Missy Franklin had a breakout world-class swimming performance that will be talked about for years to come as she won 2 Gold, 1 Silver & 1 Bronze medals at the FINA World Championship games in Shanghai. For anyone interested in communications and the performance of non-professionals On Camera, Miss Missy was equally…