Virtual events: Presenting in a new world
I’m increasingly being asked to coach presenters for their ‘virtual’ presentations. It’s interesting to me to see how presenters respond to this. Some think the usual rules apply. Grab your slides, wing it on the day and all will be well. Sadly, this isn’t going to give them the punch they’re looking for.
Every presentation matters. Every presentation has to cause something and shift your audience to where you need them to be. Virtual presentations are competing with broadcast values, so you have to work harder and don’t even get me started on integrating your slides and supporting materials, activities...
As presenters move from stage to screen there are new rules in play. While the story is still king, bringing that to life is different. The camera is much closer to the action than an audience in the room, so presentation skills need to focus on being even more present to your story, your words and how you bring them to life to build a closer connection with your audience.
Crafting the best words and rehearsing has never been more important. Planning, taking time to choreograph your presentation, practising out loud and focusing everything on achieving your goals is paramount. Of course you have to be mindful of filming yourself too with camera angles, lighting and sound all being part of that process.
So a lot to consider and if you’re struggling to do that on your own… give me a call!
The mindset of success
The Mindset of Success by Jo Owen is truly inspiring and thought provoking.
A favourite client of mine tipped me the wink to this book and it tickled a part of me that needed a tickle.
Jo explores seven mindsets of success; high aspirations, courage, resilience, positivity, collaboration, accountability and growth. One reason it tickled is because when I think of favourite clients, teams or even goals of my own these are the qualities I respect.
It made me think though, is this not the building blocks of life. I feel a new training course coming on...
...watch this space!
Welcome to the Elemental website
So, this is the launch of the Elemental website. I think I’ve had a holding page for around 6 years, so a momentous moment indeed and thank you to Lee at Tonicbox for gently guiding, cajoling and shaping what we have.
The challenge has always been how do I tell my story, when really what I do and the projects that drive what I do change almost weekly. I love what I do and mostly I love making changes happen for people. Whether it’s discovering something within themselves or making a difference to their organisations, it all gives me a warm glow.
People ask where the name Elemental came from. On one hand it’s the essence of how I do what I do. I look at every element of the brief you have given me, from every angle. I explore and expose stuff and then put it together into a grounded and strong proposition. So the tree image reflects the bubbling of ideas and the roots that make them strong.
I’m very excited about 2017, you can see some of the fun I’ve had with clients over the years and I’m looking forward to a new chapter and new challenges.
After all, it’s elemental!