Business professionals tasked with important presentations can script a ‘perfect’ presentation, practice it flawlessly, but then stiffen up when presenting to the Board, an important client, or the company. They revert to recitation, their sentences are choppy, their tone is flat, and the presentation no longer feels like a conversation. We call this toggling into ‘presentation mode,’ and it can be a communication liability.

Here are five tips to help you avoid toggling into ‘presentation mode.’

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldAugust 1, 2023Business presentations, Business Communication, Executive communication, Board presentations, QBRs, The Professional Communicators, Executive presence

Your 'Everyday Impression'

Ten-time NCAA Championship coach John Wooden famously remarked,

“The true test of a [person’s] character is what [s]he does when no one is watching.”

When it comes to your professional conduct, someone is always watching.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldApril 1, 2020Impressions, Professional presence, Executive presence, Leadership, Career advancement, Unconscious bias, Professional Communicators

Communication Moments Matter

Michael Bloomberg is exhibit A in the case for ‘communication matters.’

Preparing for every communication moment (whether it’s a national debate or a company meeting) can be the difference between:

success and failure,
clarity and confusion,
profit and loss.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldMarch 2, 2020Business communication, Public speaking, Executive presence, Executive communication, Professional Communicators, Presentation coaching, Debate preparation

Executive Presence

Executive Presence is an essential aspect of being a great leader. But defining the specific skills and attributes that make up executive presence can be difficult. While experts continue to debate the exact ingredients of executive presence, they all agree that exceptional and commanding communication skills are essential.

The key communication skills necessary for C-suite level executive presence include:

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldJanuary 1, 2020Executive presence, Executive leadership, Communication, Public speaking, Executive communication, Professional Communicators