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David Bowie – A Tribute to His Stage Performance

I have never been a fan of David Bowie in his lifetime. But I noticed Bowie back in the 1980s when one of my schoolmates wore a denim jacket with his name on it every day.

However, I only consciously listened to his music when Bowie died eight years ago, on January 10, 2016, shortly after his 69th birthday. I still remember “Spiegel Online” publishing a list of Bowie’s songs we should have listened to. Since then, I haven’t listened to any music as frequently as Bowie’s. Today I am a fan of his timeless music.

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How do I succeed in my Presentation? Common Misconceptions about Public Speaking

People attending my training and coaching sessions mostly want to learn the essentials of good speeches or reach the next presentation level. Their questions are frequently quite similar. Some people have picked up ideas from literature or the Internet that are not always well thought out or simply not true. Let‘s discuss some of these myths in this blog post.

How many Bullet Points per PowerPoint slide?

I observe two contradictory developments regarding PowerPoint presentations: On the one hand, the vast majority of people delivering speeches browse through a number of bullet points. Here, PowerPoint clearly serves as a cheat sheet. Anyone who spends even a little time on rhetoric and presentations will quickly learn that a high-quality talk requires a different approach. On the other hand, many young people are aware of the importance of reduced information on slides. Read more

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Structure your Speech. Your Audience will follow

Do you lose your audience once you speak up? Or do you carry them along so they keep a high attention level throughout your presentation? A catchy structure is one of the important aspects you should consider. A strong introduction, an interesting main part and a meaningful conclusion are equally important. Guide your audience by transitions such as emphasized pauses and changing your position on stage. Also add interactions using polls, quizzes, and short discussions. Sometimes surprising twists and turns help.

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Stage your presentation to attract the audience

The last blog reveals why presentations are nowadays different compared to the last century: speeches have become more vivid with anecdotes and stories; furthermore, the interaction between speaker and audience gained a stronger emphasis. In this blog, I will highlight why we do not have to take every common advice from rhetoric trainers at face value. Furthermore, I will deepen the topic of “storytelling”.

 

Good content provides the basis for good presentations

The majority of speech trainers – even those with many years of professional experience – misinterpret one of the most well-known figures on the impact of speeches. The myth, which has been widely spread since 1971, is the mistaken formula: 7 % content – 38 % verbal signals – 55 % body language. Read more

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