16 Feb The New MacBook Pro Really Helps Presenters
For those who present with slides, you will want to look closely at the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Apple’s Keynote presentation software has added a simple, yet powerful feature to its software that will have a profound impact on public speakers. Hopefully PowerPoint will have it too.
Some background: We know through research at The Speech Improvement Company that the most effective speakers are able to synchronize their visual aid support so your listeners won’t see the slides until you say it.
In 2001, Apple released Keynote with a feature whereby the speaker could see the upcoming slide before advancing to it and thereby putting in on the big screen for all to see. This was huge. At the time, PowerPoint had a similar feature, but it would only work if you had a desktop computer with 2 monitor cards and a projector, all connected to each other in a specific way.
Keynote was way ahead of its time. Apple reached out to The Speech Improvement Company and asked if we would endorse the software. We don’t normally do endorsements, but this particular feature was very significant. We had not seen anything like it since the invention of the teleprompter. Today, PowerPoint for both Mac and Windows has this functionality.
7 Feb Lessons on better speaking from the Super Bowl
I love it when after a major game, people who have little to no experience with the NFL or professional athletes, do the Monday morning quarterbacking and procl
aim the connections to business.
Certainly, professional sports can serve as a cool way to learn about leadership and teamwork, but you’ve got to take it in context plus remember that many people are not sports fans. Some may wear the hats and jerseys, nod their heads, smile and cheer, but if you ask them how many innings there are in the quarter, they will answer a basket is worth 2 points.
So, what are some meaningful lessons and how can sports fans and non-sports fans alike learn them?
As professional speech coaches, we’ve worked with pro-athletes, their coaches, and senior team executives in several major leagues. From that perspective, looking through the lens of communication, we do get to hear firsthand how these executives, coaches, and professional athletes think. (more…)
27 Dec Helping Kids at Ron Burton’s Training Camp
It was such a joy to be able to give back to the famed NFL player Ron Burton’s training camp! The kids in this program have amazing spirit and desire to improve. (more…)
23 Aug Controlling Nervousness and Working with Visual Aids
This video covers how to control the fear of public speaking and how to work with visual aids. In 2002, Apple Computer partnered with The Speech Improvement Company Inc., to promote better public speaking. Dr. Ethan F. Becker flew to Cupertino to record this 30 minute webinar, which lived on Apple’s website for the next 6 years!
We hope you find it helpful. Runtime 30 min.
Apple Computer and The Speech Improvement Company from SpeechImprovement on Vimeo.
8 Jul Crisis Management
Dr. Ethan F. Becker teaching Crisis Management at the RAZAK School of Government in Malaysia. The intention of the seminar was to help leaders understand how to communicate effectively during crisis situations. When leaders and managers are not prepared to communicate predictability, safety, and control, the results can be devastating. (more…)
6 Jun TSIC is the Winner of the American Resident Project’s Pitch-Off
Laurie Schloff, winner of The American Resident Project’s Connected Health ’15 Pitch-Off, discusses how The Speech Improvement Company uses emotion-sensing technology to help people overcome their anxieties with public speaking. The Connected Health ’15 Pitch-Off challenged clinicians and clinicians-in-training to pitch creative ideas that improved health through the use of emotion-sensing technologies.