Public speaking, media training, presentation training, crisis communications
Archive for May, 2010
Gordon Brown Resigns
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 10, 2010
Gordon Brown’s political status finally caught up with his media status. Brown was singularly inept at communicating through television. Whether he was grimacing, glowering or calling voters bigots, Brown seemed to use every media opportunity to alienate voters. His defeat at the polls last week and resignation today are logical outcomes for a pre-TV era politician in the 21st century.
Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 10, 2010
Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is a lifetime student of politics, media, and of communication. But are her skills good enough for this judicious position?
TJ Walker comments on her nomination and previews the confirmation hearings
Gordon Brown resigns- TJ Walker’s analysis
Posted by TJ Walker in Authors Corner, Crisis Communications, Debate Central, Fear of Speaking, Foreign Languages, Government & Politics, Great Lectures, Keynote Speaking, Media Training, Politics, Presentation Skills Training, Professional Speakers, Public Speaking Skills, Social Speaking, Speaking Competition on May 10, 2010
Gordon Brown’s political status finally caught up with his media status. Brown was singularly inept at communicating through television. Whether he was grimacing, glowering or calling voters bigots, Brown seemed to use every media opportunity to alienate voters. His defeat at the polls last week and resignation today are logical outcomes for a pre-TV era politician in the 21st century.
LT accused of rape – What to do when a corporate spokesperson gets in trouble with the law
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 8, 2010
TJ Walker offers his analysis of the decision by Nutrisystem to drop Lawrence Taylor after Taylor was arrested for rape.
How Do I Set the Tone for a Presentation?
Posted by TJ Walker in Professional Speakers, Public Speaking Skills, Sermons on May 7, 2010
Tone, schmone; there is no such thing as a formal or informal presentation! There is no such thing as a technical presentation or a PowerPoint presentation. There are only two kinds of presentations in the entire world: interesting or boring. So which one is yours going to be?
Media Savvy British Politicians
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 7, 2010
Communications expert TJ Walker comments on the media skills of British politicians.
If I Have Only Five Minutes to Prepare for a Presentation, What Should I Do?
Posted by TJ Walker in Fear of Speaking, Workplace on May 6, 2010
Minute 1: Decide on just one important idea you want to convey to your audience.
Minute 2: Think of one good example or story you can give to make this one idea come alive.
Minute 3: Quickly grab a napkin or a scratch sheet of paper and write down a couple of words to remind you of your key point, a related example, and a few essential facts that you might not otherwise remember.
Philly Fan Tasered!
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 6, 2010
Communications expert TJ Walker looks at the Philly baseball game Taser incident.
Should I Conduct a Question-and-Answer Session? If so, how?
Posted by TJ Walker in Public Speaking Skills, Student Speak on May 5, 2010
Yes, you should always give people the option of asking you questions, unless there are strict time restraints that prohibit you from doing so. Most presenters find question-and-answer time easier than delivering a prepared presentation, so you might even find you are more relaxed during this part of your presentation. Audiences also typically enjoy question time more because it allows them the opportunity to participate.
Make no mistake about it: your audience sees your ability to answer questions as a big part of your overall presentation. You need to let people ask you questions, and you need to seem happy about their doing so. Movie stars like Tom Cruise or disgraced politicians can get away with refusing questions, but you can’t; so don’t even try.
BP’s Tony Hayward sticks his foot in his mouth again!
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 5, 2010
Crisis communications expert TJ Walker once again gives a failing grade to BP’s Tony Hayward for his communications skills.
When the spotlight is on you you need to be more focused on your message. Hayward gets an F- for failing to do this.
Eye Contact: Where do I look? – Martin Luther King
Posted by TJ Walker in Analysis, Body Language, celebrities, Video on May 5, 2010
BP Gets an F- for Crisis Communications
Posted by TJ Walker in Uncategorized on May 4, 2010
Noted crisis communication expert TJ Walker gives BP’s Tony Hayward a grade of F- for his handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Walker says that with no margin for error Hayward did not get out in front of this story and instead is allowing his lawyers to drive the messages that he is delivering. The result? Aside from a loss of good will from the public, BP has lost 34 billion dollars in market capitalization.
What Do I Do if My Audience Looks Uninterested?
Posted by TJ Walker in Fear of Speaking on May 4, 2010
I don’t want you to panic, but this is not good. If you aren’t interesting, then you aren’t very, pretty, or even a little good. You’re just plain awful as a presenter.
But you are ahead of the game if you even realize that your audience seems uninterested. Most speakers are so focused on their own written text or PowerPoint slides that they wouldn’t know if their audience was still in the room—much less paying attention.
Should I Be Introduced Before Giving a Presentation or Not Introduced at All?
Posted by TJ Walker in Keynote Speaking on May 3, 2010
By all means, be introduced—especially if you are talking to more than a couple of people. However, keep the purpose of the introduction in mind: to give people a sense of why they should care about you and what you have to say. The intro should make the audience practically salivate in anticipation for hearing you speak.
Big tip: Don’t let anyone else write or create your introduction; do it yourself.
So how do you write the ideal introduction for yourself? I think the best approach is to create a Venn diagram. In one large circle, write down every single fact about yourself—everything from your resume to your high school honors and so on. Next, write down everything in a circle that could possibly motivate someone in the audience who doesn’t know you to want to listen to you speak on this topic. Finally, list everything in a circle that makes you uniquely qualified to speak on this subject.
Review of Flip Mino HD
Posted by TJ Walker in Audio/Video Technology, CEOs/Financial, Crisis Communications, Keynote Speaking, Media Training, Meeting Planners, Professional Speakers, Public Speaking Skills, Social Speaking on May 3, 2010
Media and communications expert TJ Walker offers his analysis of the Flip Mino HD. PR professionals can utilize this camera to create video press releases and rehearse with their clients.
The Flip Mino is also an excellent tool to use for recording your speeches to review at a later time.
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