business parallells

all of these skills are developed in level one and two courses



eight points on Presentation Excellence by Tom Peters
• total commitment to the project
• connect, connect, connect
• adjust as you go
• there must be a suprise
• smile and relax
• EYE CONTACT
• make your personal commitment as clear as a bell
• enjoy it!


Six points from The Exceptional presenter
byTimothy J. Koegel

exceptional presenters are
1. organised
2. passionate
3. engaging
4. natural

they must
5. understand their audience
6. practice

from presentationzen by
Garr Reynolds

be mindful - when you give a presentation - just give a presentation - be fully present
be creative you are telling a story- why make it like everyone else's story
see it as a contribution serve the audience
keep it simple and make it great


from Mastering the Art and Discipline of business narrative
by Stephen Denning

Tell your story as if you were talking to a single individual

get out from behind the podium

connect with all parts of the audience

speak in an impromtu manner

use visual aids judiciously

be comfortable in your own style

connect with your audience

all of these skills are developed in level one and two courses

so you want to be a better presenter?

Are you really yourself when you stand up in front of people?
Or do you wear a mask to hide behind?
Do you feel really tired when you’ve been giving a training or a speech?
Maybe you would like to have more mental capacity or freedom when you are facilitating a group.
Are your presentations humdrum and do you feel ill at ease?

Instead of just doing “presentations”- hiding behind the equipment and drowning them with information - you can choose to have a real and easier connection with the audience.

standard business presentation practice can stifle excellent communication

Powerpoint has its place but its place should be as tool rather than to dominate the process.
Far too many presentations fail because of overload, lack of connection and lack of simplicity.

Your connection with the audience should take priority. You are the main feature. So we need to learn how to connect and be the centre of attention with ease.


Audiences crave a real person to connect with.
My approach is about stepping away from the norm and to re-examine long-held beliefs that presentations just equal doing a powerpoint.

It can be more poweful. It can be more creative and its got to be more connected.
(Look at what the business gurus are saying in the next column).

Audiences respond well to a conversational style and they feel included rather than delivered to.


The work of Speaking Circles lets experienced speakers re-examine the fundamentals of being in front of a group.
Our work is to develop presence and connection - where you can be yourself with more capacity, more freedom and more humanity.
So you move from a “performance” to really connecting with the audience, inspiring them while feeling at ease.

I think Speaking Circles gives you the chance to improve your presence dramatically.
When you see public speaking as a series of one-to-one conversations magic can happen!


So rather than trying to overload you, what I’m trying to do is to encourage you to do less! But to get to that simplicity means sometimes unlearning stuff that gets in the way. The speaking circles approach is a powerful way to simplify.


Even if you are an experienced speaker its essential to adopt beginner’s mind and start with a level 1 course.
It’s such a fundamental piece of training that its really worth it.
(see review below)





Speaking Circles reviewed by a member of the Association of Speakers' Clubs
"I thought I was quite an experienced speaker since joining ASC (Association of Speaking Clubs) I have learned a lot about speaking technique. This has definitely helped but I was unprepared for this day with John Dawson and his Speaking Circles course in Bristol. The emphasis was to let you develop from a base that is natural to you. Some attendees were there for their second time. The safe and supportive environment coupled with the exercises help you grow. This course speaks to the mind but it also helps a person develop at the visceral level. I expect that John has someone repeating at every course. It was a long journey from Glasgow. However I think I see myself on another more advanced course sometime in the future. If fear is a major barrier for you, this course has a lot to offer"