To realize their potential, numbers need to be put into perspective in your presentations and meetings.

Consider the numbers for the NCAA Basketball Championship games as reported by Nielsen[1]:

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldMay 1, 2024Business communication, Public speaking, Presenting numbers, QBRs, Board reports, Investment pitches, Professional Communicators

Master a 5-Minute Executive Update

Herein lies the conundrum that every professional inevitably faces–how to provide the most useful and efficient project update possible in a fraction of the time you want.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldApril 1, 2023Board reports, Executive update, Business communication, Project update, Public speaking, Professional Communicators

Answer Questions Like a PRO

Inevitably, during every presentation, meeting, conference call, or conversation, you get asked questions. Dozens of them. And each of those questions need an answer, an answer that is efficient, clear, and easily retained.

Below are a few of our tips to help you provide clear, succinct, and effective answers.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldFebruary 1, 2023Q&A, Corporate communication, Business presentations, Business communication, Executive Communication, Communication efficiency, The Professional Communicators

Like...Illustrative Examples

“Like” has gotten a bad rap.

“Like” has become a pariah of the English language.

But don’t be too quick to entirely discard it from your vocabulary. It’s often the gateway to engaging and persuasive content.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldMarch 1, 2022Illustrative examples, Presentation coaching, Business communication, Public speaking, Professional Communicators

New Year's Communication Resolution

While personal New Year’s resolutions are wonderful, consider adding a professional resolution, as well. And if you do, consider resolving to enhance your communication skills.

The recommendation has a chorus of support:

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldJanuary 1, 2022Business communication, Public speaking coaching, Professional Communicators, Presentation training

The Corporate Communication Trap

It’s lurking and pervasive. It rears its ugly head during business presentations—project updates, board reports, and investor meetings. It happens during team meetings and webinars. CEOs and new hires are equally guilty of it.

It’s the corporate communication trap!

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldOctober 1, 2021Business communication, Business presentations, Corporate communication, Strategic storytelling, The Professional Communicators

Communication Firebreaks

On the afternoon of July 6, a bolt of lightning pierced the Oregon sky and struck the ground near the small community of Beatty. If you were in the vicinity, it most assuredly caught your attention, but what happened next would catch the country’s attention.

…

But what does a 400,000-acre forest fire have to do with effective communication?

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldAugust 1, 2021Public speaking, Talking too quickly, Business communication, High stakes presentations, Presentation coaching

Listening: An Audience Perspective

We sit, we click on one video call after another, after another, after another.

What used to be in-person meetings in a conference room are now video calls.

While a lot has changed in the last 6 months, one thing has not -- the need to listen.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldSeptember 1, 2020Listening, Communication, Audience engagement, Business communication

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