Lead with an anecdote
No joke. Starting your presentation with an anecdote can increase your audience’s overall comprehension and interest. A joint study by the Delft University of Technology and Nijmegen University in the Netherlands examined three types of techniques for opening a presentation/speech:Â An anecdote relevant to the topic, an anecdote not relevant to the topic, plowing right into the body of...
Read MoreUnlock your body language
Your body communicates in a rich language, even when you’re not speaking. If I‘m standing with your arms rigid against your sides and tell you how “excited I am to be here,” do you believe me? How about when I tell you “excited I am to be here” while using hand gestures? When we feel uncomfortable, our bodies do strange things. We tend to adopt awkward, fixed...
Read MoreHire a journalist
Dear Potential Employer: Please accept this letter of recommendation for the journalist applying for your job opening. I know this is unorthodox — a generic reference letter. But permit me to explain. Thousands of men and women who made journalism their vocation have lost their jobs. For many, telling a community’s stories through words and images is the only career they’ve...
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