Communication | The Better Communicator Blog

Conflict in the workplace? Consider it an opportunity

by David Folkerson on August 16, 2016 , No comments

Cram a bunch of people with different personalities into a confined space, get their responsibilities to overlap, mix in some emotional baggage and deadlines, and whoop, there it is: conflict.

How compelling are your visuals?

by David Folkerson on February 21, 2015 , No comments

I’m sitting here, in the middle of the room along with the rest of this disappointed audience, and I can’t read a single thing on the presenter’s PowerPoint slides. Someone next to me whispers: “How big is that font, anyways? Size 6?” “It doesn’t matter,” I reply. “He’s just reading his slides word for word.”

Desensitize yourself to public speaking anxiety

by David Folkerson on February 14, 2015 , 3 comments

Bill told me that the thought of presenting put razor blades in his stomach and rubber bands around his chest. It was getting harder and harder to breath. I said, “Bill, your anxiety is normal, but you can actually desensitize yourself to it by just doing more and more presentations.” “How can I desensitize myself to public speaking,” he said, “when I’m too nervous to even get started?”

Use a human helper if you have no handheld clicker

by David Folkerson on February 7, 2015 , 1 comment

One of the most critical success factors when presenting to an audience is good eye contact. That’s why handheld clickers are so important – you can advance your slides without ever breaking that all-important audience connection. So what do you do if you lost your little remote?

Embrace your vocal range for increased attention

by David Folkerson on January 19, 2015 , 2 comments

It is far too easy to slip into a monotonous speaking tone when conducting meetings or speaking to an audience. Perhaps you do this in an attempt to control your nerves, or to appear more serious and in control of your material, but you’re not a boring person, so don’t speak like one.

Use analogies, similes and metaphors to communicate more effectively

by David Folkerson on January 12, 2015 , No comments

There are few communication techniques as effective and powerful as analogies, similes and metaphors. This goes double for oral communication, since the receiver does not have the freedom to pause you mid-speech and reflect on what you’re saying.

Eliminate crutch words to increase your credibility

by David Folkerson on January 3, 2015 , 2 comments

Crutch words are meaningless verbal tics that serve no other purpose than to fill dead air when speaking. Eliminate them completely to simply and effectively increase your credibility.

How to stop using notes while presenting

by David Folkerson on December 27, 2014 , 2 comments

Are you a credible speaker? Not if you’re using notes, you aren’t. Let me tell why notes are bad, and how you can get rid of them.

Combat anxiety with the thermometer visualization technique

by David Folkerson on December 20, 2014 , No comments

I’m happy that I get anxious before delivering a big presentation. It means that I’m excited about what I’m about to do. But I don’t like feeling anxious. Too much anxiety can be crippling. I like to use what I call “the thermometer visualization technique” to help manage this kind of anxiety when speaking in public.

Opening, body, conclusion – a familiar structure that works

by David Folkerson on December 13, 2014 , No comments

Great oral presentations often follows the same structure as great written communication. As every essay-writing high school student knows, you lead with an introduction, elaborate your main points in the body, and summarize your argument in the conclusion. A well-developed oral presentation adheres to the same structure.