Communicate...and how!

"This chart comes from Curtis Newbold, The Visual Communication Guy, and explains copyright, fair use, creative commons, and public domain. We've talked about legal use of online photos before, but this chart lays out all of that information in an easy-to-consult format."

"My team and I would work tirelessly to drive to the right answer to an organization’s problem. We’d craft an intricate presentation, perfecting it right up until minutes or hours before a client meeting, and then we’d triumphantly enter the room with a thick stack of hard copy PowerPoint slides, often still warm from the printer."

Want people who hear you speak to remember you long after your presentation is over? Follow my top five rules for success.

"I've done about 40 presentations at conferences around the globe. I've given presentations to crowds of 300 people and audiences of more than 2,500.

"When I started giving presentations, I was pretty terrible.

In fact, for a long time I fell victim to the worst speaking mistake possible: kicking off my presentation by introducing myself. Sorry, but nobody who pays to attend an event really wants to hear you talking about how awesome you are.

"Today I'm consistently rated among the top one or two speakers at the events where I'm invited to speak."

"Of course, stronger business ideas naturally lend themselves to more convincing pitches than their weaker counterparts, but there's only so much you can do to perfect your business plan.

"The real key to a successful pitch is delivering it in a personable, compelling, and effective way, and that requires strong public speaking skills.

"If you're trying to perfect your pitch, try these seven public speaking exercises to help you get there."

Thanks to advances in neuroscience, brain scans, and data-driven studies, we've learned more about persuasion in the past decade than we had ever known previously. We know what works and why it works, and we can prove it scientifically.

Thanks to advances in neuroscience, brain scans, and data-driven studies, we've learned more about persuasion in the past decade than we had ever known previously. We know what works and why it works, and we can prove it scientifically.

"Since the publication of my LinkedIn post on speaking and deepening audience engagement, I  have heard back from a few people who basically said, "All this is well and good, but how can I deepen audience engagement when I have such a fear of public speaking?"

"Many executives start presentations about products or initiatives with a vague theme statement, often expressed with as much pith as a puff of smoke: 'We have a new focus on customer satisfaction,' or 'Our current strategic goals are execution and innovation.' But this approach is not only lacking but lackluster."

"Instead of starting with theme, you can make your story more compelling by focusing on its three main actors: the villain, the victim, and the hero."