Every audience wants structure. You might even say that every audience needs structure. Beyond giving you a way to organize your presentation, structure helps your audience follow your presentation, keeps them tuned in and helps them remember your message. Structure is independent of content. Your particular purpose – exactly what you want to persuade your audience to believe or […]
Read more »Many organizations have some kind of process for preparing a presentation, even if it’s just “this person writes the PowerPoints, and that person makes them look good.” But when I started out as a communications coach and consultant, I was surprised at how few clients have any kind of disciplined method for executing the most […]
Read more »We need story; otherwise the tremendous randomness of experiences overwhelms us. Story is what penetrates — Robert Coover, Brown University Whether played out by actors, shared around a kitchen table, or told from a podium, great stories command our attention with that irresistible question: What will happen next? They can draw us to the edge […]
Read more »Welcome to a messaging technique that I have coined the Powerbite. Think of the Powerbite as a hammer – an aggressive, no-fooling-around tool for driving your message home with a few sharp, precisely-aimed blows. The Powerbite responds to the part of your listener’s mind that demands, “Prove it – and make it snappy.” You’re probably […]
Read more »“I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have time.” Blaise Pascal? Mark Twain? No matter who said it first – or better – everybody who sits down to draft their talk track begins with waaaay too much information. It all feels important! So how do you prioritize and hone those details into a crisp and […]
Read more »There is no favorable wind to the sailor who has no destination. — Seneca February seems like a good time to ask: What would you love the future of your company to be? What specific outcome are you passionate about creating? What goals are you determined to reach? Today, Butterfield Speaks releases its next offering to you: Module 3: The Vision Thing. […]
Read more »It’s January and we are all setting our sites on a successful 2019. How do we get there? Communication excellence, of course! This month, we focus on an essential foundational skill for persuasive communication: Listening. In the second module in Richard Butterfield’s Power of Persuasion curriculum, you will learn why an effective persuasion begins with effective listening. Richard will share techniques for […]
Read more »One of my clients is a large man, almost any way you look at it. He’s a CEO of a company with thousands of employees, and he’s got a big personality with a huge laugh. He’s also about 6’4” and 280 pounds. And… he’s got a big need to get his point across. Before we started […]
Read more »How often do you walk away from a day full of meetings feeling unproductive and uninspired? It’s time to step up: PREPARE, UNIFY, CLARIFY, INTENSIFY, and UNLEASH your teams. You can run meetings that generate engagement and create a forward-moving agenda. Meetings don’t just happen. They require preparation. Review the context. Do a situational assessment and determine the who, when, where and […]
Read more »We feel your pain. You’re a good presenter. You’re compelling. People listen to you and you’ve got a lot to say. But this time your presentation is about what somebody else had to say. You’ve inherited 30 slides, a forty-five minute time slot, and some pretty dense material. Don’t Worry. Just because you didn’t write the […]
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