How to create a sales pitch: picture your audience in their underwear

Everyone has heard the advice to picture your audience in their underwear to avoid being nervous. But have you taken the time to think about the brand of underwear? Where they bought it? That person’s name? What they like and dislike? Marketing companies have. Read more

4 Tips for speaking from a podium or lecturn

The podium can be an intimidating place. Even seasoned public speakers feel anxious when standing in front of a microphone. This is natural. Connecting with your listeners is hard work, and now you have to contend with a big, intimidating box being placed between you and your audience. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #009: Survey Results

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week we developed a simple layout to compare the advantages and disadvantages of any topic. This template will help you present the findings from a survey with easy to comprehend images. Read more

Get the job in 60 seconds or less

What do you do? The infamous question asked over and over again at social gatherings the world over. It’s a simple question and no one expects to hear a line by line account of your three page resume. You have 60 seconds or less to give an inspiring answer. Go! Read more

How to improve your presentations – request honest feedback

You have a critical speech looming and you have been working on the message for weeks. You have reviewed with peers and colleagues, all of whom had differing ideas on content. This has to be right. What is the next step? Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #008: Four Parts of Success

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week we bring you a great illustration to illustrate four thoughts that will lead to success. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #007: Unpack the Box

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week, we organized a couple of slides to illustrate the often used term “unpacking the idea.” Read more

How to get a headhunter to call you

Hunting for a job is itself a full time job, and right now the competition remains high. Wouldn’t be nice to get a call from a headhunter and be told about a dream opportunity in the ideal city for twice what you thought you were worth? It happens every day. Professional recruiting firms such as Heidrick & Struggles make up an $8 billion industry. Here are a few tips to get your phone to ring. Read more

Four stories to get your audience excited about your manual, guideline or procedures – Part 4

This is the last in a series of several stories providing metaphors to help you get your audience invested in a new manual, guideline or procedure. Regular readers know that I believe telling stories and creating metaphors to help drive points home and convince an audience to act after a presentation is over is one way to persuade listeners. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #006: Venn Diagram Intersections

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week we bring you the Venn diagram also known as the three overlapping circles. Read more