Clients have asked us to improve pitches, presentations & talks for 10+ years. When you work with us you get practical advice, coaching and training to achieve your objectives. Contact us today
Better Body Language for your Presentations The best (or worst) visual aid for your talks is you. You and your body language are the focus of attention in your presentations. Not your PowerPoint slides. In fact, many of the best speakers - politicians, comedians,...
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Our clients frequently ask, "What should I do with my hands?". As soon as we become conscious of our bodies, they get in our way. When we’re faced with an audience, we become like learner drivers, unable to operate all the controls smoothly. Advice...
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Do you look forward to watching TV documentaries about science? For the majority of people, the reply is ‘no’. Put Professor Brian Cox at the centre of a series though, and the answer, for millions, becomes ‘yes’. The pop star of particle physics, Cox...
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Championship boxers aim to finish fights by throwing a knockout punch. Great speakers do the same thing with their conclusions - using powerful language in place of right hooks. Using a verbal knockout to end your speech gives maximum longevity and impact to your...
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Top tips when preparing to be interviewed by the media. When interviewed live, you have no second chance. Critics are waiting to pounce on any errors or weaknesses. The repercussions of a poor media interview can be huge. Usually you don't have a huge...
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How do you structure your presentation for impact? Do you know what you want to say, and the order you want to say it in? Try this quick test of your presentation structure: First, rearrange your presentation structure. Change the order of your slides...
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Five ways to create the best investor presentation If you want investment, you need the best investor presentation. But investment decision-making is not totally rational. Are you using all the tricks to be more persuasive in your investor presentations? Psychology techniques can nudge even...
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Why use stories in your legal pitches? Stories appeal to the right-hand side of the brain, bypassing the logical and judgemental left-hand side. That's why they are so powerful in pitches. We make decisions quickly and emotionally, then try to back them up rationally....
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There are simple ways to make a boring presentation more interesting. If you talk about a dry topic in a dull manner, your audience will struggle to stay attentive. Instead, you need to make an impact and make it memorable. This can feel intimidating: some...
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Three steps to effective charity pitches and fundraising presentations UK charities are under pressure. The fallout from the Kids Company collapse continues to put the spotlight on governance and fundraising methods are very much under scrutiny. Effective charity pitches and presentations are more essential...
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How do people talk about you after your pitches? We call this The Takeaway Test. If you give a succinct and memorable takeaway that sums up your value proposition, this will help clients form a distinct image of you and your offer. The Takeaway...
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A great elevator pitch is an essential part of your toolkit Last month I chaired the Quickfire Showcase at Berlin’s SuperReturn, the annual Private Equity Conference. Funds get just 90 seconds to pitch to a room full of investors, who collectively have over $100bn to...
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Why use stories in your Private Equity pitches? We all make decisions quickly and emotionally, then justify them rationally. When you use stories in your private equity pitch you get access to the emotional decision-making centre of the brain. As Maya Angelou said, people...
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After you’ve pitched to a client and they’ve returned to their offices, how do they talk about you and your legal pitch to their colleagues? We call this the ‘Takeaway Test’. Providing a succinct and memorable takeaway that sums up your value proposition will...
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How do you start a speech or presentation with impact? Think how you typically start a speech or presentation. Do you begin with any of these lines?: - Hi, my name is … and I’m here to talk about… - Before I start, I want to introduce...
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What do you want to achieve from a good sales pitch? Typically, people hope a good sales pitch will impress the customer, be memorable and finish with the customer wanting to buy the service or product. Yet many salespeople gravitate towards formats, styles and presentation methods that have been...
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What do LPs want from private equity funds at first investor meetings? That's the question I put to the panel at SuperInvestor 2015, the annual conference for private equity decision makers. On the panel were Catherine Lewis La Torre, Anna Dayn, Spencer Miller and...
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How to pitch an investor: What is the best private equity pitch you've seen? That’s the question I put to my panel at SuperInvestor, the annual conference for private equity decision makers. I asked four LPs to talk about a great private equity pitch they remember -...
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How to lose respect and alienate investors I asked the LP panel at SuperInvestor 2015 what the worst private equity pitch they've ever seen was. On the panel were Catherine Lewis La Torre, Anna Dayn, Spencer Miller and Marc der Kinderen. Between them, they review 400 fund...
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Town Hall meetings have become a calendar fixture at many large companies. Although originally based on New England citizens voicing their thoughts, the term Town Hall meeting is often just another name for traditional, top-down presentations by senior management. So how can you make...
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I reckon every leader has, at some point, announced ‘our people are our priority’. It’s so often said, but so rarely true when it comes to communication. Employees are often the last to know about corporate news that affects them, or to hear of...
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How do you best pitch a professional services firm? Most professional services firms have problems differentiating themselves. When all your competitors are also qualified professionals, it is hard to stand out. Ask any lawyer, banker, actuary or accountant. Clichéd phrases will not help you....
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London – Paul Farrow, former Managing Director and head of Financial & Professional Services at PR agency Fishburn, has joined Benjamin Ball Associates, the leading financial presentation and media training company, as Partner. Paul brings to Benjamin Ball Associates his experience from five years...
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Do you fear public speaking? Do you feel nervous when you stand up and speak? Does it make your heart race or your body go sweaty? Fear of public speaking is widespread. When we coach people to become better public speakers, it’s one of...
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While every conference talk is different, there are some rules that apply to any talk. These simple rules, can make your conference talk into a great conference talk. Because ignoring these commandments will lead you into Death by PowerPoint. 1. Thou shalt aim...
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"Making the simple complicated, that's easy. "Making the complex simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." Charles Mingus The best communication tends to be simple. Whether it's memorable phrases from history or literature: "Jesus Wept", "I came, I saw, I conquered" great adverting slogans: Just...
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Private Equity Fundraising There were 1700 delegates at SuperReturn in Berlin last week. Benjamin Ball chaired an afternoon of private equity fundraising discussions with: Marc St John, CVC Capital Partners; Bob Brown, Riverstone; Mounir Guen, MVision; Martin Dunnett, Warburg Pincus; Catherine Lewis La Torre,...
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The Power of Words - an example This extract from Barack Obama's Feb 2008 speech shows how powerful words can make powerful messages. This was in response to criticism Obama received about being 'all words.' See how Obama harnesses the power of words to...
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What can we learn from Harry Potter about better presentations? One simple rule: Like magic, PowerPoint is powerful, and to do good it has to be used properly. Let me explain. Like the magic in Harry Potter, PowerPoint is a powerful tool. And the...
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Use stories in business presentations Last week I was at a leadership event. It was about a firm’s cost-cutting plans. The organisers had crammed the day with speakers, each hand-picked to inspire and motivate. The mood was intense. Then, one of the keynote speakers...
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Another leader that makes a refreshing change is Tesco’s new CEO, Dave Lewis. Tesco has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately. The supermarket giant’s share price has plummeted 50% in a year. Falling sales, boardroom reshuffles, and increased competition from...
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Communication skills are ranked as the number one skill a business leader requires. That is why leaders spend an extraordinary amount of time and effort honing those skills. Successful communicators don’t just talk big ideas, they speak to their audience, echoing their emotions and...
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For an quick overview of our services supporting HR and L&D teams, please download our new communications skills training booklet. This booklet includes these Five Essential Tests to decide if Communication Skills Training is needed 1. First Impressions Test Does...
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. . It was the middle of August - that usually quiet time on the markets - when handbag and accessory maker Kate Spade saw its busiest day of trading ever. 52 million shares changed hands. Alas, people couldn’t get out quick enough. Shares...
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Do you want better meetings with investors? While all investors are different and all investor meetings are different, there are a few things you can do to ensure better investor meetings: 1. Practice and Role Play By rehearsing different types of investor meetings...
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Call Louise Angus, Client Services Director today to discuss how we can help or for a free consultation:
Phone: +44 020 7018 0922
For more information, contact our Client Services Director, Louise Angus
