Monthly Archives: September 2015

More great copywriting and speaking advice not from Brett

September 25 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Small cuts yield big improvements.

Redundant and misused words can make a big difference to the clarity of your writing and the impression it makes on readers.

This simple, practical set of advice from Jennie Haskamp of The Daily Muse is superb and applies equally to writers and public speakers.

The words Jennie recommends deleting from your writing (and speaking) may not improve your standing with poor communicators but it won’t hurt.

These changes will however make a favourable impression on the 20% or so of readers who appreciate good writing.

Chop chop.

Geddit? Scramble. Eggs. Half dozen.

Book yourself a place at our rare public Copy Savvy workshop to become a great writer. New date – Tuesday November 10. Pick your level of follow-up coaching, grab an earlybird discount and prepare for a fun, intense day.

How to market Star Wars

September 22 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Whoopsie. They left their basketball behind.

The L.A Times published this insight into the hype behind the latest Star Wars instalment.

Spoiler alert: this whole sci-fi in the desert / use-the-force thing is predicted to be pretty big.

Funny because it is true. Too true.

September 17 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Every public speaker and presenter will relate to this. So too will their audiences.

Don’t let this be you. Secure your place at Hootville’s Present Savvy workshop for public speakers. This training isn’t just for people who want to wear a lapel microphone and motivate the masses. This is a public speaking workshop for people who have to present to their staff, the board, prospective customers, supporters, donors, volunteers or politicians.

It’s for the poor sponsor who has five minutes of stagetime to call their own. It’s for the one-to-one salespeople who need to convert more meetings into business. It’s for you. If it’s for your team book your own workshop.

Tagged public speaking courses

Copywriting course announced, copywriting advice dispersed

September 16 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Is there something ironic about disseminating copywriting advice via video? Who cares? This short, sharp video contains five ways to improve your copywriting. Watch it.

If you really want to bolster your copywriting skills book a place at our Copy Savvy workshop.

Tagged copywriting course

Thought you don’t want audiences to think #5

September 16 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Don’t make this girl cry.

Thought #5:

Where is this going?

It’s a boring truth but audiences like structure.

That’s one of the reasons why the Internet is littered with listicles – stories such as:

“Six ways to get that raise.”
“Four ways to know that she’s in love with you.”
“The six bosses you’ll have throughout your career.”

You know the sort of thing.

Such structures enable the reader to get a grip on both topic and length before she even clicks. Your audiences are no different – they feel secure in the knowledge that you’re going to share with them Five secrets of staff engagement.

We are all for free-flowing presentations but they generally take greater skill to deliver and come with higher risk. Simple structures help audiences and may also help you develop your presentation.

Rather than a list you might opt for explaining to the audience that you’ll be answering four key questions:

Why don’t my staff want to come into work?
How do I turn this around in 12 months?
What will this do for my customers?
What will this do for my bottom line?

Once again, you get the idea.

Bad thoughts and how to avoid them

Get the training you need to be a better presenter at our Presentation Savvy workshop Thursday December 7 2016 in Melbourne. Follow-up coaching and a money back guarantee included.

And download your free PDF eBook Thoughts you don’t want your audience to think.

Thoughts you don’t want audiences to think #4

September 16 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Have mercy, be interesting.

#4 “Boring!”

Audiences are generally very forgiving though there is one unforgivable
sin – being boring.

You need to grab an audience’s attention and keep it throughout your presentation. That’s why those first minutes are so
important.

It’s when your audience will devote more of its attention to you than at any other point in the presentation. Don’t waste it.

Be funny, be provocative, be candid, be contrarian, be excited – just don’t be
boring. The worst thing you can do is to look as if you have been sent by your
boss to deliver the presentation on her behalf.

Look like you want to be there – whether you want to be or not. Remember that no matter how dry your topic, how important the content nor how much information you wish to convey everything goes down better when audiences are interested.

Hootville is running a public Presentation Savvy workshop Thursday December 7 for everyone who needs to improve their public speaking whether it be to audiences of 1 or 1000.

Tagged presentation

Emcee helms 3rd conference for Disability Services Australia in Sydney

September 10 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Ready to master some ceremony

For the third year running Brett will emcee the Disability Services Australia conference in Sydney. The two day event is an investment by the major aged and disability services provider in 200 of its staff who are nominated to attend the event.

It’s an all-too-rare show of concern for workplace culture in a sector that is often stretched beyond such considerations.

Brett will also deliver a keynote about customer service: Manager of First Impressions.

Tagged conference, emcee

Keynote prescribed for medical students

September 8 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

Maybe one audience member can sort Brett’s back out while he’s there.

Public speaker Brett de Hoedt will present a keynote address to 90 selected medical students at the National Leadership Development Seminar organised by the Australian Medical Students Association in Canberra Tuesday September 15.

The conference draws together a select group of future leaders from the world of medicine with a focus on developing their advocacy and campaigning skills. As always, Brett will be the least educated person in the room.

Brett will deliver his keynote Embracing your inner media tart which he recently delivered to 650 young medicos in Perth at the Global Health Conference. Here’s his feedback from that performance:

Dear Brett,

Thank you for your fantastic contribution to the 11th Annual Global Health Conference! Thankyou for being such a pleasure to work with. Your plenary and workshop were among the most popular of the entire event. The glowing feedback from the delegates was unprecedented.

Daniel Dorevitch, Academic Convenor
Global Health Conference (GHC) Perth 2015

If you want Brett to speak at your next event, conference, expo or forum contact us today: 0414 713 802.

public speakers – thought that you don’t want your audience to think #3

September 8 2015 | Brett | Comments Off

#3 Get to the good bit

Cut to the chase!

We recently watched this TED talk which we suspect is a career highlight of the
presenter Tasha Eurich. As per TED and TEDX talks everywhere, countless hours of preparation physical, mental and spiritual were invested in a very brief, high-pressure presentation.

Enough with the build up already, already.

Despite having just 15 minutes to speak– on perhaps the greatest platform she will ever get – Eurich wastes the first four minutes before offering anything of value.

That is too long for a 45 minute presentation let alone something as short as this. Inexcusable.

The first three minutes are vital. KPMG partner and high-profile demographer Bernard Salt does not waste a breath before launching into his presentation. He delivers knowledge, humour and an audience-specific reference within 60 seconds. The audience has barely settled in their seats before they have received some value. Bingo!

Quicksticks!

‘Value’ is a word you hear a lot today in relation to marketing, content marketing, public presentations.

The value you offer has to be clear to you and the audience. Stop with the overviews, the introductions and the thankyous. Forget any apologies for seeming a little stressed / tired /flustered.

Deliver some value. That might be in the form of a story, a fact, a contention, a gag, an audience participation exercise just don’t wait for the big finish.

Tagged public speaking