About: Andy

by Andy Saks As a presentation skills trainer, this is one of the most common questions I hear. My answer is never very satisfying, but it’s absolutely true: “It depends.” Though speaking coaches often give a target number of slides to help struggling presenters, in reality there is no target number of slides that suits  Continue Reading »

by Andy Saks Ever seen a speaker on stage or on camera with a small black object clipped to their coat, shirt collar or tie? That’s called a “lapel” or “lavaliere/lav” microphone. A lavaliere microphone is a generally the smallest, lightest microphone a speaker can wear or carry. It’s commonly worn when speaking on camera  Continue Reading »

by Andy Saks These two words are commonly confused in the speaking world. “Podium” is often used to indicate the raised stand on which a speaker places his or her notes and behind which he or she stands to speak. Acutally, according to thefreedictionary.com, the podium is not the stand, but “the platform on which  Continue Reading »

by Andy Saks What makes a speech truly unforgettable? While you ponder that, let me tell you about one of the most unforgettable speeches I’ve ever seen, one I had to go all the way to Alaska to witness. In August of 2000, I joined about 1,500 other intrepid (and crazy) folks for a charity  Continue Reading »

by Andy Saks Human beings cannot survive in isolation. Eventually, we crave human interaction. Group presentations facilitate it by bringing people together in a room, producing unpredictable, serendipitous moments of pure, magical human-to-human connection. Where precisely do those moments occur? Imagine you’ve just arrived at an industry seminar given by a well-known speaker whom you’ve  Continue Reading »