10 Tips for a Great Speech at the Holiday Party

Just in time for the holidays, re-posting our all-time most popular blog with a few updates for 2023. Happy holidays everyone!

Ah, the office holiday party. It conjures punchlines of poor wardrobe choices and over-served sales reps. But in reality, it’s one of the more dignified traditions to survive the modern work world.

And for bosses, it’s a moment that calls for reminding everyone why they’re drinking (or at least eating) on the company tab. Rather than viewing this speech as an obligation, bosses should embrace it as an opportunity to set the tone for the coming year with remarks that make them feel both appreciated and appreciative.

Christina McKennaNovember 27, 2023holiday party, speech tips, virtual media training, CEO, toast, speaker tips

The One Question Every Presenter Should Ask

Clients often ask us to review major presentations at the eleventh hour, hoping we can make the tweaks that will take their material from good to great. In the best cases, our job is to put icing on the cake and who doesn’t love to do that? But sometimes, the cake isn’t ready for icing. In fact, in some cases, everyone is still scrambling around, trying to find the ingredients. Often those frantic, final meetings are spent searching for photos, fretting over font sizes, adjusting bullets and reordering slides ad nauseam.

Really, No Questions?

You had them on the edge of their seats the whole talk. They nodded at your insights and laughed at your jokes. But suddenly, when you announce you’ll take questions….crickets. What seemed to be a soaring success suddenly feels more like a flop. Though it’s hard not to feel the audience is using its silence to give you the hook, don’t dash off just yet.

7 Tips for Becoming a Rock Star Moderator

If you're asked to moderate a panel discussion, follow these tips to be sure you well serve the audience, the panel and your own professional brand.

The Right Way to Read a Speech

We all know that when delivering a speech it’s always best to learn the material cold and deliver it from the heart. But let’s face it: For busy executives with frequent trips to the podium and little time to prepare, that’s not always an option.

Facing Your Own PR Crisis? Better Get Your Story Straight

Good public relations practices are scalable. The same strategies that can help a global company navigate an epic crisis can hold true for individuals fighting to manage their own bad news—like an untimely departure. None of us likes to think about losing a job. But if the day comes when you find yourself packing that cardboard box, here are three PR moves to help keep your image in tact while you regroup.

Five Keys to Killer Financial Presentations

CFOs and other financial professionals, this is it! Never before has your insight, expertise and leadership been more needed than in the wake of the pandemic as your organizations struggle with unprecedented fiscal challenges and opportunities.

Virtual Presentation Coaching and Media Training

As the COVID-19 crisis challenges us all to find new ways to conduct business, we want to make you aware of ways in which Bluestone is supporting clients amid this new reality. We’ve developed several new programs that may be of help to you or those you support.

Why You Didn't Get Quoted

Unquotable Executive Syndrome is the result of a failure to articulate messages in a way that resonates with the reporter and in turn the reporter’s audience. There are three specific mistakes executives make that almost guarantee they’ll be cut from the story.

Three Quick Ways to Elevate Your Virtual Presentation

Truth be told, if we’re talking to peers or digitally hanging out with friends, how we look on-camera doesn’t much matter. But that’s not the case when more is at stake, like when a leader is delivering serious news to the company, speaking to VIP stakeholders or being interviewed by news media.

Communicating Amid Coronavirus: Six Tips for Better Virtual Meetings

With concerns about the spread of Coronavirus prompting temporary travel restrictions at organizations across the globe, more and more professionals are turning to virtual meetings to connect their teams and stay productive.

No doubt, virtual meetings offer many conveniences (like preventing the spread of sickness, for one). But they also present some problems, especially for the meeting host who has the difficult job of engaging participants and keeping order without the benefit of a good old-fashioned stare down.

The Shiny Object Media Can't Resist

I've attended a number of public relations conferences at which a media panel has been assembled to share insights about how organizations can get more press. On every occasion, across the board, the reporters' answers are the same.

"Video."

More video. Better video. Different video. Video.

And that's not just the answer given by the TV stations and digital outlets. That's that answer given by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and countless trade journalists.

"We Begin Tonight with What's Boring."

Imagine Lester Holt starting the NBC Nightly News with “We begin tonight by telling you about me. I was born in San Francisco, California…”

Once the shock of his unbridled narcissism wore off, we’d hear “click,” “click,” “click” across the country, as viewers registered disapproval with their remote controls.

Christina McKennaFebruary 25, 2020virtual media training, presentations, speech coach, media relations, journalism

Media Won't Cover You? Cover Yourself.

Years ago when I was the lead spokesperson for Boston Edison, the company went through a brutal six-month stretch during which it was pounded in the press for an unusually high number of power outages and accidents---and THEN suffered an ugly labor strike.

So when I heard that, in the wake of a series of Florida hurricanes, our crews were heading south to help restore power, we made a serious round of media calls. I wanted to be sure every local TV station and newspaper got the word that, in this case, we were the good guys, stepping up to help those in need.

How to Nail the “Morning After” Call

It’s always nice to follow up with a reporter after a story runs or airs, especially if you’ve established a rapport and want to keep it going. But those “morning after” calls can be tricky and if you’re not careful, unravel a lot of good will.

How to Give a Pretty Good Speech on the Fly: P-U-N-T

A while back I was at a friend’s baby shower, chatting with the other guests, when it became clear someone should say something to mark the occasion. This was a long awaited pregnancy and these women wanted an emotional outlet, a chance to shed a happy tear and at long last applaud our expectant friend.

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