by Steven Maddocks | 13 August, 2026 | Client Skills, Emotional Engagement, Marketing, Pitching, Presentation Skills, Storytelling
I thoroughly enjoyed rereading Emily Wilson’s landmark translation of The Odyssey during a recent holiday in Croatia. It felt appropriate as were just up the coast from Odysseus’s home island of Ithaca. It got me thinking about the story templates Christopher Booker...
by Steven Maddocks | 5 December, 2024 | Authority, Difficult Conversations, Marketing, Presentation Skills, Q&As
Be a Q&A jiu-jitsu master. What happens when a Q&A session turns nasty? Sometimes the questions at the end can be the most enjoyable and rewarding part of a presentation. At other times it can feel more like a firing squad! There are some people who enjoy...
by Steven Maddocks | 17 August, 2023 | Interview Skills, Marketing, Presentation Skills, Presenting to Camera, Public Speaking
MSB Executive’s filming day was long in the planning. We had decided late last year to video the team talking about our work. We felt this would be an excellent way to showcase our special combination of expertise and passion. With the possibility of shooting...
by Martyn Barmby | 20 March, 2017 | Authenticity, Blog, Emotional Engagement, Fake Facts, Marketing, Perception, Storytelling
In his excellent article in the FT, Tim Harford talks about “The problem with facts”. One interesting example he mentions is the famous claim during the Brexit referendum: “We send the EU £350m a week”. He quotes Andrew Lilico, “a thoughtful proponent of leaving the...
by Martyn Barmby | 10 January, 2014 | Blog, Building Confidence, Marketing, Networking Skills, Portfolio, Presentation Skills, Team Building, Voice
Caroline was part of a very lively panel debate called “CMOs and CIOs – heading for a date or divorce” hosted by IBM in their very impressive conference centre on the South Bank. I was impressed by her engaging speaking style and her command of the debate, in...
by Martyn Barmby | 24 October, 2013 | Building Confidence, Interview Skills, Marketing, Networking Skills, Portfolio, Public Speaking
Part 2: Good communication skills are vital for leadership Do you feel public speaking has helped your career, or is it part and parcel of it? I really see it as integral to career success. I bundle it in with all communications skills as a vital along with great...
