“When I’m giving a presentation, what should I do if I don’t know the answer to a question or need time to think?” People ask me this a lot. So let me share four tips here. 1. Paraphrase “Paraphrasing” means repeating in your own words what someone else said....

While rearranging the chairs in the meeting room of a large corporation in central Tokyo recently, I realized that I now have no qualms about rolling up my sleeves and shifting the room layout to improve the presentation impact. In the past, I might have hesitated and...

This was a question from Stuart Ayre through the Sasuga! Communications website. Thinking the topic might also help others, I’m sharing my response here. I’m assuming two things. First, I know who the audience is and have a clear message that is helpful for them....

I’ll never forget when a European colleague started a serious Japanese business presentation with “Tsumaranai nihongo de moshiwake gozaimasen” (I apologize for my boring Japanese). It was a genuine mistake. He meant to say “tsutanai nihongo” (poor Japanese). The...