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Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Create Meaningful Connection with Your Audience

What would you do if you found yourself speaking to an 800 seater theatre with only 25 seats filled...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation coaching, public speaking workshop, public speaking training, presentation workshop, presentation training, thought leadership, communication coaching

5 Concepts for Advanced Public Speakers & Thought Leaders

There is a lot of talk about the importance of inspiring audiences, but transcendence could prove to be an even more effective gift...

How to Nail a Wedding Speech

Regardless of your relationship with the happy couple, there are some principles that every great there are some principles that every...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Create a Slide Deck that Doesn't Ruin Your Presentation

The rules I share are important in any presentation context, from the big stage to the board room...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Handle Pressure Like an Olympic Champion

There are several parallels that can be drawn between athletes preparing to compete at an event and leaders...

Presenting at Work:

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Deliver Powerful Virtual Team Meetings

At the beginning of the call, rather than engaging in awkward chat as the team drip feeds in, keep them...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Conquer Nerves, Anxiety and Stage Fright

Stage fright can affect the most seasoned public speaker, particularly if they are giving a talk under different circumstances to the...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

7 Free Tools to Improve Your Public Speaking

Let's face it, not everybody needs a public speaking coach. So I've put together a list of my favourite tools that will help you to...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

What to Do if Your Mind Goes Blank Mid-Presentation

It's happened to us all and at some point, it will do again. Here's how to manage it without resorting to talking about...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

The One Skill You Need to Master to Become a More Effective Persuasive Presenter

What is the most effective way to change someone's mind? As tempting as...


From Founder to Thought Leader:

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Use Public Speaking to Grown your Business in 2022

With today's technology, we needn't have bothered leaving our living rooms. Which begs the question, how might public speaking...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Land Your First Paid Public Speaking Gig

If you run a start-up, there is a good chance that you do not pay yourself vast sums of money, so the idea of getting paid to speak...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Create a Thought Leadership Talk Concept

If you want to land big stage presentations, you need to position your talk concept in a way that makes both the audience and the...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

A Must-Have Skill for Every Thought Leader in 2022

The speeches with the biggest impact create experiences that provide us with perspective, rare moments where we are lifted out of our...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

Everything you Need to Know About Becoming a TEDx Speaker

Delivering a TEDx talk is one of the most effective ways of establishing yourself as a thought leader...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Find High-Profile Speaking Opportunities in 2022

If you want to land big stage presentations, you need to position your talk concept in a way that makes both...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

3 Questions to Help Introverts Foster a Thought Leadership Mindset

Even in a world of deafening noise, some of today's most impactful leaders would consider themselves to be introverts...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

5 Counterintuitive Ways to be an Outstanding Conference Panellist

The panel discussion, a stalwart in the industry conference agenda, yet one of the most forgettable experiences an...


Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Stand Out on a Thought Leadership Stage

If you are given the opportunity to deliver a thought leadership talk, you have a responsibility to make sure that you say something that matters.

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

Part 1: How to Quieten the Mind Ahead of an Important Presentation
If there is one thing that doesn't help presenters in the lead up to delivering an important presentation, it is too...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

Part 2: How to Quieten the Mind Ahead of an Important Presentation
There are two ways you can deliver a presentation; with your thinking brain or with your doing brain. If those...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

6 Habits of Highly Effective Thought Leaders and Keynote Speakers

The problem with the term thought-leader is that it implies that you don't have to do anything but think interesting thoughts.

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

4 Ways to Open a Big Stage Presentation

The first 30 seconds will make or break your whole talk's success - especially if your talk is going to end up online...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Save Time and Cut the Crap out of Your Next Presentation

How much time do you need to get your presentation across?

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How Applying the Overton Window will make you a Better Thought Leader

Your audience has got a LOOONG list of things that they'd rather be doing than listening to you.

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

5 Ways to Sound Less Monotonous & Become a More Engaging Presenter

We often associate monotony with a lack of voice inflection (speaking like a robot), but the truth is that is only a small part of the story...

The Three Most Effective Places to Hold a Pause During a Big Stage Presentation

The 3 Most Effective Places to Hold a Pause During a Big Stage Presentation

Pauses are a presenter’s way of commanding their audience’s attention. Yet all too often they are underused and overlooked.

How to Ask for Honest Feedback on your Next Presentation and Why You Should

They say feedback is the breakfast of champions. If you're hoping to start landing keynotes over panels or venture into the realm of getting paid to speak, testing...

What Stormzy's Speech can Teach you About How to Nail Your Next Big Stage Presentation

Nail your next big stage presentation with these 5 lessons learnt from Stormzy's Honorary Doctorate speech.

Alex Merry, Public Speaking, Presentation and Thought Leadership Coach

How to Increase the Chances of your Thought Leadership Going Viral

When you've put a lot of effort into creating a piece of thought leadership, don't underestimate the power of an effective title.

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

800 seater theatre. Only 25 people turn up for your keynote. What would you do?

This isn't a case of if, it's a case of when. Sometimes events don't go to plan, but with this blog, you'll be equipped with the tools to make the best out of a challenging..

emma watson feminism

Two Questions That Will Give Your Presentations More Clarity and A Deeper Connection With Your Audience

Emma's HeForShe speech is still talked about today. It's considered to be one of the most...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

Three things you can learn from Boris Johnson's tribute to the Queen

Of all the politicians to be delivering tributes to Her Majesty over the last few days, I didn't think it would be Boris Johnson's that stuck...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Land More Speaking Opportunities in 2023


Bring this critical thought leadership habit into your routine.

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

Do You Present With The Thinking Brain or The Doing Brain?

On the assumption you haven't got 3 months to practice your script to the point of effortlessness, what are your options?...

How to Read, Without Sounding Like You Are Scripted

There are plenty of reasons why learning to read without sounding like you are reading is a useful skill to learn. Perhaps you deliver lots...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

Everything You Need to Know About How to Communicate Under Pressure and Off-the-cuff

Whether you're on a panel, get interrupted mid-presentation by your boss, or have landed an interview with the press, here are three...

Two Risk-Free Ways to Bring Humour Into Your Next Presentation

Humour is what separates good thought leaders and keynote speakers from the great. While it might feel completely unreachable...

Alex Merry, public speaking coach, presentation skills, thought leadership, communication training, leadership development, TED talks, keynote speech

How to Create a TED-style Talk Concept That Wows Event Curators And Builds Your Personal Brand

There are plenty of reasons why learning to read without sounding like you are reading is a useful skill to learn. Perhaps you deliver lots...

Why it Worked: President Zelensky's New Year Speech

It is a masterclass on how to inspire hope. Something that, as leaders, we all find ourselves needing to do around this time of year.