"No matter how topical, relevant or pressing your content is, you're often fighting an uphill battle for the audience's attention.

Dave Mac gives his advice at PresentationBlogger.

"If you're looking to improve your small-talk skills, here's an expert take on the best tips for making conversation.

"Many people think persuasion is essentially “debating lite.

"In this clip Mark Powell provides best practice tips for opening and closing presentations.

"Preparation for a killer presentation is counterintuitive because it runs against everything business people naturally do when it comes to preparing their talks.

Take a look at the infographic.

"It’s not about sleek graphics or the presentation software you use.

"Let’s talk about what we know about how rate of speech impacts credibility and persuasiveness.

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According to Jeffrey Sharlach (photo, left), "People tend to worry about all the wrong things when they have to do a presentation.

"If you're tired of standing in front of your audience and shuffling through slides, you're definitely not alone.

"The graphic shows that the most popular fonts of last year were Helvetica, Arial, and Georgia, but that doesn't mean brands can't also have some fun with their typography.

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"There's no single formula for a great talk, but there is a secret ingredient that all the best ones have in common.

"In short, there’s a lot of variables that can affect what makes for a good presentation.

Curtis Newbold presents an infographic on the topic.

"Presenting information to a crowd is an art form.

"An infographic by film editing simplifiers Filmora lists nine trends to keep an eye on in the coming year.

According to Todd Smith (photo, left), "There are literally hundreds if not thousands of little things we can do to raise the bar in our professional and personal lives.

"Consider these three ways to show gratitude to co-workers who make your life easier.

Check out the infographic on the topic.

"If you’ve got a presentation to give at work or school — or are perhaps getting ready to speak at a TEDx event?

"From the "I have a dream" speech to Steve Jobs' iPhone launch, many great talks have a common structure that helps their message resonate with listeners.