"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.

"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.

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.

".

"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.

"How to fix the most common blogging bloopers.

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.

"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.

"When I started, I assumed every company would have its own set of problems.

"Don’t panic, but if you want to engage your audience in a presentation, you have about 30 seconds to make it happen.

"A good presentation depends, at least partly, on good slide design.

"A popular school of thought, dramatized in the [the] TV drama Lie to Me, is that a careful study of facial expressions—especially eye movements—tells investigators if a perp is dissembling.

"What do you do when you feel bullied by the audience?

"You don't have to let anyone block your sunlight! To maintain the spotlight here are six tips: .

Michele Knight reports at Dataversity.

Stephanie Vozza (photo, left) reports on the topic at FastCompany.