Let's face it. We take more photos today than ever before. Taking photos has become an everyday thing for many. We love to snap and post even the most mundane moments of our lives. 

Vertical photos or video

However, a lot of the stuff that's posted on Facebook and Instagram carries with it the curse of the iPhone or any smartphone. It's the dreaded vertical photo or worse, vertical video.

This occurs when you hold the iPhone vertically, as you normally hold the phone to read or text, and snap the photo or record the video. It might seem like the natural thing to do. But the resulting image or video leaves much to be desired.

It's been said that if the railroads had understood they were in the transportation business and not just the railroad business we'd be flying Union Pacific Air Lines today instead of United.

I think there's a lot to be said for that. At least it conveys the central truth that we all have to have a deeper understanding of what we do so that we keep the big picture in mind and prepare for the changes and challenges of tomorrow.

Other examples of this have been suggested: Why didn't Sony come up with the iPod? Why didn't Blackberry conceive of the iPhone? Why didn't Apple think of the Kindle? 

Which brings us to speakers and presenters.

As a speaker, you have to assume something about your audience: they need help. Audiences are made up of people from all walks of life, but they have some things in common. They all have challenges and typically they all want more out of life. So, help them by addressing the three Ps.

Pain - what is it that's bothering the person in the audience? Where are they hurting. What's gone wrong?

Problem - what problem can you help them solve? What problem is their biggest struggle? What solution can you provide?

Potential - we all want to think we can be better, our company can be better and that there's a better future ahead of us. Help them see it. Help them see their better selves.

If you can tap into what's hurting your audience, what's bothering them and where they can go with a little vision, you're on the right track to leaving them better than when they entered the room.

wesbleed.com | Twitter: @wesbleed

Here's a secret that speakers have to keep in mind, especially when they feel that the audience is huge and unforgiving.

The secret is...nobody knows that you made a mistake.

They don't know that you forgot your outline, or that you left out part of your story or that you got two points out of sequence.

Nobody knows. So, who cares?

In light of NBC's decision to suspend anchor Brian Williams for apparently fabricating stories about an Iraq War mission, I thought this old post from 2011 was worth dusting off to remind us of the effect our words and actions can have months and even years down the road. We are who we are and where we are because of the choices we make each day. It's not rocket science. Here's the post...

I played with a boomerang when I was a kid. It was amazing to watch as the object you threw away from you would circle back and you could catch it.

Likewise, much of life has the same effect. It's called cause and effect, action and reaction -- or sowing and reaping. Some say it's "what goes around comes around."

I found this presentation about what's new in wearable technology very interesting. Look for a wearable platform race, beyond trendy watches. Think "smart shoes" and necklaces that contain sensors. If you can imagine it, somebody's probably experimenting with it. 

Technology plays an increasing role in how we communicate our ideas and market our products. Let's hope we never lose the personal touch.

wesbleed.com | @wesbleed

Is there any reason to thank you?

We think about being thankful for what we have -- and we should. But, at the end of the day, is there anyone out there who has a clear and compelling reason to thank us?

What have we done to serve? What have we done to help someone achieve more?

Where have we gone the extra mile to enable someone to get a little bit closer to success?

If not, maybe we need to put a little more "serve" into our service.

If you're faced with change at your company or organization (and who isn't?), effective communication can go along way toward making the change positive and productive. Communicating change is a lot more than just sending out a memo or holding a town hall meeting. It's vitally important that you address four different groups. I explain in this audio report...

How about you? What issues have you had when communicating change? 

Follow me on Twitter: @wesbleed
Book me to speak at your next event.
Sign up for my free newsletter here.

Your next speech is a gift to those in the audience.

They may have paid to be there, though not necessarily to you. But you are "giving" of yourself nonetheless.

Your gift is your knowledge.

Your gift is your artful presentation to help them understand your message.