Gilda Bonanno

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Professional Speaker, Presentation Skills Coach & Trainer Expert

Gilda Bonanno

Gilda Bonanno Quick Facts

Main Areas
Presentation Skills, Communication Skills
Career Focus
Speaker, Trainer, Coach
Affiliation
Past President, National Speakers Association - CT chapter; Past President, ASTD-So. CT chapter

Gilda Bonanno is a trainer, speaker, coach and consultant who helps entrepreneurs, small business owners and corporate professionals sharpen their presentation and communication skills. She achieves these results by combining her extensive business experience with a talent for improvisational performance and a belief that with the right training and practice, everyone can become an effective communicator.

In addition to facilitating high-energy, client-focused training programs, Gilda speaks about leadership, motivation, communication and humor to groups ranging from engineers to healthcare professionals to human resource practitioners. Gilda also coaches individuals to overcome their fear of public speaking and eliminate the barriers to letting their voice be heard.

She is Immediate Past President of the Southern CT chapter of the American Society for Training and Development and a member of the National Speakers Association. Gilda also is a member of the World Class Indifference improv comedy team, which performs shows and workshops in New York City and throughout Connecticut. She incorporates improv techniques into her training and coaching, helping people learn to think on their feet, be creative and develop confidence.

Gilda is based in Fairfield County, CT and has worked with clients throughout the US, and in Mexico, Europe, China and India.

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Articles by this expert

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How do you handle the questions that come up during or after your presentation? Handled effectively, questions can be an important part of your presentation, allowing you to clarify a point, expand on your ideas or provide another example. They also can demonstrate that the audience members were paying attention to you and are interested in your opinion. Handled poorly, however, questions can expose your lack of preparation, disconnect you from your audience and derail your presentation. Here are six mistakes to AVOID when you are answering questions:

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Listening is a crucial skill for professional and personal success. Yet it seems like such a basic skill - we all know how to listen, right? But although this skill is basic in theory, it's difficult to execute. Yes, everyone can listen, but how many people can listen well? Communication is ...

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Confident communicators are not afraid to take up their space at the table and let their voices be heard. They know their subject well and project a strong belief in what they're saying without being conceited or arrogant. And as a result, the audience is more likely to listen to them and trust what they're saying. Here are 9 tips for communicating with confidence:

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Here in the New England region of the United States, autumn has arrived and winter is not too far behind. How do I know? The leaves have turned from green to gold and red, there is frost on the grass in the morning and the days are getting shorter. Nature gives clues that signal the end of one ...

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When you meet someone or present to an audience, do your words match your non-verbal communications? If there is a disconnect between verbal and non-verbal communications, your audience will believe your non-verbals. Studies show that more than 90% of our communication is non-verbal. For example, imagine that a speaker shuffles to the podium, fumbling with his pen and folder. He stares down at his notes, frowns slightly and says in a lifeless monotone so soft that you can barely hear him, "I am excited to be here with you today.

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Often, people tell me, "I'm not a speaker so I don't have to think about presentation skills." I disagree. I think we are all speakers – yes, even you. Whether you talk to a small or large audience or in a corporate, academic or community setting, you are a speaker. If you give an update ...

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This is the second article of a two-part series on using the power of your voice to convey meaning and emotion to your audience. Along with eye contact, gestures, movement and facial expression, your voice is a key component of non-verbal communications. Your voice has an incredible range and ...

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When you have to speak to a crowd, how should you handle getting introduced? 1. Write your own introduction. Think about which of your many credentials or past experience examples will be most relevant to this particular audience. For example, I'm speaking at a Project Management Conference in May and I will include in my intro include the fact that I am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). However, when I speak to groups of entrepreneurs and small business owners, I don't include that credential in my intro because it doesn't mean that much to that particular audience.

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Often once you're finished delivering a presentation, the audience will ask questions. This question-and-answer time is still part of your presentation and you can prepare for it in the same way that you prepared for the rest of the presentation. Handled appropriately, questions give you a chance to clarify information you presented or discuss things that you didn't get a chance to mention. Here are six tips to help you prepare for and answer questions with ease: 1) View questions as requests for information, not as adversarial challenges.

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A key component of non-verbal communications is your voice. Along with eye contact, gestures, movement and facial expression, your voice can communicate meaning and help your audience focus on your message. Your voice has an incredible range and ability to convey meaning and emotion, yet most of us use only a small part of that range. Use the following guidelines to unleash the power of your voice so you can deliver your message effectively and connect to the audience: Speak loudly enough. How loudly? Loudly enough that people can hear you without having to strain.

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exercising and public speaking have a lot in common. Both become easier over time when you practice them regularly using the correct techniques. Everyone is capable of exercising and public speaking, although initially they may be a cause of pain for some people. The results of exercising and public speaking are worthwhile, but they'll have more lasting positive effects and be more fun if you enjoy the experience. Here are some suggestions about exercising that I've found can help you improve your public speaking: 1. Focus on Your Goals.

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"A meeting is a place where people take minutes and waste hours." Is this statement true of your meetings? Here are four tips for running meetings that are more productive and don't waste hours: 1. Have a Purpose for Meetingn"We always meet every Thursday at 4" is not a sufficient reason to ...

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