5 Connection-Building Strategies to Influence without Authority
My insurance agent recently recommended that I change my policy. I asked him, “If you were me, would you switch to this new policy?” He replied, “I already switched to the same policy myself.” I gave him the go-ahead to make the change. Why? Because I trust him. In...
6 Steps to Influence Without Authority
Influencing without authority is a skill that can be applied at all organizational levels. Nearly everyone has a stake in developing new initiatives, projects, and processes, as explained in this article from Harvard Business School. Whether you are working virtually...
10 Tips for Powerful Business Storytelling
You’ve probably told many stories in your life. It’s a natural part of human conversation: “The craziest thing happened to me yesterday…” Storytelling is a powerful tool for communication, especially in business. Whether you're presenting a pitch, motivating your...
You Can’t Ace the Q&A If There Aren’t Any Questions
Handling questions is a critical component of successful presentations. Unfortunately, you can’t ace this part of the presentation if you can hear a pin drop when you ask if there are any questions. Without questions, you have no idea how the presentation landed with...
The Power of Pausing (part 2 of 2)
Have you ever listened to a presenter who talked at breakneck speed without pausing for breath? Exhausting, isn’t it? Pauses give your listeners the opportunity to digest and assimilate what you said and perhaps even come up with a great question or comment. Below are...
The Power of Pausing (part 1 of 2)
Have you ever heard the saying, “silence is golden”? While it may be true, it can seem not to apply in the case of a business presentation. But silence, in the form of a well-timed pause, can be very effective when speaking (whether one-on-one or to larger audiences)....
Focus on Audience’s Needs, Not Your Own
Know your audience and capture their attention. It sounds simple, but how do you put it into action? Sometimes the best way to improve your skills, is to understand how NOT to do it. Here is an example: One of BRODY’s clients is a major pharmaceutical firm that throws...
Tips to Avoid Asking Bad Questions
"There’s no such thing as a bad question.” Many of us remember that line from our school days. I used to think it was a great way to encourage questions until I realized there actually are bad questions. Especially, if you want to use questions to engage people. If I...
Nine Steps to Owning the Deck
One of the biggest challenges presenters face is using a presentation that they did not create. Physician Speakers in particular, need to learn and practice techniques to make the presentation their own, all while delivering a memorable message and remaining compliant...
Business Writing Key to Success: Tone, Topic, Transparency
Three important aspects of effective business writing are: tone, topic, and transparency. Tone is critical because it can dramatically affect how the reader perceives you and your message. You will use a different approach when writing to a potential client whom you...
Want to Develop Leadership Presence? Three Ways to Begin
A colleague’s daughter contacted me recently after being passed over twice for a choice promotion. She told me she really wanted to advance in the company, but didn’t seem to have what they were looking for. “I’m responsible, easy to work with, and really good at my...
Q&A Pointer: Handling Questions for Clinician Speakers
Anyone that presents will benefit from improving their ability to encourage and respond to questions. As a Clinician Speaker you also have additional challenges: You are limited in how you can respond to questions while still adhering to company-approved messaging...
4 Ways Clarity Can Help You Influence Others
Have you ever failed to influence someone? (Of course, we all have!) Maybe you tried to introduce a bold new initiative—but couldn’t get support from your manager. Or, maybe you tried to get your team to collaborate on a cross-departmental project—but it fell apart...
Culture of Accountability or Culture of Fear?
In 2016, regulators fined the banking giant, Wells Fargo, $185 million for an illegal cross-selling scheme. Bank employees had created millions of fraudulent accounts, at the behest of managers, to hit lofty sales goals. While over 5,000 workers were fired for...
How Will You Develop People in 2025?
One of the major themes this year in Learning & Development (and in just about every field) was AI. Leaders considered how to integrate AI into their L&D strategy, whether it could be used to personalize learning journeys, and even whether AI could generate...
3 Steps to Become a Master Influencer
3 Steps to Become a Master Influencer by Amy Glass | Jun 6, 2024 | Communication Do you know anyone who is a Master Influencer? In our increasingly matrixed workplaces, Master Influencers are those who can pull off a major project through only dotted-line...
How to Improve Presentation Skills: Delivery is Key
Dynamic Delivery Brings Content to Life One of the primary reasons people run into trouble when giving presentations is because they focus only on the content. Content is important, but without a powerful delivery, your audience could have read an article or even...
Body Language Break-down: Tips for Powerful Presentations
Most people form an impression about you in only seven seconds; and in some cases it only takes a fraction of a second. That can be a little intimidating. Particularly if the people who are forming that impression are the ones who might hire you, promote you,...
How Does Pitch Affect Your Communication?
Deeper Voices Are More Authoritative I recently read an intriguing article: Deeper speaking voices are more authoritative. It isn’t the first time I’ve heard this type of information about deep voices. As political campaign managers have long known, a deep voice is...
Personal Branding: Why You Need Employees Who Market Themselves
BRODY has taught thousands of people how to market themselves in our Ignite Your Personal Brand: Market Your MAGIC workshop. We tell participants: Don’t be the world’s best-kept secret. Stop waiting for others to notice your skills, and tell them what you can do. This...