Sharing Information on Business Resources
As we approach Thanksgiving and reflect on our business resources, I wanted to share two that I recently found and am thankful for … Do you ever need to get some quick information without searching the thousands of sites on Google? A quick way to do this is to hire a...
Do Your Slides Support Your Message, or the Other Way Around?
When I coach executives for presentation skills, typically they say, “The slides are being prepared.” I then ask, “What about the presentation?” From my perspective as an executive speech coach and professional speaker for over 30 years, an effective presentation...
I don’t need to present, I’m an engineer (accountant, architect, etc.)
Professor Dan Brody (yes, he is a relative!) is teaching an entrepreneurial course at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering. He had a few entrepreneurs speak as guest lecturers, and he asked me to do the same. My topic was “10 Reasons Presentations Fail...
Don’t Let the Digital World Divide: Face-to-Face Communication Still Critical
I just got back from a meeting in Tampa. Following the meeting, a group of us went to the hotel bar to continue the conversation. Guess what happened instead? Everyone sat “playing with” their iPhones and BlackBerrys! What little conversation there was revolved around...
Networking: The “Drip” Method
Are you using the drip method? Think of “dripping” as a way to keep in touch with clients and colleagues – a little bit at a time. In the course of a day, many of us might meet one or several people who we want to build a relationship with – one that is mutually...
Death By PowerPoint: Don’t Become Another Speaking Statistic
We’ve all heard the expression “death by PowerPoint.” People acknowledge it, laugh about it, and hate it when in an audience, but, yet …. Many continue to be guilty of doing it themselves! How can presenters avoid this? Here’s my list of the top 10 ways speakers can...
The Selling Stool: 3 Key Elements to Sales Presentations
Product knowledge and selling skills are only two legs of the stool when it comes to successful sales presentations. The third leg is the ability to communicate your ideas effectively, while reading the messages that your audience (buyer) is sending in response. In...
Bottom-Line Speaking for Presentation Skills Success
Give people conclusions they can walk out the door with, not a lot of details. This is what Jack Welch used to say, when he headed up General Electric. This is also what I say when I coach people about presentation skills. You can’t be too specific when sharing...
E-mail: A Critical Communication Tool if Used Correctly
Over the weekend, I had some repairs that had to be done at home. I pulled out the trusty toolbox, and as I moved from project to project, I had to think about which tool would be most effective. Midway through my project, I had an epiphany: How similar is what I’m...
Listening is More Than Hearing
So many people like to talk. I sure do. In fact, I do it all the time. On the other hand so few like to actually listen -- I will admit I am occasionally challenged to really listen or listen well. Statistically...