Have you ever gone to a networking event because you felt you “should”? Perhaps the speaker’s topic wasn’t high on your list, or maybe getting to the venue required an hour of sitting in traffic. You might have even felt obligated to make an appearance, to competitively keep your brand front and center. If you’re […]
My readers already know that I love The Voice, that it shares my values of professional excellence, (coaching) human fairness (blind audition) and the pursuit of one’s dream (self-belief and risk-taking). However, I do have some concerns about fairness and influence that have less to do with the performers and the coaches, and everything to […]
When the pop television program, The Voice, began four years ago, I became immediately addicted! Since I rarely watch television, friends wondered why I had become so consumed by this show. It is certainly not because I’m a singer. Unfortunately, that is not my gift. Nor is it only, that I admire strong talent and […]
Yes, this might sound like a pick-up line, but telling a story is also a great way to engage an audience for your next business presentation. People think and talk in stories all the time, but rarely realize it. For example, Why are you 5 hours late? (Were you at the bar again? Cheating on […]
For the last several years, my corporate clients have asked me to integrate storytelling into the presentation excellence programs I customize for them or to enhance individual presentation objectives. One marketing department requested a storytelling workshop to align their team’s messaging on how their roles and services added value to their internal customers. For another […]
A few years ago, I piloted a public speaking and storytelling event with a culturally diverse audience. I screened and coached my strongest speakers to share a personal anecdote about navigating adversity, including their “lessons learned.” Each speaker spoke for 5-10 minutes, was energetic and engaging and spoke with clear diction and at a comfortable, […]
Sounds, other than the human voice, can facilitate or hinder communication. They’re often used to create a mood that evokes a specific emotion. Have you ever watched a movie or television show, and noticed how the background music changes, depending on the emotion of the scene? Sometimes there’s even music designated for specific characters. Remember Bruce, the shark, […]
As you are probably aware, the English language is constantly evolving… so much so that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) adds lists of new entries several times a year. FOMO, hackerspace, twerk, MOOC, phablet, selfie, squee and srsly are some of the newest entries. To see more, click here to visit an entry in The New […]
When most of us think of sales, we think of a formal pitch like the one Don Draper offers in this clip from Mad Men. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRDUFpsHus] While Draper gives an excellent sales presentation, “selling” situations manifest in numerous ways outside of formal business. Leading sales expert Daniel Pink, author of To Sell Is Human: The […]
Isn’t it a wonder that we can communicate at all? First, we think about what we want to say. Then, we say something that is an echo of our thoughts. The receiver hears what they think we are communicating. Finally, laughingly, they interpret what they think they heard us say. All of this happens in […]
