The Thanksgiving Holiday was the driver of the theme, “Gratitude in Business” at Speaking that Connects monthly business networking breakfast. Fifteen entrepreneurs mingled over coffee and tea, home-baked sweetbreads, quiche, yogurt and an assortment of dips and veggies to share business anecdotes of thanks. Unanimously, entrepreneurs were grateful for the ability to serve others. Attendees […]
Archive | Relationships
Mirrors and Masks in Business
Each month a select group of professionals from a wide range of small business disciplines get together to share their pearls of wisdom around a specific theme at the Speaking that Connects Business Breakfast Forum. I thought you might enjoy the ideas shared during October’s Forum where the theme was Mirrors and Masks in Business. […]
Tackling a Different Leadership Opportunity
As a sole proprietor for more than 30 years, I’m intimately familiar with running a business; but taking on a civic leadership role was a new endeavor and a big stretch for me. I’ve been a member of the Plainsboro Business Partnership (PBP) since its inception in 2009. This mini-Chamber, linked to the Princeton Regional […]
Multicultural Workforce: 8 Skills to Close Communication Gaps
Globalization creates tremendous opportunities for international business, along with the need to communicate with multicultural professionals. While diversity of thought and culture significantly contribute to innovation and productivity, there are often communication gaps that negatively impact business, and business relationships, even when diversity is apparent, acknowledged, and respected. Being fluent, or near-fluent, in spoken English […]
Listening that Connects!
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, […]
Going Behind Enemy Lines
In a country as diverse as the United States, it’s inevitable that we will come in contact with people with deep-seated beliefs that directly contradict our own. Sometimes, we may have so much trouble communicating that we avoid interaction. Here’s an example from a person who needed advice on how to keep a boss from […]
The Right Kind of Wrong
In a previous entry, we looked at how our culture typically shames and criticizes people. It is for this reason that some of us resort to putting on acts to get people to like us. Aside from feeling like we have to be the perfect human specimen, we are also often ashamed to admit our […]
Strike a Pose for a More Confident You!
By Eileen N. Sinett in Blog, Networking, Non-verbal Communication, Presentation Skills, Relationships
Non-verbal cues are an integral factor in effective communication. For example, when we coach presenters, we recommend they begin by standing perfectly still. Not only do speakers look more professional and in control, but the pause helps to calm them and get their bearings at the outset. We also coach clients to be sure to […]
Sales in All Situations
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 […]
The Courage to Be Yourself
In the last blog, we covered methods to resolve conflict. One of them was vulnerability… revealing more of who you are and how you feel so others may understand you and your point of view. Let’s examine vulnerability more closely. University of Houston professor Brené Brown, a leading expert in the power of emotional vulnerability, […]
