What are you saying with your body language, without speaking a word? Like it or not, your non-verbal communication is painting the big picture of what you say, far more than your words. Imagine a time before the spoken word, thousands of years ago when cavemen relied on gestures and eye contact for communication. For one thing, it was prudent …
How To Speak with Anyone: 3 Tips for Getting Your Point Across Clearly
by Bryan Heathman Who is the most effective conversationalist you know? What makes them stand-out in the crowd? Public figures like Cicero, Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan live on today because of their verbal prowess. They knew how to move nations with their ideas. In communicating your ideas in a conversation, have you given thought to the structure you …
A Leader’s Communication – 3 Tips for Converting Hearts & Minds with Words
by Bryan Heathman Increasingly, as the shrinking world encroaches on that endangered species known as Attention, the need to influence – and to influence quickly – grows more urgent all the time. Whoever said, “Talk is cheap” obviously wasn’t sending a text message to his teenager. The price of Attention grows more precious all the time. Whether you’re trying to …
What To Communicate When You’re Communicating
by Bryan Heathman Have you ever noticed that some people seem to have all the answers? No matter what the topic is, they always seem to communicate their opinion with ease and style. They can sit down at a table in a fancy Italian restaurant and order with the ease of cable news anchor, sharing a private joke with the …
Speed Reading Doesn’t Have To Feel Rushed
by Liv Montgomery If you’re like most people, your casual reading time is meant to be relaxing and leisurely. So how could speed reading possibly enhance your fun time? The answer is, the same way it can enhance your work time. First, you’ll be able to read more material. Second, you’ll be able to get more out of the material …
Fat and Skinny Words to Match Your Audience
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE Nothing can turn your audience or prospect off faster than using fat words when they’re hungry for skinny ones. Or vice versa. I learned this exciting concept from Dr. David Palmer, a Silicon Valley negotiations expert. In his talks on negotiations, he describes “levels of abstraction.” Unless you can match your message to …
Giving a Speech? Patricia Fripp’s Top 10 Suggestions
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE 1. Write your own introduction. Probably someone else is going to introduce you. Write the words yourself, making it brief, pertinent, and emphasizing your credentials. 2. Know your audience. Make sure you know exactly who is going to be in the audience, why they are there, and why they invited you to speak. 3. Check …
Speakers Checklist
by Chris Widener Prior to the Speech Preparing your speech:Topic – If at all possible speak only on what you know well.Time limit – This gives you a guide for what you can include. Structure:Introduction – STRONG introduction!Body – Simple, understandable, and memorable.Conclusion – Bring them to where you want them to be. Anecdotes/ stories – Appropriate, not …
3 Reasons Speakers Fail to Hit the Mark
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE My prolific author and speaker friend Jeff Davidson and I had a conversation about some of the way speakers fail. Hope you enjoy some of the ideas Jeff wrote on the subject. There are many ways to successfully deliver a presentation and many more to fail at it. Here are three common mistakes that speakers …
Avoid Clichés – Like the Plague
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE Whether you’re writing or speaking, clichés will weaken your message and cause your audience to tune out. Here are Fripp’s Four Foolproof Tips for making your point: * You MUST use original material. * The audience will forgive you ANYTHING but being boring. * If someone else has already said it, say it in a …