This question has arisen many times in the past few weeks. I was attending a lecture last week and the professor stated he was sure that Facebook and Twitter signaled the end of community -- that we are quickly losing the ability to communicate face-to-face. As a communication coach, I have to admit I've wondered about the same thing. Are we losing the ability to sit across from each other and just talk? I recently read a study that argued young children were losing their ability to read body language because of … [Read more...]
Where do good copy writing and stellar presentation skills meet?
February 14, 2012 By 1 Comment
They come together on a little piece of paper, more commonly referred to as your “hand-out.” You know that one-sheeter you quickly threw together because you remembered one of your marketing coaches mentioned you should have one? Yep, that one. You designed it in Word an hour before you left for your presentation. It’s just a lot of black text on white paper -- oh, and maybe you remembered to put your logo on it, too. I have three words for you, "Slow down, buster." This little hand-out, this leave … [Read more...]
What to say when Grandma asks. “What do you do again?”
December 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I’m sure it has happened to you. It is especially prevalent this time of year. You’re at a holiday party with your spouse or attending a family gathering and within moments you are met with the inevitable question, “What is it that you do?” Ack! I absolutely hate this question. The snarky girl inside me is always tempted to answer, “Well, I eat and sleep,” or “Right now I’m working on eating as many Christmas cookies as possible.” Thankfully, I restrain my sarcasm and attempt to explain to … [Read more...]
Ending Death by PowerPoint Once and For All!
November 22, 2011 By 1 Comment
How many times have you been in a meeting, listening to a presentation and been distracted by what is on the screen? The presenter thinks he is helping you understand the topic at hand by creating a PowerPoint presentation to accompany his talk. But frankly, the font is so small you have to squint to see it, there are 5 different colors being used and the graphs have been directly imported from Excel with no legend and you need a PhD in graphology just to understand it! To add insult to injury, the speaker has … [Read more...]
What’s in a Name? Everything.
October 24, 2011 By 1 Comment
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ~ Juliet It may be one of Shakespeare’s most quoted lines. Juliet is explaining to Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention. That she loves someone named “Montague,” not the Montague name and not the Montague family. Mr. Shakespeare, this time, I may have to respectfully disagree. Yes, our parents or caregivers randomly assign a name of their choice to us, but I don’t believe that names … [Read more...]
Sometimes It’s OK to Sweat the Small Stuff!
September 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Customer service is not brain surgery. Oftentimes, just paying attention to the small, simple details can insure client retention and increase revenue in your business. I was reminded of this last week when interacting with my financial planner’s office. I called the office and was greeted pleasantly by his administrative assistant. When I asked to speak to my planner, she hesitated and said, “Umm . . . I don’t know if he is here. Let me check. What’s your name?” What?? The employee that sits … [Read more...]
What is Your Inner Child Telling You?
August 23, 2011 By 1 Comment
Don’t worry this isn’t a therapy session. It is, however, a path that may lead to more confident communication. I believe very strongly that communicating confidently begins with owning our own unique set of gifts and talents. In my mind it all boils down to embracing the fact that it is what makes us different that makes us special. Those things about our personality that have occasionally made us feel like a square peg in a round hole are the very things that propel us to success. Once you embrace and … [Read more...]
