Phil Stella

Embrace Permission Marketing

by

(Now that some organizations are having in-person events again, it’s time to revisit the value of embracing Permission Marketing, another of my holiday gifts to you!)

Ever meet someone at a networking event who turned you off quickly with a negative first impression?  Or, who really annoyed you with ineffective follow up? I have – lots of times. I call them ‘Networking Slugs’.  They earn that designation for different reasons, but mostly because they don’t practice the simple art of Permission Marketing.

Read more

Why I Hate ‘Small Talk

by

(With many business groups getting back to in-person activities and networking events, it made sense to re-run this piece on small talk. Best wishes for successful schmoozing this month.)

I recently facilitated a workshop on Networking Best Practices. A participant asked about using small talk. After getting input from the rest of the group, I offered my view – just say ‘NO’ to small talk. It doesn’t help you that much. Go for ‘Big Talk’ instead. The rest of my rant …

Read more

The Fear Factor Revisited

by

(We draw to an end this year of revisiting content from ‘Phil’s All Time Hits,Volume #1 with more very popular pieces. Consider them my holiday gift to you. We’ll start with my favorite rant about Presentation Anxiety) 

How many of you experience pain when you deliver presentations at work? How many hate speaking in public? I see a lot of hands up, so let’s briefly discuss five simple strategies for managing your fears and your Presentation Anxiety.

Read more

A Fave About Perception

by

I just used one of my faves in this issue’s Quickie piece. So … if you were in one of my presentations skill sessions, you would have heard: ‘Your audience’s perception is your reality. If they think you look and sound like a confident and competent presenter, you are. Simple as that.’ Use it if … Read more

Energize Your Email

by

Every time you send an email or text to a customer, colleague or manager, it can project your image of professionalism, competency and courtesy. That image should be positive whenever possible, or at least neutral, but never negative.

The often painful reality is that everything you write at work projects you. The following simple suggestions will help you project your best possible positive image.

Read more

Painless Presentations

by

(Time for a re-run on this popular overview piece from 2019)

Do you ever experience pain in creating and delivering important workplace presentations? Do your audiences experience pain listening to those presentations? If you answered ‘yes’, read on for a brief overview of Presentation Best Practices. They can help you present with more confidence … and less pain for you and for them.

Read more