Regular readers may recall that I write … and rant … a lot about Elevator Speeches, the simple answer to the often-asked question ‘What do you do?’ Sometimes maligned and often done poorly, Elevator Speeches are still a fact of life when you network.
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Verbs Beat Nouns
Here’s a Quickie Rant about Making Words Matter that might challenge some of your word use habits, like the one you carried over from those 500-word essay days in high school – Noun Phrases.
It’s ShowTime, So Ask the Right Questions
Many ‘Communicate Confidently!’ readers and other entrepreneurs use Business Expos and smaller local Trade Shows to market their products and services and network with prospects, clients and colleagues. If that strategy works for your business, here are some Best Practices to help you maximize your Show experience, ROI and value by Asking the Right Questions.
Slow Down … You Talk Too Fast!
It’s time to slow you down. An important component of your vocal delivery, your pace or rate of speaking can also impact your audience’s attention, interest and opinion of you. So can your ability to pause effectively.
Sexless Writing
Here we go again … trashing more time-honored rules of grammar that may have made sense in your grandparents’ workplaces … but probably not in yours any more. Hope you’re having as much fun as I am getting back at your high school English teachers who beat those rules into you … often with a yard stick. I know I am. So, please allow me one of my favorite WordPower rants – sexist language.
Interviewing With Confidence
A reader recently asked for suggestions on how to be more confident during job interviews, which are obviously very stressful situations. This topic bridges two of my passions – empowering business people to communicate with more confidence and encouraging candidates to maximize their impact during job interviews.
Energize Your Writing
Here’s a summary of Best Practices you would hear often in one of my Workplace Writing workshops. Early on, I tell participants that I won’t ask them to change any of their word use or writing style habits. But, I will ask them to challenge those habits in light of these Best Practices. If they decide to change any of them, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine, too.
How Good is Your Greeting?
Talk about making a good first impressions! Often, the first exposure your customers and prospects have of you and your business is what they hear on your voice mail greeting. Is it caller-centric, clear, focused, helpful and professional? When was the last time you listened to it?
The Power of the Pro Bono
Here’s a simple but very effective strategy for maximizing the impact of a ‘No Budget Marketing’ campaign you may create for your company or business – harnessing the ‘Power of the Pro Bono’. Said another way – Strategic Volunteering.
Mark Twain on Public Speaking
We can all learn so much about the art and science of public speaking from 19th century iconic American author, humorist and lecturer Mark Twain. ‘The difference between presentation and a great presentation is like the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.’ ‘There are only two types of speakers in the world: The nervous … Read more