Tips from the Experts on How to Open
The hardest part of any presentation is the opening. Obviously, gaining people’s attention is critical. If you don’t captivate them as you begin, it’s not likely you will get them to listen as you move forward. Plus, seeing people looking at their phones, instead of...
Are You Prepared?
The number one reason that presentations fail is a lack of preparation. Whether you are giving an update, making a proposal, suggesting a solution or speaking at a conference, it is critical that you do your homework and understand your listeners and what you want to...
What to Remember When Selling Costly Products
Traditional selling strategies do not work as the cost of the product increases. Large tag items, particularly those in the high technology industries, demand a different approach. Length of Selling Cycle Whereas a low-cost sale can be completed in one call, a major...
Trust Isn’t a Given So How Do You Get It
Trust is vital in any lasting business relationship. In fact, the level of trust you establish determines how successful you will be in selling a product or proposing a solution. If the level of trust is strong, managers will feel you are the right person for the...
Making Updates Award Winning
Have you ever rolled your eyes at the thought of making another quarterly business review? They take a lot of time to adequately prepare, time you may not have due to other pressing deadlines. Although annoying, these business reviews are essential to providing...
How to Be Unique and Irreplaceable in the Buyer’s Eyes?
“If you want to stand out, don’t be different; be outstanding” —Meredith West, designer Imagine that a potential buyer needs a particular solution, maybe in healthcare or one in Security. However, when the customer does his research, he finds that all the solutions...
Is Unconscious Bias Affecting Your Communication?
Bias — the uncomfortable truth is that everyone biased. Stereotypes about groups of people are ubiquitous. Some of these preconceived ideas or feelings operate at a level below consciousness, and these are called implicit or unconscious biases. They are not limited to...
Has Your Credibility Banana Turned Brown?
“To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible, to be credible, we must be truthful.” Edward R Murrow, journalist and news anchor Credibility is everything in the influence game. As a salesperson or someone who supports sales,...
Influence Shouldn’t Be a Crapshoot!
As a child, many of us crossed our fingers in the hopes that we could persuade our mothers to allow us to do something, maybe go to a movie, stay up late or come in after curfew. As business people, we can’t afford to go into that all-important meeting “hoping” our...
Reasons Why Top Corporations Benefit from Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the latest trend in the corporate world these days. As businesses become conscious of quality and costs, more companies are turning to hiring remote workers from global destinations to outsource their process. In fact, 35% of U.S. employees work as...
For Women to Swim with the Sharks
It shouldn’t be this way, but in many organizations, women are not seen as key players. Study after study shows that women with the same credentials do not get promoted as quickly, nor are they remunerated in the same manner. So the question is what can women do to...
Five Mistakes Sales People Routinely Make
It’s the end of the year. If you’re a salesperson, it’s a good time to reflect on how well you did in 2017. Did you make your quota? Could you have done better? While you can’t win them all, perhaps, it’s important to consider whether you made any missteps that cost...
There Ought to Be a Law: Communication Competencies
For years, scholars have written about communication skills being the key to your business success. Almost every job lists strong communication skills as a requirement, but exactly what does that mean in the whole scheme of things. Companies need to develop...
What Do You Do If You Speak Too Fast
Do you speak too fast? Does everyone tell you to slow down? Do you also have a lot of “filler” or “crutch” words? Inevitably, if you speak quickly, there will be lots of “ums, ahs and you knows.” If this is you, don’t ignore this issue. It is not okay to speak...
Managing the Jitters
Presenting your ideas to the boss is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s an opportunity to show the boss you know your stuff and you are someone with real potential. On the other hand, if you don’t do a good job or your boss is disappointed with your message,...
How to Standout on the Job
Standing out on the job can seem daunting. Obviously, the message you want to send to your boss is: I’m a leader. I am someone to watch. I am likable. I am trustworthy. I deserve a promotion. I belong on your team. Ensuring that you are conveying these things to your...
Don’t Get Stuck on the Opening
Where most people get hung up is the opening. However, that’s actually the most important part of a conversation. If those first few minutes aren’t rock solid, it is unlikely the audience will listen all the way to the end. People make instantaneous decisions about...
Do You Care Enough
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” — Oprah Winfrey “I was busy” is an excuse many of us use when we don’t do our best. When you carelessly prepare or deliver ideas, your listeners may end up confused, and consequently,...
Speaking to Direct Reports Requires Forethought
So often when leaders speak downwardly to their direct reports, they don’t think about it. They just do it without much thought. To the person on the other side of the table or on the other side of the globe, the meeting may mean a lot. Speaking to one’s direct...
Who Needs Executive Presence? You Do!
Your boss tells you that you need to work on Executive Presence. However, you are swamped, doing the job of three people and attending one meeting after another. In theory, you agree that it would be great to develop Executive Presence, but yet, you don’t really know...
The Top Three Complaints about Managers
Your first quarter is almost closed. Things are already hectic and project deadlines are piling up. There is a pressure to make the numbers. Does this sound like your life as a manager? If it does, be cautious of making the work take precedence over your people...
See Yourself as Tour Guide of Your Ideas
I just returned from a month-long tour of the Asian Pacific rim, visiting Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In each country, I had a different tour guide. What struck me as impressive were their extraordinary communication skills. It occurs to me that we need to...
What’s Your Intention?
Communication ranges from building a relationship or gaining consensus to controlling an outcome. According to Susan Campbell, author of Saying What’s Real, almost 90% of all communication comes from the intent to control. She cautions that the more we aim to control,...
Check Your Brand
I always buy the same toothpaste, yogurt, and mayonnaise because I like the brand. Maybe you also have favorite brands. My friend is on her third Honda. My husband only drinks Miller Lite. People are loyal to particular brands because of things like their...
Captivate, Motivate, Educate
Creating a “knock your socks off” business presentation can seem overwhelming. Regardless of whether you’re making a formal presentation at a conference or sitting across the table with a client or your boss, there are three key things to remember. Captivate Motivate...
How to Sell Like a CEO, When You’re Not!
Carly Fiorina was CEO of the Hewlett Packard organization for over 5 years. Fiorina was a charismatic leader and was extremely successful in rallying the board around her ideas and her strategies. Despite several missed profit expectations and an 8% drop in stock...
Be Heard — a Non-Fail Recipe
We all know that a speaker needs to be heard, whether it is in giving an update on a project, advising a client on an investment opportunity or explaining the functionality of a new product. Yet so often, business professionals are not heard. They do not connect with...
What People Often Forget When Making a Presentation!
Savvy presenters know you have to get two things right, your opening and your close. If you do those well, you will be a success because people remember the first words out of your mouth and the last. However, while presenters know the importance of a strong opening...
Getting Serious about Trust? Some Tips on What Not to Do
Being a Trusted Advisor, in the eyes of many experts, is the Holy Grail. It’s what you should strive to become if you are selling a product or a service. It takes time and perseverance to develop such a relationship, but the rewards for both parties are enormous....
Shore Up Your Relationships – They’ll Keep You in Business
High performing companies know the value of building relationships with their customers and vendors. Relationships drive growth and revenue. They carry you through the tough times and may even give you an edge if there are shared intimacies. However, while we know...
The Grave Digger’s Shift – What to Consider When Presenting Later in the Day!
Is your presentation scheduled for 3 p.m or even later? If so, you’re in the Grave Digger’s Shift. In fact, any time you speak in the afternoon, you run the risk of digging your own grave unless you are interesting and engaging. People are tired and typically have a...
Tell a Story and You’ll Connect
Most managers or executives begrudging attend meetings with vendors or salespeople. They look upon them as an interruption. The last thing they want when they are busy is more information about a product or service thrown at them. When they actually do meet with you,...
Guidelines for Great Large Group Presentations
What is the difference between your audience and an elephant? An elephant never forgets; an audience occasionally remembers. You go to a lot of trouble to prepare for a large group presentation. You want it to be a success and people to feel their time was well spent....
Being as Good as the Big Guys
We have all heard speakers who are exceptional – their message is clear and it is delivered in a compelling manner. People like Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers, Steve Ballmer CEO of Microsoft and John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems fall into this category. However,...
Need Influence? Read Below!
How often have you heard someone say to you, “You need to be more influential?” When we hear that request, often we don’t know how to address the issue. From a communication standpoint, three issues are critical to making a powerful impression on others. People need...
Why I Simply Can’t Trust You
The aim of any presenter is to be trusted. Yet, time after time, listeners aren’t sold. Many even comment, “You know, there is something about that guy that I just can’t trust.” What you say and how you say it is critical to establishing trust. Albert Mehrabian,...
The Storyteller’s Checklist
People are moved by their heads and their hearts. Data alone won’t convince people. Knowing this, many companies have adopted a storytelling approach with their customers. An engaging story helps to deepen the human connection and increase the likelihood of ideas...
Presentations Are Out: Sharing Your Story Is In!
Customers are not crazy about formal presentations. They complain that presentations often seem prescriptive and downright boring. When surveyed, one of our clients said, “The last thing I need in my day is one more salesperson doing a dog and pony show. What happened...
Reach, Teach and Touch – 3 Requirements for Any Presenter
Selling your ideas isn’t easy, especially in today’s dynamic business climate. Listeners go from meeting to meeting. They are on information overload. Without Reaching, Teaching and Touching your listeners, it is likely your content will be overlooked. The question is...Establish Credibility by Being a Trusted Advisor
What business person wouldn’t covet being thought of as a trusted advisor! Obviously, customers would act on your recommendations and refer you to other business acquaintances. They would turn to you first to improve the quality of their business and sign contract...You Can’t Leave Your Communication Skills behind Just Because You Are at Lunch
Many professionals conduct business outside of the office over lunch. The atmosphere is often more relaxing and conducive to discussing important matters privately. However, the business lunch can erode the impression of you as a consummate professional if you leave...Selling Yourself in A Down Economy
As the economy continues to plummet, businesses weigh every internal and external decision very carefully. To save money internally, decision-makers are looking closely at their own headcount. Non-essential jobs and marginal performers are being eliminated quickly....- Achieving Long Lasting Client Relationships on the Phone
The importance of developing long term relationships with your customers cannot be underestimated, particularly in this down economy. In the past, if a company had a terrific product, customers flocked to the company and stayed with it. Not any more. Today, despite the product, there are competitors who are selling something similar. Customers have lots […]
- Put That Smile Back on Your Customer’s Face!
Customers today are busy; some are overwhelmed by the myriad of tasks they now have to perform. When they call your help desk or customer care center, they are often frustrated and anything but pleasant. You can put that smile back on their face, and here is the way to do it.
- Listen like your job depends on it because it just might!
Listening is the number one skill for success in business today. Poor listening skills make people angry and make them feel you don’t value them. They affect all relationships, especially business relationships. Most people think they are good listeners. In reality, we listen effectively only 25% of the time. In fact, most people only listen […]
- Trust Is a Leader’s X Factor
Trust is a leader’s X factor to accomplishing things faster, better and with fewer resources. However, trust must be earned. It cannot be taken for granted. A lot of leaders give lip service to wanting to build a trusting environment, but yet they do very little to actually promote it. Establishing a culture of trust takes a top down initiative.
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