If you’ve read even a few of my writings (books, blogs, newsletters) you know I’m really big on storytelling. The truth is, our brains are wired for stories. Science is now proving what life experience has always shown: we feel before we think. It’s stories that attract us, stories that help us learn the most, stories that get us to buy, or click, or act.
Meet Nimisha Ladva.
I’d like you meet Master Shredder Emma. Emma is a 21 year old woman in Australia who has Down Syndrome, autism, and hearing loss, and can neither read nor write. And yet, with some guidance from her mother, she has a very satisfying career and is interacting happily with members of the community. This has not only enriched her life, but theirs as well.
I’m delighted to be featured by Arlin Cuncic in her article What Do You Do if You Ended a Conversation Awkwardly? on The Global Post. Arlin read my article on the Quick and Dirty Tips website called How to End a Conversation and mentioned one of my tips in her article.
I’m thrilled to be referenced by Juventud Kehila in his article about presentations called, “How to make incredible presentations?”. The article was written in Spanish. If you’re non-Spanish speaker, the 5 main points are the following.
1. Identify your anxiety
2. Be brief
3. Listen to critics
4. Prepare for the unknown
5.
I’m really excited to be featured by Heidi Stevens in The Chicago Tribune. The article talks about how to introduce people properly with tips I provided in my book, Smart Talk.
Tom Tenderheart is the CEO of a major widget company. Faced with lower-than-expected third quarter results, he calls a meeting of his nine top executives. At the boardroom table sit Terri Tattletale, Chris Curmudgeon, Ned Know-It-All, Wendy Whiner, Billy Bully, Steve Slacker, Paul Procrastinator, Chad Chatterbox, and Carrie Coldshoulder.
Likability is important to your success. Malcom Gladwell writes in Tipping Point, “sprinkled among every walk of life . . . are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances.” Gladwell describes them as having an ability to span many different worlds, subcultures and niches.
Getting the day started in our house is a daily exercise in communication! I really dislike being stressed out in the morning. Instead, I prefer to start my day calmly with a cup of tea.
I try to get up before anyone else so that I can have quiet time to myself. Sometimes I read, sometimes, I exercise, sometimes, I catch up on work.
Disfluencies, in general, weaken messages. They’re distracting for your listeners and they make you sound bad.
In the first 30 seconds I counted four “likes” and three “rights” and two “ums”. Worse, I’m certain that Tom had no idea that his speech was infected with these verbal viruses.
People quickly form strong opinions based on first impressions and that is why a well-crafted, strong, self-introduction is a critical part of making a good first impression. First impressions are very difficult change, so it is best when introducing yourself to be confident, strong, and self-aware […]
