I was always taught that “relationships determine results.” And now I know Lisa’s book, Smart Talk, helps you create those golden relationships!      – Pat Croce,  New York Time Best-Selling Author and Serial Entrepreneur

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From the book Smart Talk, coming to bookstores December 2012!

…We’re taught reading and writing in school, yet rarely (if ever), are we taught to be smart about what we say and how we say it. We aren’t taught communication skills.

For example:

·       Do you know specific methods of introducing yourself that will form positive first impressions and lead to strong relationships (and the ways an introduction can limit your chances of ever building a relationship)?

·       Do you know all the specific ways to shake hands that instill confidence and trustworthiness (and the common mistakes that many people make)?

·       Do you know how to move beyond initial conversations?  Beyond collecting friends or fans, to sincerely and effectively engage with people and create significant, meaningful relationships?

·       Do you know what to say when someone is going through a difficult time?

·       Do you know how to deliver effective feedback without using the old “sandwich approach” which, by the way, doesn’t work?

·       Do you know how to respond to criticism?

·       Do you know alternative ways to say “no” yet still develop and build a relationship?

·       Do you know how to respond with diplomacy, tact, and grace?

·       Do you know how to deliver difficult news or how to handle a difficult conversation?

·       Do you know what to say when dealing with a bully, a whiner, or any other difficult person?

·       Do you know what makes a master negotiator different from a novice negotiator?

·       Do you know what to say to effectively persuade and influence others?

·       Do you know how our brains are wired to cause attraction, likability, and trustworthiness?

Too often, the answer to all of these questions is “no.” Or worse, we have some vague notions that trick us into thinking that we know the answers. And we realize that we really don’t know what to say only when we have a problem…after we’ve significantly damaged a relationship.

That’s why I wrote this book. What’s been missing from the shelves of your bookstore (or the files on your e-reader) is a communication reference resource, a guide that takes up-to-date communication research and applies it to practical, everyday situations that we all face, and gives smart, step-by-step directions on how to achieve results and success. It answers all the questions above and more!

Think of this book as your “Swiss Army” knife of communication!
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Smart Talk is a handy, no-nonsense, skill-building guide for both tongue-tied novices and advanced communicators who have found themselves in hot water (or who want to keep themselves out of it!).

Written for busy professionals, “Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Professional Success” [ St. Martin's Press] offers proven strategies and techniques that have immediate impact in your life and in your career. It offers practical, fresh advice so you’ll have the competitive edge to get things done, big and small, through effective communication.

Using Lisa’s lively, engaging, style and unique sense of humor, she explains step-by-step how to overcome everyday communication challenges such as how to speak with tact and grace, how to say no, and how to deal with difficult people. The book is filled with real-world examples, quick quizzes, warnings, and practice exercises for readers to learn and put into action these vitally important skills.

Backed by solid research evidence and case studies, Lisa translates her decades of experience in the communication field into proven strategies and practical, actionable plans to make genuine conversations, build lasting relationships, and influence others.

Early praise from beta readers!
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Worried about attending your next networking event, delivering feedback, saying the right thing, making a great impression? Worry no more! Lisa B. Marshall’s latest book is a field guide for being a more confident and effective communicator. Filled with challenges and resources to encourage you to try things out and get results in a way that few other books are able to accomplish.”

“This is an ideal reference guide for tongue-tied individuals like me. It is a communications manual of many speaking situations consolidated into one. Examples, action items, and interactivity… a handy volume all in one. You will probably need to read through it to familiarize yourself with the general concepts and then go back occasionally as a reference guide.

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This communication book is practical, resourceful, elaborate. It’s been written in a way that just knows ‘where to put the hinges’ to give a wide and smooth sweep over the subject…a must have for people who are serious about knowing ‘how to make genuine conversation, build lasting relationships and influence others and that’s EVERYONE!”

“Lisa B. Marshall has significantly advanced the literature on business communication with her new addition. This is a systematic review of how to communicate in various, often difficult situations, and is laced with scientific work, anecdotes, and personal stories. It is lively, engaging, fun to read, efficient, and, especially, VERY useful to a busy professional”.

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This book is relevant for everyone, from the career professional down to the high-school student. It highlights relevant topics from how to do a professional handshake, to negotiation skills, how to persuade and influence effectively – and much more. This is a must have book for everyone’s quick reference and self-improvement bookshelf.”

“Would make a nice gift for a young person just starting out in the business world or a good self-help selection to anyone looking to improve their relationships. I enjoyed reading it and would surely recommend it to others.” 

  Available everywhere December 2012

Now you can get your professional development delivered directly to your printer.  Get bite-sized briefings that you can read in a just a few minutes.  These brief bulletins help you build your reputation as a positive, inspiring, compelling communicator and can help you turn a miserable workplace into a healthy, productive, happy place to be.

If you want to take your success even further, you can upgrade your subscription to Communication Success Online  providing you exclusive access to complete Communication Success articles online.  You’ll also be able to access the full article, as well as over 100 short audio programs that you can listen to in the car, at lunch, or anytime you have a few spare minutes. Plus you can interact directly with other liked-minded professionals sharing their best practices and lessons learned.

For leaders, communication is everything. From hiring, to presentations, to meetings, it’s what you need for success. If you want to up your game, improve your productivity, and enjoy even more success…subscribe today.

Communication Success (Print Version) – Free

Communication Success Online -  $19.95/month

Learn more about Lisa B. Marshall’s partnership with Hewlett-Packard

As you can imagine, I’m fascinated by language. A good friend of mine sent this to me today. Some of them I knew already, but many of them I didn’t.  (One or two, I have even wondered about.)

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  Oh, to be clear, this is something you should read when you are looking for entertainment, not education.

…

Q: Why do men’s clothes have buttons on the right while women’s clothes have buttons on the left?
A: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid’s right! And that’s where women’s buttons have remained since.

Q: Why do ships and aircraft use ‘mayday’ as their call for help?
A: This comes from the French word m’aidez-meaning ‘help me’ — and is pronounced, approximately, ‘mayday.’

Q: Why are zero scores in tennis called ‘love’?
A: In France , where tennis became popular, round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called ‘l’oeuf,’ which is French for ‘egg.’ When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (mis) pronounced it ‘love.’

Q. Why do X’s at the end of a letter signify kisses?
A: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.

Q: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called ‘passing the buck’?
A: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would ‘pass the buck’ to the next player.

Q: Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
A: It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host’s glass with his own.
Q: Why are people in the public eye said to be ‘in the limelight’?
A: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer ‘in the limelight’ was the centre of attention.
Q: Why is someone who is feeling great ‘on cloud nine’?
A: Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud, If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.

Q: In golf, where did the term ‘Caddie’ come from?
A. When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game ‘golf.’ So he had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ‘ca-day’ and the Scots changed it into ‘caddie.

Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?
A: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called ‘pygg’. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as ‘pygg banks.’ When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.

Q: Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches (milling), while pennies and nickels do not?
A: The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren’t notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave.

Do you know any other language mystery stories?  I’d love to know more. Share yours in the comments.

When I was graduating from college Exxon Mobile (at the time Mobile Oil) was training their managers in behavioral-based interviewing. They needed practice candidate so they came onto campus to give young college students (like myself) a chance.

I needed practice interviewing so I went to the classroom to practice. I’ll never forget it was a team of people at a desk asking me questions, “Tell me about a time when…” and there was also a team of evaluators sitting in the back of the classroom. I was telling all kinds of stories and including everyone in the room, even though I think I was supposed to be concentrating on the interviewers.

I felt extremely relaxed because they made it a BIG POINT to tell all the students there were no job and that these were not real interviews–only practice. I was having so much fun and they were getting good practice.

They asked me to stay to do two or three more. I didn’t have classes so I stayed. The would stop the interview every now and again to provide some direction to the interviewers. At the end, they told me that I had done so well, that they wanted to invite me for a real interview!

The real interviews weren’t as fun but I did like the company. I was surprised when I did NOT get an offer. I contacted them to find out why and I’ll never forget what they told me, “Lisa, you are an “A” student and we only hire B+ people. Eventually you won’t be happy here and it’s better for us not to hire you.”

Although I didn’t get the job, I did get a great education on behavioral interviewing and the importance of making good hiring decisions. I have used behavioral-interviewing for all of my hires throughout my career. I find the structured technique to be extremely valuable. However, I’ve learned it takes some time to become a good interviewer and it also helps if the rest of your team interviews in this manner too. Some of the places I’ve worked weren’t open to the idea, but I still incorporated behavioral-based questions into my interviews.

If you’re interested in this type of interviewing, you might want to take a look at the PDF. It’s a great tool that defines certain general skills and then gives suggestions for behavior-based questions. Good luck and if you have any suggestions for others, make a comment below.

I can’t remember many brand icons from my childhood, but I do remember one that was “Grrrrrreat”…of course that was “Tony the Tiger”…ah the days of simplicity. Today, we are seeing a resurgence of brand icons and they are ‘not your fathers’s’ icons.

Today’s icons are far more complex and multi-dimensional. They have facebook pages and Twitter profiles. People love to interact with icons–especially when they are fun and engaging.

Here’s my favorite brand icon that is doing exceedingly well. I love it becuase it’s one of the few brands that grabs the interest of my husband. He’ll fast forward through every other commercial, but stops for these. Here’s one of his favorites:

I don’t know if she was coached, heard this from her parents, or decided this on her own. It’s still a great example, of clear, concise, and compelling argument. She makes her point, she then gives support, and then she makes her point again. She is using the PEP (point, example, point) model to make her argument. She’s also very passionate and uses gestures. Nice! (I think the parents will be in for some very interesting arguments in the future!) She reminds me of my daughter who also has some great skills when it comes to diplomatic argument.

Here’s the bottom line: If a five year old can do it, so can you!
If you haven’t seen the video, here it is.

I’ve written many posts on how to tell a powerful story. When we hear a good story we are moved, literally, moved to action. Listen to this example from a very large brand. This is great example of how business professionals can use story.

1. Did you notice how the music in the beginning was an attention getter and at the same time provided the setting?
2. Did you notice the humor used was at the beginning? And throughout? “shut it” “bereavement counseling”
3. Did you notice the rule of three? (e.g. a glint in his eye, a fire in his belly, a spring in his step/ the mills, the mines, the tough times)
4. Did you notice how the language choice enhanced the story and brought attention to key messages? (e.g. backroom art …developed into a commercial proposition / stir the Scottish heart/ John thrived)
5. Did you notice that the music was getting faster and faster as the story progressed building suspense?
6. Did you notice how the visuals were supporting the key points (And the visuals weren’t powerpoint slides!)
7. Did you notice that the “whys” were the interesting part, not the whats!

If you didn’t specifically notice these points the first time, you might want to look again. The point is, we get drawn into a story when these elements are used and often we are unaware that these elements are in play. A good story allows us to create a pictures in our minds and that picture can be quite compelling and memorable. For example…

1. Did you feel like you were being sold?
2. Did it “move” you? Give you a good feeling about the brand? Inspire you to buy?
3. Did you feel compelled to watch the entire thing?

Finally, to wrap up, here’s a quick quiz for you. Can you identify the elements of a good story in the ad?

1. What is the setting?
2. Who are the characters
3. What is the problem / challenge
4. What is the solution? How did the characters overcome the challenge?
5. What are some specific details that you remember?

Answers.
1. Scotland
2. The Walker Family
3. Loss of parent..struggle to make a business..beating the competition
4. Johnnie Walker Store / consistent malt / bottle shape, unique labels)
5. Sign on the grocer door, malts on the table, all the label colors, the shape of the bottle, etc.

How might you tell the story of your business differently now that you’ve heard this one?

Feel free to share your story in the comments.

First, I’m writing a short episode on things you can learn from your pet about communication. If you’ve got an idea on this, please post it to the comments.

Second, if your dog does tricks, take a pic and enter the Quick and Dirty Tips Sweepstakes. Here’s the link with more details…

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/SweepStakesMain.aspx

Do you wish you had the presentation gene…the one that enables you to efficiently prepare and dynamically deliver your work in a clear, concise, and compelling manner? Unfortunately, there is no gene (not yet).  Instead, this seminar will share essential tips and tools for making better scientific presentations.

In this seminar, you’ll learn:

•    the single most important way to improve your presentations,
•    common eye contact mistakes,
•    an important behavior to increase your credibility,
•    how to overcome speaker’s anxiety,
•    and much more.

Lisa B. Marshall been helping organizations and individuals by identifying core communication issues and creating programs to address them. She has spoken on a variety of topics in the areas of public speaking, networking, social media, conflict management, interviewing, authentic communication, and personal influence.  However, all programs include practical, evidence-based, approaches to solve complex communication issues.

This week I mentioned speeches by Nelson Mandela.  I thought I’d include it here for inspiration!

Enjoy.