Steve Mandel, Founder

Communication Skills as a Wildlife Conservation Tool

by Steve Mandel

Can conversation and presentation skills save wild lions, zebras, and elephants? Recently, I traveled to Kenya to conduct training workshops for people who work with the wildlife conservation groups Ewaso Lions, Grevy's Zebra Trust, and Save the Elephants. These organizations focus a lot of their efforts on global education, outreach, and collaboration with governments and local people. Their ability to communicate well is essential to their success.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills

How to Build (and Avoid Breaking) Rapport

by Steve Mandel

When you break rapport, you've communicated that you don't have your listener's best interests at heart. And when that happens, you lose your ability to keep his or her attention or to influence his or her thinking. So this week, I thought I’d focus on ways people break rapport and how to avoid them.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Executive Presence, Sales Readiness

Why You Were Born to Tell Stories

by Steve Mandel

Sharing a meaningful story or anecdote can be nerve-wracking, especially in a business setting. Every time you do it, you’re putting your ideas and your credibility on the line. But you don’t have to fear it. In fact, you were made for it. Learn why storytelling works and how to make it work for you.

by Steve Mandel

Storytelling

How to Prevent Projects from Failing

by Steve Mandel

It’s time for businesses to stop squandering resources, time, and money on a project management problem that is entirely preventable. Communication skills, rather than a saboteur of success, can be an agent of outperformance.

by Steve Mandel

Project Management, Technical Professionals

Your Audience Is Sitting Where?!

by Steve Mandel

Where and how your audience members are seated can have a major impact on what you must do to connect with them during your presentation. Each type of seating arrangement presents unique advantages and disadvantages. Here's how to best manage three of the more common set-ups.

by Steve Mandel

In-Person Presentations, Presentation Skills

Mom Was Right: Why Good Posture Matters

by Steve Mandel

Whether you're presenting standing up or sitting down (in a live meeting or presenting virtually), using good posture is important. We all remember mom's admonitions, “Sit up straight” or “Don’t slouch.” Well, she was right, especially when we communicate with others! After all, your posture is one of the first things people notice about you. What do you want it to communicate?

by Steve Mandel

Executive Presence, In-Person Presentations, Presentation Skills

Selling Up: What Executives Want

by Steve Mandel

Even though you yourself might not be an executive, you must come across in a manner that demonstrates you're confident, credible, and someone who understands the executive's world. Here's how to project executive presence when selling up.

by Steve Mandel

Executive Presence, Presenting to Executives, Selling Skills

Does Your Focus on Details Turn People Off?

by Steve Mandel

Could your meticulous focus on the details be off-putting to others? What can you do to avoid this? Here are a few simple things you can do to better communicate with non-analyticals and big-picture people, so that they feel more connected and satisfied in their interactions with you.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, PowerPoint, Technical Professionals

A Better Way to Plan Your Presentation

by Steve Mandel

Want better presentation results? Plan strategically, not tactically. Instead of recycling slides from older decks and making them fit your presentation, start with who your audience is and what you want to accomplish. Here's how.

by Steve Mandel

Presentation Skills, Presentation Slides

Don’t Be a Stick in the Mud…Move!

by Steve Mandel

Moving around when you speak benefits both you and your audience. Here are some tips for how and where to move, so that you enhance your connection with your audience, as well as their enjoyment of your presentation.

by Steve Mandel

Executive Presence, In-Person Presentations, Presentation Skills

Using Quotes to Punch Up Your Presentation

by Steve Mandel

Not only are quotes a great way to punch up what might otherwise be a dry presentation, but they lend credibility to your thoughts and ideas. Here are a few tips on where to source quotes and how to use them effectively in your presentations.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills

Use the Power of Gestures

by Steve Mandel

Do you ever feel awkward about what to do with your hands when you give a presentation? You're not alone. Isn't it strange, though, that people almost never feel this awkwardness during everyday conversation? Gesturing comes naturally outside of the presentation environment. Anxiety interrupts the ability to gesture when presenting. Here's how to overcome your anxiety and use gestures effectively.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills

When Stakes Are High in the Briefing Center

by Steve Mandel

Executive Briefing Center presentations are typically high stakes. When millions in revenue are on the line, expectations are high on both sides of the table. If you're asked to present, you feel the pressure. That's why preparation is essential. And, practice is mandatory. Here are a few essential tips to help you prep for and deliver world-class briefings.

by Steve Mandel

Presentation Skills, Presenting to Executives

Don’t Let How You Communicate Set You Back

by Steve Mandel

In the business world, people and events seem to move faster than the speed of light. You've barely completed one task, when five more appear needing your attention. And, they were all due yesterday! Given that you can't stop the earth from spinning, or time itself, here are a few things you can do to keep your communications efficient and relationship-positive amidst the chaos.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills

Tips on Presenting from the Big Stage

by Steve Mandel

Speaking to a big audience can be intimidating. Often, bright lights are shining in your eyes, the stage is huge and elevated above your audience, and the stakes may be very high. The pressure is on! At last month’s Cisco Live event, we provided coaching around the unique challenges of speaking to large audiences. Here are a few of the tips we shared for tackling these challenges.

by Steve Mandel

Executive Presence, In-Person Presentations, Presentation Skills, Presentation Slides

Tough Questions: Keep Your Cool Under Pressure

by Steve Mandel

Everyone has had to deal with questions that are difficult, asked in an angry voice, or just plain hostile. And, when you're caught off guard by such questions, it's easy to be thrown into a panicky state and not answer well, jeopardizing your credibility. Here's how to avoid losing your cool under pressure.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills, Selling Skills

How to Pause When Presenting

by Steve Mandel

It's not uncommon to talk too fast and speed through a presentation. Too often, people fill potential pauses with filler words such as, “like” or “ya know” or “um” or “ah”. But, the effect on your audience can be devastating. Instead, learn how to use pauses effectively to enhance your audience's understanding of your message and their esteem of you as the messenger.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills

How to Communicate with Executives: Part III

by Steve Mandel

The two-part blog series on How to Communicate with Executives was so well-received, I wanted to write a third and final bonus post. Not to mention, Fortune 500 executives have shared so many invaluable tips with me with over the years, that it's difficult for me not to want to share them all. So, this week I'll conclude the series by focusing on (1) the use of slides when presenting to executives and (2) how to manage push back when interacting with executives.

by Steve Mandel

Executive Presence, PowerPoint, Presentation Skills, Presenting to Executives

How to Communicate with Executives: Part II

by Steve Mandel

This week, in Part II of this series, I'm going to focus on how to present yourself to executives in order to earn their respect and confidence. How do you communicate non-verbally? What's your body language saying? Or your vocal tone and volume? Here's what executives believe executive presence should look like.

by Steve Mandel

Executive Presence, Presenting to Executives

How to Communicate with Executives: Part I

by Steve Mandel

In Part I of this two-part series, Steve Mandel shares two common concerns Fortune 500 executives have voiced again and again about how people communicate with them. Their concerns directly correlate to steps you can take to become a more skilled, confident, and highly competent executive communicator.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Presentation Skills, Presenting to Executives

9 Sales Questions to Help You Close Deals Faster

by Steve Mandel

On any sales call, your goal is to get as much valuable information as you can from the client—information that can help you recommend a relevant solution or service, build trust, and close the sale more quickly. Here are 9 questions to help you gain the insight and info you need to build better relationships with clients and close deals faster.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

INSIGHTS

Mandel Concepts

Steve Mandel