INSIGHTS

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Have you ever encountered an unfriendly meeting participant while presenting? Maybe you know someone who constantly interrupts, asks aggressive questions, or worse, tries to take over your meeting. Believe it or not, you have more control over these conference room bullies than you think. Learn how to recognize these strong personalities, the things you may be doing to trigger their behavior, and what you can do right now to strengthen your command of the room and feel more confident in front of any audience.
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Ever wonder how the best speakers fully engage their audience while looking natural and at ease? It starts with expanding your presentation comfort zone and seeing yourself objectively. Video recording, coupled with expert coaching, can take your communication skills to the next level. Find out how the experts do it.
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Companies perform better financially when women are well represented in the workforce, in management, and on corporate boards. The problem is when a woman speaks, she can feel like she’s walking a tightrope. Many women report feeling like they’re either not heard at all at work or are judged as too aggressive when they speak. The research backs this up. As a result, women may decide that saying less is more. But this hurts them and their organizations. So what can your business do to tackle this problem head-on and build a stronger pipeline of women leaders? Read the blog to find out.
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Business anxiety is high. Geopolitics. Trade. Cyber security. Uncertainty reigns. One former White House economist suggests we're living in an "age of anxiety." Ready-aim-fire approaches to addressing the disruptive changes ahead won't work. Instead, businesses need to be proactive. How? Equip your people with the skills needed to create clarity from chaos and decisiveness from uncertainty. Learn why clearer thinking and speaking is the antidote to business anxiety and what 3 skills your talent needs to not only survive this new era, but to thrive in it.
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Death by PowerPoint is real. I hear it all the time from executives and B2B buyers: “PowerPoint presentations do more harm than good.” Could your sales team's poor use of slides be killing your sales? Here are three things you can do to avoid "Death by PowerPoint" and deliver more powerful, precise, and persuasive sales presentations.
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You've probably heard the expression, "Content is king." And, it's likely your company has spent a lot of money creating content that supports successful selling. But even the world's greatest message or content will fail to persuade if your sales reps can't deliver it effectively. When it comes to sales performance, here's why content delivery is king.
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When you’re talking to colleagues and customers, what does YOUR word cloud look like? Too often, clouds are filled with crutch words like, “ums” and “ahs” and “you knows.” The good news? People can change the shape of their word clouds using an underrated, yet powerful, communication skill: the ability to say nothing at all. Using the “power of the pause” will make you a more effective communicator. Read on to learn more.
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The decision makers whose attention you're trying to get are too distracted to hear a word you're saying. The implication: having a great business idea is no longer enough. You’ve got to be able to present it in a way that GRABS attention and KEEPS it. Your ability to do that boils down to whether you can accomplish these 3 things quickly…
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In building Mandel's global training capability, one of the most thrilling things I realized is that there are ways of communicating that transcend borders. I want to tell you about 3 “tools” in particular that were instrumental in helping me to build stronger relationships with my new colleagues and partners around the world, from Shanghai to Buenos Aires.
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Executives today are making or influencing more and more buying decisions (especially when it comes to technology). Is your sales team ready to engage executives in conversations about the business challenges that keep them up at night? This is where traditional sales training fails. Here’s how you can fix it.
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Let's face it. We're losing the ability to listen in this always-on, multi-tasking world. And, we're paying a price for it. When we fail to listen well, we miss vital info, misinterpret messages, or even damage our relationships with others. But, still, there have always been those special people who seem to have a natural gift for knowing how to make you feel heard. People like Grandma Hendrickson. Here's how she practices the gracious art of listening...and how you can, too.
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Presenting on-camera can be a nerve-wracking experience. Just walking onto the video set at Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) raised my anxiety. Here are three suggestions I learned from my own experience that may help you better manage anxiety when it’s your turn to record a video.
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When you present to senior executives, you expect scrutiny. You know they'll be evaluating whether what you have to say is of value to them. But, there's something else they're looking for from you.... And, it's further proof that when the stakes are high, both what you say AND how you say it can make all the difference.
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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?
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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.
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