Communication – Page 3

The Power of a Name

There’s a new dry cleaner in my neighborhood. I went there a couple of times and then I’ve been out of town for the past month or so and I just went for the third time and as I walked in the guy working said “Ty Bennett, right?” And it surprised me. I told him I was impressed with his ability to remember names. He played off the complement, but was very interactive and personable during my visit. It reminded me how powerful a name was and where I learned that lesson. A few years ago I had a speech

January 25, 2017 No Comments

Investments Lead To Stories

Investments in people lead to stories. And the stories that are told invariably build the influence and reputation of the one doing the investing. Think about it: -When you have exceptional service at a restaurant, what do you do? You tell the story. -When your boss does something extra special for you, what do you do? You tell the story. -When a friend goes out of their way to help you, what do you do? You tell the story. We love it when someone invests in us by providing exceptional attention and service, and because it is so unexpected

October 19, 2016 No Comments

If You Use PowerPoint – Read This

Last week at one of the events I keynoted the speaker before me used 65 blank white slides with bullet point paragraphs in black font that he read word for word from screen! – Seriously painful. So to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore – here are 18 tips for anyone who uses PowerPoint to present: (I have to give credit to Ruby Newell-Legner for many of the tips below) Finish your presentation before starting to work on your Power Point slides Remember – PowerPoint is NOT your Presentation. It is a visual support to your message Use a

August 3, 2016 No Comments

3 Types of Influence

Whether it’s at home, at work, at play, or anywhere in between, our influence on those around us will fall into three categories: Situational Influence – People follow you because they have to. Position and authority most often determine this kind of influence. A political leader, for example, or a CEO, or a school teacher, or a traffic cop. This is the most common type of influence, based on position, title and authority. It is influence bequeathed, not personally earned, and exercising it can be done lazily because following is not a choice. When people are forced or compelled to

July 13, 2016 No Comments

Stop Giving Sales Presentations (Have Sales Conversations)

If you are teaching, leading, selling or speaking, your purpose is to engage your audience. Above all, you want to grab their attention and get them involved. Your prospect, client, customer, employee, team member, or student has to be engaged or they won’t buy your product, act on your idea or implement your plan. Without engagement, there is no influence. In the spirit of engagement, I believe that we should move from giving sales presentations to having sales conversations. There’s a huge difference between the two. A sales presentation, by definition, is a monologue, while a sales conversation is a dialogue—it involves both parties

July 6, 2016 2 Comments

Learn to Communicate Assertively

Correct communication is key to success in any type of leadership. But often, we run into individuals who miss the mark. A passive communicator doesn’t speak up! They don’t allow their voice to be heard and are often overlooked. They leave the conversation with the mindset “You’re ok, I’m not.” An aggressive communicator will dominate communication, using body language, loud speech and intimidation to steer a conversation to suit their needs. They leave the conversation with the mindset “I’m ok, you’re not.” Assertive communication is what we are aiming for. An assertive communicator makes sure their voice

June 15, 2016 No Comments

4 Steps to Effective Networking

Step 1. – Focus on the 1 you are talking to. Don’t look around the room or be distracted by your phone. Focus only on the 1 person in front of you. Step 2 – Follow the rule of 2. In an effort to make the conversation about them & not about you. Anytime they share something about themselves, ask 2 questions before you share anything about yourself. Step 3 – Say their name 3 times. This will help you remember their name, so weave it into the conversation 3 times. Step 4 – Do something 4 them.

June 1, 2016 No Comments

5 Powerfully Simple Presentation Tips

1. Get Rid of Pleasantries – There is no need to talk about the weather, how grateful you are to be there, to apologize, or reintroduce yourself. You only have a few seconds to grab their attention so start with a question or jump into your content. 2. Make it Conversational – Act like you are speaking to one person. Make it conversational. Ask questions. If it is a small group you might create dialogue, with a large audience ask questions and give a pause for people to think about the question. Keep them engaged in the conversation. 3. Tell

May 25, 2016 2 Comments

Communication Lesson From Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is one of the most recognized comedians in the world. In the early 90s it was Jerry’s comedy that spearheaded the popularity of observational humor. Here are a few of his funny observations: • According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. • I was the best man at the wedding. If I’m the best man, why is she marrying him?

May 11, 2016 1 Comment

You Can’t Elevate Yourself By Putting Others Down

One of the biggest problems in our society today is a false belief that you elevate yourself by putting others down. You see this in politics. It is almost comical when you watch a political debate; when a candidate is asked a question, they typically respond by bashing their opponent and they never answer the question. But it goes beyond politics. In business, I hear people who bash their competitors and somehow believes that makes them look better and create loyalty. It actually does the opposite. One example in our culture is the portrayal of men. Watch any sitcom

April 20, 2016 3 Comments

Relevant Leadership Blog

The Power of a Name

Investments Lead To Stories

If You Use PowerPoint – Read This

3 Types of Influence

Stop Giving Sales Presentations (Have Sales Conversations)

Learn to Communicate Assertively

4 Steps to Effective Networking

5 Powerfully Simple Presentation Tips

Communication Lesson From Jerry Seinfeld

You Can’t Elevate Yourself By Putting Others Down

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Change is Inevitable, Adaptability is Essential

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