A new client told me, “I don’t have any stories.” I told her, “We ALL have stories. Stories are simply the intriguing things that happen to or around us.” She came back with, “But I…
Browsing CategoryCommunication
Down with Elevator Speeches
“Enough about me. What do you think about me?” – Bette Midler in the movie Beaches While speaking at an INC 500 event, I introduced a new approach for replacing elevator SPEECHES with elevator CONNECTIONS. An entrepreneur named Colleen raised her…
How Can I Motivate People to Pay Attention to Me?
“Let’s address the elephant in the room. ‘YO Elephant!’” – humorist Gene Weingarten An executive hired me to help him with his habit of “over-talking.” He knew it was undermining his impact and…
What Can Ukulele Player Jake Shimabukuro Teach Us About Communication?
I’m here speaking in Waikiki and chanced upon an excellent PBS-Hawaii documentary last night about Jake, a virtuoso who has “hit it big,” yet remains grounded in his values. Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings…
7 Steps To Delivering a Mind-Blowing TED Talk
TRANSFORM YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL PRESENTATION IDEAS BY APPLYING THE “SEVEN CS OF ORIGINAL MESSAGING.” BY SAM HORN It’s been said that there are no original ideas. But what may seem like old hat to you could become…
Do I Have to Be Funny? Only If You Want People to Listen
“Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” – Victor Borge A client preparing a TEDx talk told me, “I know humor is important, but I’m not funny. Every time I try to tell a joke, it falls flat. ” I told him,…
Why Never to End a Talk with “Thank You” – and What To Do Instead
Do you know how most speakers, managers and committee chairs wrap up their presentations and meetings? “Thank you for listening.” “We’re out of time. That’s it for today,” or “If you have any questions, please let me know.”…
Never Start Your Presentation with “First, Let Me Tell You About Myself”
I have actually SEEN audience members roll their eyes as soon as a speaker says, “First, let me tell you a little about myself.” Why? #1. It’s rarely a little. It’s often a litany of…
Want to Get the Attention of Your Convention Audiences?
“I have found there is no substitute for paying attention.” – TV anchor Diane Sawyer Unfortunately, in today’s culture of impatience and distraction, it can be challenging to motivate people to pay attention…
Want to Know What To Say – When You Don’t Know What To Say?
Would you like to know what to say when you don’t know what to say? Would you like to be able to think on your feet and respond proactively when people are being unfair, unkind…