“It’s not about you. It never was.” – actress Diane Keaton Do you know anyone who likes listening to a speech? Me neither. Speeches are lectures. Who wants to be lectured? That’s why, from now on, when…
Posts TaggedSam Horn
Tongue Fu!® How to Lead and Influence with Respect
Thanks to ChosunBiz – South Korea’s largest newspaper – for interviewing me for a cover story. Thought you might enjoy highlights from our interview with these Tongue Fu! tips on how to lead and influence with…
Turn a NO into a YES
“If you stick to what you know; you’ll sell yourself short.” – singer Carrie Underwood If you stick to what you know … you’ll get a no. Instead, ask yourself, “Why will my decision-makers say…
Start with a Story
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…
Creative Projects in Your Head Help No One: 35 Quotes to Inspire You to FINISH What You Start
“One day you’ll wake up and there won’t be any time left to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.” – Paulo Coelho. When people tell me they’re thinking about staring a creative project,…
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…
Got Focus?
Do you know one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a result of researching, writing and speaking about attention, concentration and focus? If we want to truly FOCUS, we must first truly SEE. Yet, to really…
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…