Our ability to communicate verbally is degrading due to our ever-increasing reliance on technology. We’re constantly being pulled in a dozen directions to keep up with all the information streams pouring into our lives. As a result, many people and…
Communication Lessons Learned from International Travel
Yesterday I arrived back in Chicago after 2+ weeks in Europe. My trip consisted of both business and leisure activities, and my experiences in each made me think of a few rules of thumb to keep in mind when communicating…
Get Off Your Phone
In recent years there have been a number of films and TV shows depicting zombie invasions. They roam around aimlessly running into people and trying to bite them. But why do we need all of this expensively-produced zombie entertainment when…
The Five Second Rule
We all have a lot going on nowadays. Between work stuff, personal stuff, deciding what to wear, deciding what to eat, keeping up with the conversation on Twitter, stalking people on LinkedIn, and wondering why so-and-so posted that stupid link…
To Be a Great Speaker, Study Your Audience
When working to become better communicators, most people focus solely on analyzing their own behaviors. The secret, rather, lies in looking beyond oneself and studying the audience. There are hundreds of books that outline the model of what a great…
Strong Verbal Communication Skills are Now a Big Differentiator
How is most of your business, or even personal, correspondence conducted nowadays? If you said in-person, you’re a very rare (and lucky) breed. When I worked as a Product Manager, I spent far more time communicating with clients and colleagues…
There’s Always Enough Time to Get Personal
One of the things I always stress to clients and students is the importance of getting personal in presentations. My reasoning for this is summed up well by the following quote: People don’t care how much you know until they…
4 Simple Tips to Tackle Presentation Jitters
Last week I wrote an article for Built In Chicago containing several tips on how to beat your fear of public speaking. While the article is angled towards entrepreneurs, the content is very relevant for professionals in companies big or…
The Old Friend Technique
I’d like to share a helpful technique for managing presentation nerves. But first, let me tell you briefly about Joe. Joe has been a best friend of mine ever since the lottery of Indiana University’s housing division made us dormitory…
Love and Pitching
Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I thought it might be appropriate to say a few words about love – and pitching. There are a number of similarities between how you act with your honey-bunny and how you should be acting with…