Studies show that trust – perhaps the most important element of effective communication – is closely tied to facial expression. In our first year of life we are largely unable to speak or understand nuanced language. Our brains are developing faster than at any other time in our lives and
We’ve all heard the old adage, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” and I think most of us would agree this is a good idea – within reason. Dressing like your next stage of career development gives others the opportunity to see you in that
When communicating something important, be it one-to-one or one-to-many, it’s important to emphasize key ideas to influence and drive action. But it’s also important to remember that pushing out the key words with force is only one way – and not always the best. The hammer is only one tool
I know I’m not the typical audience for a presentation or pitch. Unlike most people, I listen to people presenting ideas for a good part of every day. As a result of this exposure, I’ve developed some pet peeves when it comes to common delivery choices. One item at the
As many of my clients will agree, the most challenging part of any presentation, meeting, or other high-stakes communication is the beginning (with the end running a close second). In a workshop I was running last week, many participants received the same feedback from their peers, “You seemed a little
It’s a common temptation to add qualifiers like, “very,” “really,” “super,” “amazingly,” “totally,” etc. to our descriptive words – especially when they relate to our products, services, or results. The problem is that doing this can sometimes undermine the perception of the very product, service, or result we’re trying to