Identify Yourself Sooner Than Later
I recently received a phone call from a nice man looking at maybe doing a joint-venture and/or sharing space for workshops and seminars. Although it was a pleasant-enough conversation I would like to remind him and everyone else out there that you must identify yourself at the beginning of your phone call! He confirmed who […]
Accent Reduction – Top 10 Tips Cont’d
6 – Control your volume, and stress key content words to keep listeners focused. Content words are nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, numbers, and other descriptor words. 7 – Control your rhythm and pace. It is not a race! Use medium speed, and medium volume. 8 – Practice with tongue-twisters, alliteration and poetry. Get control of […]
Accent Reduction – Top 10 Tips
It can be very exciting studying for a year or two in a foreign country, and every year thousands of ESL students travel to English-speaking countries to have an adventure, take a break from rigorous (i.e. difficult) studying at home, and learn some English. At the same time, immigration is up in some countries, especially […]
How to Communicate with Confidence – Tip
Medium is the rule. Walk at a medium pace. Walking too fast gives the impression that you are hurried, unorganized, late, not paying attention and not available to speak to people. Walking too slow looks like you are tired, lack energy, unsure of where you are going, and again not paying attention. Talk at a […]
Do You Speak the Same Way to a Taxi Driver and a CEO?
Greetings everyone! Sorry it has been a while – Moscow has been keeping me busy (but for only one more week now). I thought you might like to consider the question in the title – from a communications perspective, anyway. Rebecca MacDonald, Canadian entrepreneur and co-founder of Energy Savings Income Fund, was recently asked a […]
Communication – Not English
Recently I was talking to a new immigrant to Toronto who admitted that she usually does not speak to people that are in the service industry, during day to day transactions. I was surprised by this admission and of course wanted details, because, although English is her second language, she and I spoke easily together. […]
Bookend Your Voice Messages
This means leave your (full) name and number clearly at the beginning and ending of your messages. Sometimes we are in a hurry and forget the little things that really help communication. Or we are just simply used to speaking quickly as our natural voice. And sometimes we forget that cell phones and the like […]
Are You on a Confidence Tightrope?
Do you know how confident you should act in your presentations? Robert Herjavec (one of the VCs – Venture Capitalists – from the TV shows “Dragons’ Den” and “Shark Tank”) was recently asked this question: “What’s the most common fundraising flaw you see in entrepreneurs?” His answer: “Overconfidence, bordering on arrogance. Or lack of confidence, […]
Confident Verbal Communications
Our Saturday workshop was a blast! Here is a sample of what was taught to help our participants communicate their confidence. Enjoy. Even though only 7% of our communication is verbal, which is our word choice, phrases and expressions used etc. we still need to acknowledge the impact of what we say on others. A […]
Speakers Gold talent Search
I recently was invited to attend a local speaking competition, held on June 21st, here in Toronto. I was in the audience of about 40 people, and there were 10 speakers, who each had only 3 minutes to express themselves in a way that impacted the audience, and their 3 judges. The first 2 speakers […]