Musings conversations engagement listening perceptionYesterday, I called customer service to correct an order. The representative was not very helpful. In fact, she challenged my integrity, which, I admit, ticked me off! MORE

On Thursday September 1, members of the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable hosted a conference call with with renowned author, speechwriter and professor Bob Lehrman. Robert A. MORE

Tim Gordon and Roger Pike discuss the framing of a conversation or communication. Its a conversation Roger and Tim had that was transcribed to an 11-page report. MORE

Go here to subscribe to Step Up Your Speaking, my free email newsletter that looks at a different speaking topic in depth each month.then become a fan of The Eloquent Woman on Facebook and join the conversation with thousands of other women (and men) about public speaking skills and confidence. MORE

The word “enchant” means to cast a spell on or bewitch; to delight or captivate utterly; to fascinate; charm. MORE

Four Ways to Transform your Presentation into a Conversation ? But we are more inclined to participate in a conversation. Deliver your presentation like a conversation and your audience will feel more engaged and less like prisoners. That feels conversational. MORE

That's the way Jeff Immelt talks: conversational but diplomatic.  It's the antithesis to the raw bluntness of Donald Trump. However, it doesn't take on Trumpism. Not directly.   Here he is on Bloomberg BusinessWeek discussing everything from tax cuts to globalization. Immelt's rhetorical genius is in how he masters the craft of criticism. For example, we all know that Trump is against' globalization. MORE

Musings conversations listening perception Trevor NoahPreparation to facilitate a workshop in India got me thinking about the differences in how we humans communicate with each other, and how that influences the kind of relationships we have with each other. Every culture has its unique language, both verbal and non-verbal. The culture may be that of a country, a state, a […]. MORE

Miscellaneous conversations engagement presentations vocal varietyIt’s tough to be heard on conference calls especially when so many people are doing other things besides paying attention to your brilliant ideas. MORE

One of the most difficult of all conversational tasks is to ask someone for a favor. If it’s a close friend and the favor is relatively easy to perform, there is little difficulty and little conversational awkwardness. asking for a favor Conversation difficult conversation favor MORE

You can use message development skills to plan ahead what you want to say when asked about any situation--from what you do for a living to what you think of the event you're attending--and use confidence-building skills to get through difficult conversations. message development conversation MORE

The Art of Conversation from stage. Bullet points don''t change people, conversations do. Bullet Points Mind of the Audience Questions Speaking from Stage Conversations from Stage No, bullet points are not enough. Are you talkin'' to me? Or are you talkin'' AT me? MORE

Here''s an interesting infographic: 9 Simple Conversation Hacks: How to Turn Any Interaction in Your Favor , sent to me by Sarah Johnson. It''s sure to spark some interesting class discussion on the uses of communication skills or with the section on conversation or persuasion. communication skills Conversation infographic persuasion Thank you, Sarah. MORE

Conversation is something we engage in everyday, often without thinking about the process itself. Yet, there are conversations that may create difficulty, apprehension, and an uncertainty about how to proceed. Here are a few such conversational situations: small talk, making introductions, giving and receiving compliments, giving and receiving advice, making excuses, and offering apologies. It’s also a conversation starter, “I like your watch; it looks very sophisticated.” MORE

TIP 2: Beware of cruises that tell you where to sit I've blogged before about people who routinely break the most basic rules of conversation (e.g. MORE

What I remember most about being home from college for the holidays is deep, meaningful conversations with people. communication Speaking conversations public speaking tips vocal impact MORE

After spending a great weekend in Las Vegas for the Author 101 Event, I participated in and observed a lot of conversations. I noticed some authors and speakers need a little improvement on how to start and have a great conversation at a networking event. I came up with 6 Critical tips for making the best out of your conversations with the other attendees. You want to try to initiate the conversation so that you can control the direction and flow. MORE

On Thursday May 18 members of the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable were in conversation with Tim Pollard, author of The Compelling Communicator: Mastering the Art and Science of Exceptional Presentation Design. MORE

A speech is not a solo act - a speech is a conversation. . Looking away, shaking one’s head, raising one’s brow, disinterest or a face anchored in stoicism are all forms of communication, and are all part of a conversation. Smiling, nodding, clapping, cheering and riveted attentiveness are also part of a conversation. Walking out of a conference room and doing nothing is also part of the conversation – usually the end of it. . MORE

What makes for a good conversation, or a meaningful meeting? Why are good conversations […] There are over 11 million corporate meetings every day in the United States, yet how often do we walk into a corporate meeting wondering why we are there? MORE

Intention Public Speaking conversations engagement networking personal brand practicing vocal power Is there method to your madness? Recently, a client asked me how to prepare to network at an upcoming conference that she will be attending. She is somewhat reserved and doesn’t enjoy small talk. We discussed lots of the basics, but in the end, her strategy wasn’t clear until she understood her intention for talking […]. MORE

(Do not read this if you are completely prepared for every upcoming conversation that matters.) This often stems from the fact that all those little cupids and hearts put pressure on you to have an important conversation. MORE

The post 7 Ways to Turn Your Presentation into a Conversation appeared first on SketchBubble Official Blog. Think of all the times in your life you’ve been lectured to. MORE

Audiences long for presenters to be real with them, and just have a conversation.    Sure, they want a focused, smart conversation, not a rambling, pointless one like so many real conversations.  MORE

My initial reaction was that it hardly seemed news that politicians say things in private conversations that they wouldn't dream of saying in public. Nothing could be further from the truth - which actually goes back more than a decade before the LibDems had come into being to a time when wrestling with the ethics of covertly recording conversations was part of my everyday life. Much of the data on which conversation analysis was built derived from tape-recorded phone calls. MORE

Election Season heads into the final stretch, the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable is pleased to announce a timely conversation with renowned author, speechwriter and pundit, Bob Lehrman. As the U.S. MORE

How can you converse with your audience? In the same way that you have a good conversation with a friend or colleague. Use these three techniques to converse with your audience: 1. Vary your pitch, pace and tone just as you would while conversing with a friend. Reading your speech will kill the conversational tone. Tell short stories and anecdotes - just as you would in a normal conversation. Start having more conversations with your listeners. MORE

Last week, a friend observed a conversation between my partner and me wherein we said “thanks” to each other a dozen times. vocal image conversations Expression intention vocal impact Afterwards, she remarked on this and said, “That seems like a lot of work.” In our family, we practice saying thanks. It’s a ritual for us; it expresses gratitude, and that we take […]. MORE

One of my clients, who is determinedly on track for a promotion in a fast-paced corporate environment asked me, “How can I insert myself more into conversations and meetings?” vocal image vocal power conversations leadership listening MORE

Nancy and I put on this little event and also recorded a short conversation. Last August I took the family back to the USA and Canada to see family and friends for the first time since our mom died in 2010. Our first stop was to see our dear friend Nancy Duarte in Silicon Valley. MORE

I have been working with a recent college graduate who is seeking an entry level job in sales and he is finding that many of the positions available are cold calling, telemarketing positions. MORE

However, if you are willing to get honest with yourself, conversational intent can be very revealing. Sometimes, it can be confusing to discover how you really feel about a relationship, and, therefore, how to talk to that person. This applies to all relationships: lovers, co-workers, and clients. In his terrific book on co-operative communication, The [.]. communication intention postaweek2011 MORE

On Wednesday February 24, members of the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable hosted a conference call with Google speechwriter Matt Teper. Matt is the Head of Editorial at Google, where he is the leader and founder of the Google Ink team. The team is responsible for defining the voice of Google in major speeches, executive presentations, […] On Wednesday February 24, members of the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable hosted a conference call with Google speechwriter Matt Teper. MORE

In her enormously popular Ted talk, Celeste Headlee gives us 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation. MORE

10.23.2009 Annoying Phrases Heres an interesting little graphic bit from USAToday--the most annoying phrases in conversation. Here are the five top (from a survey of 938 adults): "Whatever" 47% "You know" 25% "It is what it is" 11% "Anyway" 7% "At the end of the day" 2% It seems an interesting way to introduce verbal messages--their denotations and connotations, cliches, conversational fillers, and lots more. Categories: annoying phrases , Conversation 6comments: maestra said. MORE

The focus of our conversation was Sanjay’s recommendations for building a freelance speechwriting business as well as his role as an author and publisher (something he has in common with other speechwriters such as Mike Long — playwright — and Justina Chen — young adult fiction author). On Thursday May 5, members of the Silicon Valley Speechwriters Roundtable hosted a conference call with freelance speechwriter, author and publisher Sanjay Nambiar. MORE

Storytelling conversations storytelling ThanksToday, I was traveling on business and picked up The Wall Street Journal. On the cover were all the reminders of terror and fear. I almost put it down because who needs to be reminded that the world is a dangerous place when they are 1000 miles from home? However, as I thumbed through the […]. MORE

TED, the conference where speakers share big ideas in a proscribed format, has launched a new site where you can talk to those speakers: TED Conversations. MORE

Here is an exercise for stimulating class discussion of empathy that I wrote for the conversation chapter in the next edition of Human Communication. Conversational Empathy. involves moving the conversation away from the person and the person’s feelings as in the intellectualizing of Orange 1 or the shifting of the topic away from the person speaking to a fictional example as did Orange 8. MORE

We all dread certain conversations -- the one with the boss about a raise, with a teenage child about, say, a problem in school, or with a partner about a festering disagreement over the in-laws. For most of us, though, the anticipation is bad enough, but the actual conversation is worse. MORE

But, there’s little on conversational leadership. Who leads a simple social conversation? What makes a conversational leader? [By By “conversational leader” I simply mean someone who controls and literally leads the conversation in the direction he or she desires.] What does a conversational member do that results in attaining leadership? The conversational leader chooses the topics of the conversation. MORE

If small talk at the beginning of a presentation or conversation seems like a waste of time to you, you may be missing one of the most important parts of communication. Content Public Speaking conversations listening networking phatic presentations small talk MORE

1.20.2010 Conversational Coolers and Warmers Here is a brief article I wrote that appears in the current issue of Etc: A Review of General Semantics , 66, no. What I tried to do was to identify the characteristics of effective and ineffective conversations through this "cooler" idea. Conversational Coolers and Warmers In the little-seen but critically-praised 2003 movie, The Cooler , Bernie Lootz (played by William H. Conversational warmers, on the other hand, are supportive. MORE