Alleviate Anxiety Tip #2: Support your Voice

| February 22, 2014

This is the second post in a three-part series focused on helping you alleviate anxiety before giving a presentation. Many people suffer from fear and anxiety about speaking in front of groups. This tip will ensure your voice quality is high on game day. Our voice specialist, Cynthia Bassham tells us that we do need [...]

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Extra! Extra!

| September 20, 2013

People who have the Speaking Strength(tm) make their point simply, instead of expecting the audience to decipher a complex message. Read tips on how to get to the point and make your message memorable.

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Learning from Marissa Mayer: The benefits of being seen

| July 18, 2012

Marissa Mayer, the newly appointed CEO of Yahoo!, is widely regarded as a visionary leader and talented engineer. Employee #20 at Google, she led critical strategic initiatives for the company and was considered a serious candidate to take the CEO slot to replace Eric Schmidt at Google. She has an estimated personal net worth of [...]

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Speaking Tip: Your mother was right

| March 13, 2012

“Speak up!”, “Don’t mumble!”. Did you hear these words when you were growing up? If so, your mother was right. Poor enunciation and projection render otherwise good communication ineffective. When you speak, you want to be heard – literally. If you speak softly or do not enunciate clearly, your audience may not hear your message. [...]

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Are you giving a “Best Picture” performance?

| February 28, 2012

Are you giving a “Best Picture” performance? The Academy Award-winning silent-era-style movie, The Artist, truly underscores that powerful movements and expressions create impact. What did the actors in this movie communicate? Joy, anguish, enthusiasm, worry, fear, despair. Even Uggie, the little dog demonstrated the power of purposeful movement as he hustled down the street to [...]

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Speaking Tip: Reception is crucial in football and in speaking!

| February 3, 2012

Reception. It’s crucial in football and in speaking. When the quarterback passes the football, the goal is for the ball to be received. The same is true when you speak. You make your point and the audience needs a moment to receive what you say. This is why the skillful practice of the “pause” is [...]

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Speak Often – It’s good for business, great for your career

| January 14, 2012

Sharing your experience and expertise with industry peers is good for business and great for your career. Each year thousands of trade shows and conferences are held covering virtually every topic, industry and profession. These events provide you the chance to build your reputation as well as the reputation of the company or organization you [...]

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New Year’s Resolutions with a Twist

| January 1, 2012

Our fresh take on classic New Year’s resolutions will help you communicate effectively as an executive and leader and to succeed in 2012. Sticking to these speaking tips will keep your communications sharp and clear and your team inspired, aligned and focused on the goals you’ve set for the year. Whether speaking during a meeting, [...]

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Rapid Speak is a Liability

| December 5, 2011

“Rapid Speak” gets a lot of people in trouble. What is rapid speak? Speaking uncomfortably fast for the listener. A number of years ago, FedEx ran a famous, amusing commercial that illustrates the tension produced by rapid speak. For some, rapid speech is their natural speed. For others, it’s a by product of anxiety. And [...]

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Do you speak with Command?

| October 3, 2011

“Command” is one of the top ten Speaking Strengths™ we have identified in our work with executives and leaders. For a copy of all ten Speaking Strengths, click here. Command – Powerful presence, in control The hallmark of speakers with the “Command” strength is the ability to project they are in control. As the listener, [...]

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