Speaking

Can social media content really make a difference? Some swear by social media, telling me they can trace every client back to their (consistent) social media presence. Others strongly dislike social media and say for them, it's a waste of time. 

Personally, I don't think there is a black-and-white answer to this question. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as quality content, consistency of use, and engagement with other accounts, to name a few.  

My Social Experiment  

About five w…

"I'm afraid we are going to bore them to death!" That was what one business development manager told me about her CEO, who has a big speech to give soon.  

When you have an opportunity to speak in front of a group, you have the opportunity to build trust, provide value and establish authority. If the CEO presents a boring, long, dry presentation how will the audience respond? 

Chances are they'll walk away thinking, "YAWN! What a snooze fest!" Creating that perception misses the goal completel…

Inventors, entrepreneurs, marketers, scientists and more have all graced the TED Talk stage. And while I did read Gallo's other book, Talk Like Ted I didn't find it quite as engaging as this one: "The Storyteller's Secret." In this book, he takes us through the journey that many now-famous leaders have walked, using the power of storytelling.

Now more than ever our attention spans are short and competition is fierce! Gallo connects storytelling as the key ingredient for connecting with audienc…

If you own a business, you have an obligation to tell good stories. As a business owner you, quite frequently, talk to an audience. Whether that's an audience of one or many, it's an audience.

On a daily basis you speak with customers, employees and prospects. Think of the last person you spoke to about work. What category did the conversation fall into?

• Were you in a training conversation?
• Were you in a selling conversation?
• Maybe it was a networking conversation?
  

Because of your posi…

First, what is a brand story? You might think your brand story is about your company or business. That's partly true. But people do business with people, so your brand story is really about you. AND there's a big caveat to that...  

Talking about yourself may be uncomfortable but there is a way to do this which illustrates your expertise without being perceived as egotistical. The challenge is not too many people do this well.    

Your brand story can also be called your origin story, or your …

When I was a copywriter, I had to learn to switch voices depending on which brand I was writing for at the time. To do this, I liked to visualize putting on a certain hat that matched the voice of the brand. In other words, does this brand wear a fedora, a baseball cap or a top hat? There is a personality in a brand. It provides a way for us to differentiate and show our uniqueness.

Video provides a medium to literally hear a voice and see a personality – and if it fits, perhaps wear an actual …

I’ve been meeting a lot of new people lately. If you’re a soloprenuer, coach, or consultant then you know just how important networking is to your success.

The trick to networking is making it effective by elevating your brand. The challenge is, how do you define “effective” networking? Do you think networking is only effective if it results in sales? If you said yes, then I have to blast the buzzer on you and say: EEEE wrong answer! Here’s a story to prove it: 

I recently went to a lunch with…

Words have power. They can create. They can destroy. This is as evident historically as much as it is today. They are the key tool used to influence.

When it comes to business, the mark of an influential brand is when it’s gets woven into the fabric of our lives through language. For example, do you search things online or do you Google them? Do you send overnight packages, or do you FedEx it? When you hear, save 15% in 15 minutes or less, you know it’s a Geico commercial.

These brand-associat…

Most communication coaches and consultants focus on improving public speaking and leadership skills. They may help you prepare for your next big event presentation or lead your team with confidence in meetings.  

But here’s the problem... You get so consumed with what you say and how you say it that you forget who it’s for.

And let me be clear, public speaking is a very valuable skill. And giving a speech in front of an audience can be very powerful for your brand and business. BUT…   

…havin…