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1 Jun I Hate the Way I Sound on Recordings
In my work with hundreds of clients, including professional speakers such as actors and radio announcers, I have met only a handful who like the sound of their own voice on a recording. Some people even refuse to leave a voice mail message, knowing there would be a permanent record of their “awful voice floating around in the world.” Many speakers are certain that recordings distort their voice. (more…)
31 May Where did that attitude come from?
A big part of communication is your ‘attitude’ which the dictionary defines as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.”
Attitudes are developed in five major ways. Understanding all five contributing factors may help you understand your own attitude toward experiences and other people. (more…)
16 May Good Communication Begins With Awareness
Successful communication has little to do with simply trying to bring our message across, but it has everything to do in how we assess and adjust our communication to our respective communication partners.
Communication is a two-way process. It needs an equal amount of skill and effort to actually learn how to listen as it takes to draft a speech or give a talk in front of an audience. (more…)
Coaching Lessons from the NBA
It’s the NBA playoff season and while watching my beloved Boston Celtics tear down another opponent, my attention was drawn to some insightful statements from basketball players on the importance of being ‘well coached.’ (more…)
21 Apr The Hold Button Is Not a Weapon!
Don’t use the hold button to explode an obnoxious, annoying, or irritating caller into the never-never land of hold. In fact, if you can avoid putting people on hold, that’s even better. Do you like being put on hold? How long are you willing to wait? What does it feel like to be on hold? Most likely, very unpleasant and unproductive. No one likes to be kept waiting on hold. Many businesses try to soften the experience of being on hold. The most popular device has been music. Some companies tune into a local radio station. Have you called an airline or a movie theater lately? They play commercials for their products or services. One company uses Jokes on Hold. Great idea? Wrong. People would pick up the phone before the punch line and upset the holding caller. (more…)
19 Apr 8 Steps to Exceptional Customer Service
Much has been written about the recent situation where United Airlines forcibly removed a passenger (David Dao, a 69 year-old doctor born in Vietnam and living in the U.S.) because they overbooked the flight. It raised questions about everything from passenger rights and the small print on your ticket, to outright discrimination against people of Asian descent.
There was a lively discussion here at The Speech Improvement Company about service-oriented corporate culture, the attitudes of front-line employees, and if misaligned, how to fix it.
Clearly, United Airlines needs to fix it. “Fly the friendly skies” stands in stark contrast with the image of a bloodied Dr. Dao.
I recall one trip home from Japan on United Airlines in first-class. I was hanging out with a flight attendant, and she was complaining about other passengers to me. She said, “These passengers think they are so special. They expect everything, don’t they know this is no different than taking the subway?”
I was astounded that she just compared a $15,000 plane ticket with a $1.25 subway fare. Here was a clear disconnect between the employee on the front lines and the marketing and sales departments who sell premium first-class tickets based on how great the service will be. Wow.
Here are 8 things all companies, not just United, need to do in order to turn poor attitudes into exceptional customer service.
16 Apr Happy World Voice Day!
My observance today included hydrating, and singing classic rock in the car during a long drive.
World Voice Day is an annual, now-international event created to recognize and honor the importance of the human voice – “to share the excitement of voice science, pedagogy and the vocal arts”[1]. We use our voices to communicate from the very beginning of life, crying, laughing, and babbling before we can hold a crayon or even know a word of language. Voices carry emotion and information, speech and song. Voice is central to human identity and interaction throughout our lives, and especially important in my life and work. (more…)
15 Apr Impressing Investors: Rules for the Roadshow
Congratulations on bringing your innovative idea to the investor presentation stage.
Now comes your next challenge–creating a winning presentation.
Here are 8 key ideas for success:
Develop the mindset of a ‘professional presenter’.
In addition to innovator, entrepreneur, CEO, CFO, or executive, your skills as a professional presenter/communicator are also being judged. Professional presenters know their words and delivery are being scrutinized. A $10,000,000 decision could rest on the right rhetoric!
You are prepared, vigilant, and self-aware with your business acumen. Apply the same rigor to getting your presentation ready.
- Think theme.
What do you want investors, analysts, and interested listeners to remember about your firm? Tell them in fifteen words or less. A good idea is to focus on what sets you apart. Ex: ”Powerline meets the growing need for networked, efficient and easy-to-use audio conference systems.”
- Get Organized.
We’re not talking about spring cleaning your office here. Devote time to packaging your message efficiently, prioritizing the points you want to make and developing a catchy and comfortable opening and closing.
Importantly, troubleshoot the top ten questions you’re likely to be asked and outline how you’ll respond. The two biggest organizational mistakes: trying to include too much information and not spending enough time on what makes you viable and valuable in the marketplace.
28 Mar Creating Muscle Memory
When I work with clients on strengthening their communication effectiveness, I’m often asked, “How can I make these new tools come more naturally?”
I assure them that when they carve out time to practice they are creating ‘muscle memory’. Muscle memory is something we often take for granted, yet it’s there and if harnessed, we can use it anytime to project confidence in doing any task. Obvious examples include putting your car key into the ignition, zipping a jacket, brushing our teeth. Any habit repeated dozens or hundreds of times creates muscle memory.
This muscle memory comes in a 3 part process: Level 1 is self awareness: “What am I doing that is working well and what areas do I need to develop?” This is often the most challenging part of a learning process. If unsure, ask people you trust what they feel you do well and could strengthen. (more…)