Many people don’t realize that we communicate with much more than words. Our nonverbal communication, orbody language, which includes our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and even our voice inflection are critical to message delivery. In fact, a person’s voice inflection, facial expressions and body language can make up over 90% of their message. Whenever you are face-to-face…
Science Says — Five to Prepare for Public Speaking
Public speaking is the #1 fear in America according to the Wall Street Journal. If you have an upcoming public speaking opportunity, follow these five tips to thwart anxiety and instead, deliver a speech your audience won’t forget—and one you’ll be proud to have given. Practice until you’re comfortable in front of a crowd. Dale Carnegie said,…
Let’s Talk Turkey — Three Profitable Ways to Show Appreciation
‘Tis the season to save a bundle from a consumer’s perspective, and sell a ton from a retailer’s perspective. What is often missed—especially when forcing employees to work on Thanksgiving, is the true spirit of the season. There are umpteen ways to show your gratitude to employees and customers, however these three tips are affordable and…
Time Out!
Time Out! My heart is crushed when I hear of senseless killing of humans by other humans. I am reminded of a recent adage I heard, “Hurt people, hurt people.” I look forward to traveling to Paris. Happiness, fulfillment, and joy are never found in a consumption mentality at the expense of others. Rather, they…
Three Ways to Maximize Your Motivation
When most people land a new job, they are full of excitement and begin contemplating how they can be successful. After a while, responsibilities become routine and the balloon of motivation that was once ready to burst is now almost completely deflated. Before we dive into ways to maximize your motivation, consider the three components of…
Six Reasons Sales Aren’t Scary
Many people shy away from sales because they fear confrontation; making a mistake; cold-calling and other rationales. Here are six reasons sales roles simply aren’t scary. Sales start everything. Henry Ford famously said, “Nothing happens until someone sells something,” because at the heart of every enterprise is the revenue-generating engine of sales. Appliances would not…
Time Out!
Performance under pressure. Watching it is amazing. Most of us have jobs that have pressure, though we don’t have 10 million viewers watching everything we do and analyzing all of our decisions. The pressure of sports represents the ultimate in reality TV. This week, the Kansas City Royals won the World Series. While their players peaked at the…
Four Steps to Master Mindfulness
More and more Americans are practicing mindfulness, or meditation, for one simple reason—it works. Just as regular physical exercise is beneficial for the body in terms of better rest and general health, mindfulness is beneficial for minimizing stress and maximizing productivity. Whereas exercising your muscles improves your physique, exercising your brain increases its density where…
Time Out!
One of the greatest challenges in leadership is to correct mistakes with an effective corrective action plan and process. As a Level 5 Leader, the greatest challenge is walking the line of being helpful when we must be controlling in the situation. To be clear, I am talking about a major mistake outside of effective…
Nice to Beat You — Four Ways Workplace Competition Pays Off
Dale Carnegie once told a story demonstrating how powerful competition in the workplace can be. To incentivize workers in the Charles M. Schwab steel mill, Schwab wrote the quantity of steel that the day shift had produced on the floor. The night shift worked extra hard to top the day shift’s number and soon both teams were…