Why I Speak and Other Introverts Should, Too
Every time I speak I feel like a duck. Cool and collected above water while “paddling like hell” underneath! But that’s not why I speak. I remember when I went to my first speech class in high school. My hands were sweaty, my spine felt like jello and I thought I was going to pass .. read more
3 Times We Need to PLAN our Communication
It’s that time of year when advisors, mentors and job hunters all are getting prepared for the big launch. Either their students are moving on, their interns are lining up their interest in next steps or job seekers are priming for the open market of recruiters. It’s also the time I get called on to .. read more
Get Real. Perfection is over-rated.
I get it. You strive for polished results, for handling all objections, and for being ready for everything. How is that working for you? I know how that works for me. It keeps me awake at nights. I worry there is something I’ve forgotten about just before the big event. Fill in the blank for .. read more
Find your voice
When you think of great public speakers, what comes to mind? Is there a particular image that comes to you? A delivery style? If so, hopefully it’s your own. Unfortunately, most of us feel others are better speakers than we are. We make this comparison based on our experience of feeling anxious when all eyes .. read more
Calm or Distorted? You get to chose.
It isn’t easy to “keep your calm when all about you is losing theres”. We have all dealt with times we’ve regretted losing our control. As professionals, we strive for self-management, yet with few role models to learn from, how do we get it? What it all comes down to is the result of CHOICE. .. read more
Find Your Voice
How would you feel if You were told your presentation time, previously promised as 45 minutes, is now only 5? Angry? Confused? Disrespected? Manipulated? Based on that feeling, how would you present yourself? If your answer has anything to do with being less than powerful, you are right. Our power does not come from negativity, .. read more
3 Q’s to Strengthen Your Conviction
You’ve experienced it before. After speaking out to influence your listeners, someone approaches you with, “Yea, I heard what you said, but…” This has certainly happened to me. And these are the times I have done one of two things: I walked away shaking my head that they just don’t get it or hitting my .. read more
Sit still.
Stop the busy-ness. Sit still. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Now think about the folks you really enjoy talking to, hanging out with or listening to. Are you smiling? If not, would you be, if you really stopped the busy-ness? Earlier this week I wrote about what motivates us to respond to invitations, as well .. read more
Stay alone or connect?
Like many introverts, I often dread leaving my comfy, familiar environment to meet others – especially when I feel tired. When I’m tired, I’m down on myself, and I believe I need a cocoon. This happened yesterday. Once a month I meet with fellow professional speakers to share progress in our marketing, audience responses and .. read more
Self-Talk – Use it or Lose it!
Not long ago I had coffee with a client who said, “I spend so much time focusing on where I fall short that I forget about my strengths.” The voice in this gentleman’s head, while reminding him of his problems, gave him no internal support. His coaching mechanism was nonexistant. Although it could remind him .. read more
