Archive for January, 2009
Till Kahrs-Communication Skills Expert
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Till Kahrs is a Speaker, Author, Trainer who specializes in Communication Skills Training for Public Speaking, Selling Skills, and various other types of business communication Skills. Please contact him at http://TheTrainer4u.com
Till’s book “Enhancing Your Presentation Skills” is available through http://Amazon.com
Duration : 0:3:7
Authors@Google: Garr Reynolds
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Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote.
Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making “slide presentations” in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.
This event took place on March 21, 2008, as a part of the Authors@Google series.
Duration : 1:11:48
Online Communities: The Tribalization of Business PART ONE
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A Conversation with Francois Gossieaux of Beeline Labs
Duration : 0:6:16
Terri Sjodin: Persuasive and Effective Communication
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Buy this DVD at: http://www.betterlifemedia.com/shop.do?pID=488
Banish stage fright, stop relying on visual aids and start persuading your audience – because you can deliver a great presentation. Top speaking pro Terri Sjodin will show you how. Terri will help you: Make your presentations persuasive rather than simply informative; Sell yourself through building and delivering a strong “case” for your message; Create a unique and memorable presentation style; Avoid the 9 most common presentation mistakes. You can buy her entire packaged DVD presentation at www.betterlifemedia.com/Google/terri_sjodin.jsp
Duration : 0:1:45
Self-Improvement Tips : How to Improve Communication Skills
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To improve communication skills, focus direction of conversations around who, what, why, where, when and how. Learn to improve communication skills with tips from a professional psychologist in this free video about self-improvement tips.
Duration : 0:1:26
Overview: ertive Communication in the Workplace
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How does ertive communication differ from passive, passive-aggressive and aggressive communication styles? Why is it a good style of communication to use at work? What are the three parts of an ertive statement?
Duration : 0:6:9
The World Cafe – BK Business Book by Juanita Brown & David Isaacs
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THE WORLD CAFE
Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter
by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs
Buy Book from Berrett-Koehler Publishers – http://tinyurl.com/3xcx2m
Visit Co-author Juanita’s Website – http://www.theworldcafe.com/
The World Cafe is a flexible, easy-to-use process for fostering collaborative dialogue, sharing mutual knowledge, and discovering new opportunities for action. Based on living systems thinking, this innovative approach creates dynamic networks of conversation that can catalyze an organization or community’s own collective intelligence around its most important questions.
Filled with stories of actual Cafe dialogues in business, education, government, and community organizations across the globe, this uniquely crafted book demonstrates how the World Cafe can be adapted to any setting or culture.
Duration : 0:3:13
Effective Techniques of Better Communication – Verbal and Written
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COMMUNICATION may just be a 13 letter word but as far as its importance goes there is very little that we gain without effective communication. As the saying goes “It’s easy to dream but making dreams come true is what really counts. In a similar way its easy to be a communicator but to be an effective one is what really counts… to some its definitely an inborn skill and some strive hard to build it.
Its not always that we end up having a perfect communication…either there is a misunderstanding… confusion… or some or the other reasons due to which things turn out to be really sour…
Communication is basically of two major types…Verbal and Written…we can really follow some basic rules to make these two communications really effective.
Effective Verbal Communication
First impression is the last impression – Many a times we might have heard this being said but little do we actually realize the importance of the phrase. It’s very important to create an impression before any conversation… it helps to make it smooth.
Know the details of your conversation – It is very essential to know the details of your conversation. From the purpose of the conversation to what results are you expecting out of it… all this is very vital. In case of a “formal conversation” be well prepared from before… in fact try to go a step ahead knowing the taste and interest of the person you going to interact with. In fact try to make the communication a total learning process.
Be a patient listener – As easily the word “patient listener” goes, its not always easy to be one… but to make verbal communication effective its always necessary, otherwise you tend to miss out on the important information and offend the person sitting opposite you.
Stop being a liar – Be very genuine with your words keeping in mind that the person/s sitting opposite you is as clever as you think yourself to be. Your pretensions if exaggerated might get caught and ruin all your big hopes.
Presence of mind – It is indeed a hard virtue to follow, but the absence of it is sure to ruin all your supposedly good plans. So to make your communication really effective make sure that you don’t miss out on a single point, in fact give all possible suggestions so as to ensure that you are taking an interest in the conversation.
Know to handle – When a conversation is at its peak, especially in case of a formal one, and if you feel that it could turn boring at any moment, quickly sneak in a healthy humor or a funny incident that happened recently… so very connected to the topic you were talking on all this while
Try not to be a forgetful goat – Its sounds funny but its not all that funny… remembering the points and information’s that you discussed a while ago is very necessary… its helps to make future communications more effective… and most importantly try your best not to forget the names. People appreciate if you remember their names, especially when you are introducing them to someone else in future.
Be clear with you conversations – Just don’t converse merely for the sake of it. Reduce on your speed of talking… its helps the other person to follow what you are saying. Clarity is very essential.
Effective Written Communication
Purpose of your writing – Always be very clear with the purpose of your writing. Is it a favor that you are asking for or is it a favor that you are doing for somebody. Is it an invitation for your new business venture or one for the kitty party you going to throw very soon.
Clarity and proper use of words – Be very sure not to scribble around the paper you writing on… clarity is a must. Your content should also be precise and clear enough for the reader to understand.
Respect to the reader – Give due respect to yours as well as the readers point of view. Never be over judge mental, for it might offend the reader to a great degree. This is a very essential point. Ignoring this might land you into serious trouble…may be leading to a cancellation of the merger which seemed so obvious, till you had written that letter.
Well all these methods of communication if kept in mind is enough for you to strike the biggest deal of your life or may be regain that long lost friend whom you had lost because of one of your own stupidity. When you communicate make sure no ear dares to be distracted.
Effective Communication Skills: How To Build Rapport With Everyone You Meet
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Effective communication skills are highly valuable. They enrich our personal and social lives. In business it’s a matter of life and death.
This article will show you how to gain almost instant rapport with whoever you meet whether in person or through writing using highly effective communication skills.
In recent years, much has been learned about the way the human brain processes information. The memories we have, the way we perceive experiences, are controlled by our visual, auditory and kinesthetic abilities.
Everything in our minds is there primarily due to what we see, hear and feel. Remember these three modalities, they are VERY important. Again, they are
VISUAL
AUDITORY
KINESTHETIC
These three modes combine in any learning or communication process. We use all of them to a degree.
However, research indicates that with the majority of us, one of those modes is more dominant than others.
Do you like to learn by watching, looking at diagrams or training videos? Probably you are more visually oriented.
Do you prefer to be told through the spoken word? Or are you the kind that likes to get his hands on the subject and starting doing, learning through a process of experimentation? Then you are probably more of an auditory or kinesthetic.
If this is true of us, it is true of the other person. What if you knew which kind of mode is dominant in the person you are talking or writing to? Could that help build rapport or in some way make your communication skills more effective? ABSOLUTELY!
Companies have spent thousands of dollars educating their salesmen to utilize this knowledge. The results? Dramatic!
How can you apply this very valuable insight? By taking special note of the words and phrases your prospect uses.
People often use expressions that indicate which modality they are thinking in at that moment. For example, “I see what you mean”, “I hear you”, “I’ve got a feeling about this”. When you hear these expressions, sit up, take note. They are sign posts pointing to that person’s modality.
So you have the sign posts, what do you do now? You respond in the same manner. Start using expressions in that person’s dominant modality. Why should this work?
Because words convey ideas to the other person’s mind. You start communicating on the other person’s wavelength. Just like two modems making an internet connection, your two brains start ‘hand shaking’. The effect is amazing.
Skeptical? That’s understandable. Just start, try it and you won’t be any longer. Here is a true life experience.
A successful financial advisor read up on this subject and started employing the methods.
One day he walked into the office of a manager interested in a savings plan. The financial advisor noticed many artistic pictures on the manager’s office walls. He commented on them and gave an honest compliment.
The manager used expressions like “let me show you”, “you must see this”. The financial advisor immediately picked up on this and realized the manager was a visual.
When the time came for him to make his presentation, he started off by saying, “Let me first give you the big picture” and with that he pulled out a diagram. The manager immediately leaned over and started closely scrutinizing the savings plan. From there on it went like a dream.
The rapport was established early on. The manager began to think “I like this man, I can do business with him.” A very good plan was devised which suited the manager’s needs well and both parties were happy – the manager with his plan, the financial advisor with his commission. A win win ending.
Don’t underestimate the power of communicating in the other person’s preferred mode.
Now, how can you apply this in your business? Do you write ad copy or sales letters? Do you do face to face selling or telephone selling?
Sprinkle your words with phrases from each mode and see how the prospect responds. If they respond with similar expressions, you have identified their mode.
Here is a list of words and phrases to help you identify a dominant modality:
VISUAL
crystal clear / focused / flash / hazy / sight for sore eyes / up front / it appears to me / get a bird’s eye view / it looks like / in the mind’s eye / you get the picture / it’s clear cut / take a dim view / tunnel vision / the naked eye
AUDITORY
rings a bell / all ears / certain overtones / harmonize / make myself heard / tuned in / that’s unheard of / to tell the truth / in a manner of speaking / gave him an earful / listen up / tongue-tied / described in detail / sounds like / just say it
KINESTHETIC
I’m conscious of / you can sense / she perceived / lay your cards on the table / come to grips with it / that’s a pain in the neck / pull some strings / hang in there / touch base with / it boils down to / start from scratch / that was under handed / hold on / you need to experience it / in a moment of panic
These lists are just to get you started. There are an abundance of signals out there in the way people express themselves.
You just need to “read the signs”, “hear the bell ring” and “grasp the meaning” behind the words your prospect is using, either in written or spoken form.
Rapport is almost priceless. Agreements, contracts, big business deals are often concluded between people because they sense a bonding between them.
Develop and practice these essential communication skills and your life and business will take on new vitality!
Improve Your Communication Skills, Become A better Listener
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Listening, often overlooked, is a vital aspect of the human communication process. While speaking is often practiced and emphasized by many, the art of listening isn’t one on which we find people spending much effort. In actuality, listening is easy and can be improved by following just a few simple steps.
Being a good listener means that everything you hear comes directly from the speaker and not from your interpretation of their words. This means that, as the speaker is talking, you are listening to the words as they are being spoken instead of trying to guess the point that the speaker is trying to make. People are often guilty of jumping to conclusions when they do this and, in doing so, they disrupt their listening ability. When jumping to conclusions, the person often doesn’t hear the speaker’s message because it is blocked out by his or her own assumptions. Good listeners absorb all of the information while the words are being spoken and avoid thinking ahead and forming their own conclusions.
Giving the speaker your undivided attention is probably one of the most important tips to good communication. Concentrate on the speaker’s words and avoid tuning out their message. When speaking on the phone, many people engage in other activities such as reading newspapers, checking email and other activities that can distract from the conversation. Many listeners zone out during face-to-face situations by either thinking about their response to the speaker or by daydreaming about something completely unrelated to the subject.
When you allow yourself to be distracted, your listening skills are not what they need to be. Missing a critical point of the speaker’s presentation can be the result of just a small amount of distraction. If you can focus your attention completely on the speaker, you will hear all that is being said. In addition, you can ensure that you are being a good listener and are taking in all of the pertinent information.
One technique of being a better listener involves creating mental images of the speaker’s words. This is a way of visualization that allows you to really comprehend the words you are hearing. These visualization skills can enhance the way that people process information. By using these mental images, you will help yourself by retaining the information you have just heard. This enhanced and improved comprehension makes you a better listener.
Taking care to note your body language can be another way to be a good listener. You will offend your listener if you engage in body language that lets the speaker feel that he or she is not being listened to. Behaviors such as avoiding eye contact, crossing your arms or wincing can send a message to a speaker that you are not really listening to them. These types of body language or mannerisms can result in the conversation being cut short because the speaker does not feel you are interested in what they are saying.
You can also consider asking questions that relate to the speaker’s statements. This technique can also help you to become a better listener. Remember to ask questions without allowing your questions to interfere with your listening ability. If you find yourself focusing on one of the speaker’s key points and spending the rest of the conversation trying to think of a question that addresses that point, you will miss a lot of information. Instead, try asking your questions immediately when you think of them. This way, you can have your question answered in the context of the speaker’s presentation without having it affect your listening abilities. When you ask questions as part of listening, it allows the speaker to recognize that his or her presentation is being followed and that you are interested in learning more about the topic.
If you practice your listening skills, you will be well on your way to becoming a better listener. Try making a conscientious effort to use your listening skills each time you speak to someone or participate in a presentation. Remain completely focused on the conversation or presentation and try not to guess what the speaker is going to say. Create mental images of the words being spoken and ask valid questions to confirm what you have just heard. Each time you have the opportunity to listen, try to work on these important listening skills.
While listening is not as widely practiced as speaking in the art of conversation, it is just as important. When you are an excellent listener, you will not only ensure that you are receiving information but will assure the speaker that you care about the information being presented and that you understand their message.