Dean Brenner

We coach people to be as persuasive and powerful in their communication as possible. But sometimes, your audience is just not open to what you have to say. Our clients often share experiences where the audience is not always open minded. Some of our clients tell us, “They don’t want to hear that from me,” […]

In nearly every workshop I teach, the topic of “the open” comes up for deep discussion. My colleagues and I focus a great deal of time and attention to teaching people how to engage their audience, right from the first moments of the presentation or discussion. And one of the biggest mistakes we see people […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council, May 2018. Have you ever been in a meeting with someone who is clearly giving you the same presentation she’s given before to other audiences? There are some telltale signs: a generic set of benefits, little anticipation of objections, a lack of details that speak to your specific […]

When we communicate well in the workplace — when we get to the point, when we articulate value, when we make the point clearly — what we are really doing is respecting our audience, and their time. When we do not prepare sufficiently, or make the point quickly and clearly, then what we are really doing is disrespecting […]

This post was written by Dan Cooney, Director of Coaching and Senior Facilitator at The Latimer Group. Can you be a good communicator without being a good listener? The answer is an emphatic NO. In this episode, The Latimer Group’s Dean Brenner, Amy Fenollosa and Dan Cooney talk about why improving your listening skills and […]

Quick, but powerful idea for you today. Let’s say you have a  meeting coming up and you will be making a presentation. Your boss and some other senior managers will be in the room… or maybe a key potential client who you have been trying to sell for a year… or maybe you will be meeting with your […]

We’ve done posts in the past about some things you’ll never hear anyone say in the workplace. But our point in today’s post is that as you go about your communication in the workplace, be it with colleagues, clients, or teammates, there are a few things that you’ll never regret giving too much of, or […]

Sometimes it is hard to know the right way to say or write something. Sometimes it is hard to know the correct tone to take. How should I speak to these people? How formal or informal should it be? The answers depend on lots of things: the nature and seriousness of the topic; the level of […]

Have you ever noticed that when people are making a business presentation, very often, they make the story sound super complicated? Have you ever noticed that once they sit down, and it is over, and someone asks simple questions, they can give simple, coherent answers? Have you ever listened to something they say in Q&A […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council, April 2018. What makes a great speaker? The qualities that immediately come to mind are things like confidence, expertise, poise, concision and great storytelling. These are all incredibly important pieces of not only engaging an audience but also persuading them. But there’s another aspect to excellent, convincing communication that can […]