Persuasion

Does your organization accurately communicate your message and your brand to the street? Does your entire organization communicate a consistent message out to your customers, vendors, partners or shareholders? Are you sure? The larger your organization is, the more common it is to have communication gaps. Simple fact. And therefore, the larger your organization is, […]

When we coach our clients on improving their persuasive communication skills, we don’t look at it as a matter of being “good” or “bad” at communicating. Obviously, not everyone communicates at the same level. For some, it comes very easily and naturally. For others, not so much. And for others, becoming more persuasive may be […]

If you can persuade others to think or act in a certain way, influence their decisions and behaviors, and build consensus among your colleagues, you have competitive advantage. Period. Full stop. In the 21st century business world, (where information is more available, attention spans have plummeted, organizations are leaner, and everyone is less loyal and […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council November 22, 2017. When we think about how to become better communicators, we often think about the tools we use: our data, our PowerPoint deck, our posture and poise. And these are crucial. But the real keys to sustained, long-term improvement and success as a communicator might surprise you, in […]

At The Latimer Group, our teaching model is based on the 4 Skills of Great Communication: Assess, Message, Document, and Deliver. In this new four-part series of our Soundwaves podcast, Dean shares the four skills of our model, through the story of The Latimer Group’s origin and evolution. As we conclude our 15th year of […]

There are two ways we can get people to do what we want or need them to do: because we have influence over them, or because we have authority over them. We can have influence without authority, and we can have authority without influence. Influence comes from respect, collaboration, and credibility. Authority comes from title […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council October 2, 2017. There are lots of tips and techniques for crafting a persuasive bit of communication. But there’s one fundamental secret that underlies all of them. What is this secret weapon or becoming a powerful communicator? Honesty. Why? Because to successfully persuade someone, you need to be […]

Getting people to listen to you in today’s modern workplace is hard enough. We write about that challenge all the time. But once you get people to hear you, your challenge is not over. Getting people to hear you is a great first step… but only a first step. The next step, which is also […]

Did you know that a simple lesson from your high school physics class can help you be a more powerful communicator? The Leverage metaphor is one of our core concepts at The Latimer Group, one we use every day, not just in our client workshops, but in our own communication, as well. It’s a pretty […]

Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council at Forbes.com August 8, 2017 What’s the first step in crafting a persuasive presentation? For many people, the agony of the blank page sends them straight to the slide deck. Maybe you have a template to work with, maybe you can pull up some visually interesting data, maybe you […]