The Big Idea: The First Step To Creating A Successful New Venture
Posted On April 2, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council February 21, 2018. Many of us have big ideas: a new business, a new product, a new initiative at work. But taking that big idea from a dream into reality isn’t always easy — and it’s easy to feel intimidated by the process. All too often, we shelve our […]
What Are the Ingredients for Great Communication?
Posted On March 26, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, we believe there are five “ingredients” that must be present in order to have effective, persuasive communication: Clarity, Brevity, Context, Impact, and Value. We teach these concepts in our workshops and write about them here on our blog all the time, and we believe that all great communication contains these five […]
Speaking Tips: Last Things First
Posted On March 7, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
Have you ever led a meeting, handed out the slide deck, began discussing the topic and while still on slide 1 or 2, most of your audience has already flipped to the last slide? I’m sure you’ve seen this before… Perhaps you’ve been the one flipping to the last slide, or perhaps you were the […]
Do You Ramble When Speaking? These 3 Tips Will Help You Stop
Posted On February 28, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
Most people struggle to get to the point. Most people struggle with clarity and brevity. And this affliction is largely due to an inability to plan out the message, and prepare appropriately. Getting to the point quickly and clearly is not just a delivery technique. It is the output of organization and preparation. However, on top of good […]
Feedback No One EVER Gives at Work
Posted On January 29, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
“Wow, that meeting was great. I wish it was a lot longer.” “When she explains things everything seems more complicated. It’s great.” “He never gets to the point. I love listening to him.” “It’s always hard to understand his main message, which is why I love his presentations.” “Her slide decks look like a passage […]
Can Great Public Speaking Be Learned?
Posted On January 24, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
The short answer is, “Yes, absolutely.” The slightly longer answer is, “Yes, but you have to work hard at it.” We recently had an individual at a client company participate in one of our presentation skills workshops. When I saw his name on the roster the week before the class, I recognized it immediately. I […]
Video: Three Levels of Communication Success
Posted On January 22, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
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 […]
Presentation Tips: Embrace the Space
Posted On January 12, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
“Music is the space between the notes.” ~Claude DeBussy In many workshops, we see two parallel fears come up over and over. People fear silence when they’re speaking. Silence makes them uncomfortable. Therefore, they often fill the silence with more sound — extra words and non-words (we call them “verbal pauses’). And at the same […]
Soundwaves: The 4 Skills of Great Communication, Part 4: Deliver
Posted On December 20, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
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 […]
Soundwaves: The 4 Skills of Great Communication, Part 3: Document
Posted On December 18, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
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 […]