Public Speaking Skills

Being a great communicator is about so much more than the sales call you’re about to make, the meeting you’re about to join, or the conversation you’re about to have… Beyond the immediate benefits of closing a sale, or contributing to a meeting, great communication skills create several significant realities that will benefit you in […]

We know the power of a good story. A story can help make an emotional connection, vividly illustrate a key point or grab people’s attention. And a story can help give context and make your audience really feel the impact of a problem or solution. But telling a story in a business setting isn’t as […]

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 be easy to overlook: respecting your audience. Why respect? […]

Great communication does not just happen. It requires thought, preparation, practice… and it requires a philosophy. There are many philosophies out there in the 21st century business world. But here is what works for us (and our clients tell us it works for them as well): Great communication requires a few key ingredients, which are the basis […]

This post was written by Dan Cooney, Facilitator and Coach at The Latimer Group. We all see things differently. Thanks, Captain Obvious! Yes, it’s a truism, but why is this one so important to you as a communicator? You have to understand the perception gap — the difference between what you said and what was […]

This post was written by Hannah Morris, Director of Facilitation & Evaluation at The Latimer Group.  Author Amy Chua said this, and she is right. Speaking a language that isn’t your native tongue requires taking risks and facing difficulty. It requires embracing the idea that any imperfections are less important than communicating your opinion, feeling, or request. […]

Here is a common scenario that I have watched and experienced many times: the words that were spoken/written by someone were received in way that was different from the intended impact. The message that was received or the feeling that was created was not at all what the speaker/writer was trying to send or create. […]

This post was written by Hannah Morris, Director of Assessment & Advancement at The Latimer Group. Confidence is not a trait. It is a behavior. In fact, confidence comes from the Latin verb confido, confidere, meaning “to trust.” When we trust ourselves, our skills, our experience, our decisions, and our ability, we feel and project confidence. When […]

It’s hard to get people to pay attention any more. A lot of people believe that attention spans are shrinking. But regardless whether they are or not, here is an undeniable fact: there is exponentially more competition for mindshare and attention than ever before. So the net effect is the same — because there is so much […]

This post was written by Hannah Morris, Director of Assessment & Advancement at The Latimer Group. What is the point of slide decks? Some see them as colossal waste of time, a bizarre corporate obsession, a crutch. But many of us still see the value in this tool. We see how powerful it can be when wielded […]