“Is That Expensive?” (It all depends on the context…)
Posted On June 15, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
I had a powerful discussion yesterday with a room full of people from one of our client companies. We were talking about their new service area, and how to position it. Their company is in a highly competitive industry where differentiation is hard, and where price is highly scrutinized. The fear in the room is […]
Speaking Tips: Think “Conversation,” not “Presentation”
Posted On April 22, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
One of the questions I get asked all the time is, “How can I be less nervous when I stand up to present?” Confidence in public speaking continues to be a problem for lots of people. The spotlight is fully on you, everyone is listening, and we all want to do well. It is not […]
Persuasion Tips: Be Prepared to Argue the Other Side
Posted On March 28, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
We think and talk about persuasion a lot over here at The Latimer Group. We believe that the ability to use your words to create good outcomes is a critical skill in our world today… this has probably always been true, but perhaps never MORE true than it is today. In a world where communication and information […]
Persuasion Tips: Make Your Audience Feel the Problem
Posted On March 9, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
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 may also be the […]
The Long-Term Benefits of Great Communication
Posted On March 2, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
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 […]
Communicating Respect: Give A Little To Get A Lot
Posted On February 7, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
As a speaker, it’s always important to project authority. Whether through a mastery of detail, a clear understanding of your audience’s needs, a strong speaking voice or a poised stance at the front of the room, showing that you have expertise and confidence can go a long way toward persuading your audience. But there’s another […]
The Importance of Staying in Touch
Posted On August 4, 2021 BY Dean Brenner
We had a great interaction this week, a story worth sharing. We heard from a guy who had been in one of our workshops in 2010, back when he was with one of our biggest client companies. He left that company in 2011, which is probably the last time we had any contact with him […]
Persuasion Tips: Make Your Audience Feel the Problem
Posted On July 14, 2021 BY Dean Brenner
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 may also be the […]
The Self-Evident Truths of Communication Today
Posted On May 7, 2021 BY Dean Brenner
What does the world of communication look like right now? What are the barriers to getting our point across today, at this moment in time? There are a bunch, and none of them are inconsequential. Truth #1: The world continues to be a really noisy place. There are lots of people and things competing for attention span and mind share, and […]
The Art of Negotiation (as taught by a four-year old…)
Posted On April 2, 2021 BY Dean Brenner
(Author’s Note: I was recently scrolling through our archive of old blog posts. And I came across this one, which I wrote in 2014. It is a simple story about an interaction with my then-four-year-old son, where he outmaneuvered me at the frozen yogurt shop. But as is often the case, the simple story illustrates […]