#KnowYourAudience

Quick thought for the day, and a theme we discuss all the time here at The Latimer Group. Wow, is it ever noisy out there! And the best way to get the attention of your colleagues, the best way to be heard, is not to yell louder. The answer is not to combat noise with […]

In our last post, we talked about a few key steps you can take to become a better listener. But there will always be obstacles inhibiting our ability to listen. One of those obstacles is bias — the idea that we have preconceived ideas about who we’re communicating with, which prevents us from being fair […]

Think of all the communications courses you’ve taken, seminars you’ve attended, and articles you’ve seen in which they tell you how to speak, how to present, or how to create a PowerPoint slide. Compare that to how much less often a course is offered on how to listen. Active listening is a key — an […]

We discuss in every single workshop the power and importance of knowing your audience. It is a fundamental belief here at The Latimer Group, and we embrace the fact that knowing your audience is a key differentiator between mediocre and great communication skills. Here is a story to illustrate the point. We partner with many […]

Today’s post was written by Kelly Slater, co-owner of Slater’s Garage Ads & Audio. This afternoon I made a sales presentation to a client remotely, using a screen-sharing app. Of course, it involved a multiple-slide PowerPoint presentation (because the common thinking is that customers NEED to see your offer, idea, strategy, etc. in a multi-page […]

Speaking well can be pretty hard. Speaking in a way that captures attention, and helps you achieve your business goals can be intimidating for lots of people. It is hard, in many ways. But the keys to success can also be pretty simple, if you think about it the correct way. So let me make […]

When you stand up to speak in a professional setting, there are three primary ways you are interacting with your audience: the message you have developed, the slides you have created, and the delivery skills you exhibit. All three matter, because all three impact your audience’s experience. Many people think about their work presentations this […]

Originally posted on Sept 3, 2013 Asking people if they “get nervous” when they have to stand up and speak is almost not worth asking. For most of us, the answer is a resounding “yes.” As we all come back from summer holidays and get straight back into the post-Labor Day sprint, many of you […]

When you are giving a business presentation, do you tell people what you think is most important? Or do you find ways to demonstrate value from their perspective? When we are talking about being more persuasive, this is one of the most important things to consider. If you want to persuade anyone of anything, you […]

The hardest thing for any subject matter expert (SME) to do is to explain his or her area of expertise in simple and clear ways. When we are “in” it, when we are living the topic every day, and when we know a lot about it, it is really hard to distance yourself from it and […]