3 Keys to Being a More Memorable Speaker
Posted On May 15, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Here’s a great goal for you in your next meeting or presentation. Make it your mission in life to make it easy for people to remember what you say. Have you ever had the experience where a presenter just walked into the room, and from the moment he or she opened their mouth, you were […]
To Change the Minds of Others, Change This About Yourself
Posted On May 9, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Some of our most popular blog posts lately have been about how we communicate with each other, and the divide that’s so often formed when we’re faced with an opinion or viewpoint different from our own. And while there are plenty of examples we’ve written about from our President on this subject, it’s certainly not limited to […]
Video: The 4 Skills of Great Communication
Posted On April 24, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Ask anyone who performs at a high level: athletes, dancers, singers, etc. They all prepare and practice their skills the same way. They break their skill down into smaller “sub-skills,” then practice each one individually, then put them all back together, and their overall skill level has improved. The same is true with communication. “Great […]
How to Align a Successful Team: Step 2
Posted On March 20, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Last week, we wrote about the first step in aligning a successful team: Have a goal. Without a clear goal or mission, then the team will have no purpose, no idea where it is going. Sounds obvious, right? Sure it does. But in our experience, this seemingly obvious step gets missed all the time. There […]
How Distracting is Your Speaking Style?
Posted On March 13, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Have you ever listened to that person who says something like “um” over and over and over? After a while, all you hear are the “ums.” How about the person who says “like,” or “you know?” Hard to listen to that after a while. How about the person who qualifies everything they say with a […]
Presentation Tips: Organize Your Details
Posted On February 9, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Several of my coaching conversations have been focused on the same thing of late… when I am speaking to my boss, how do I stay out of the weeds? I get stuck in the deep detail, and he/she gets frustrated with me. Sound familiar? “Too much detail” is a constant issue in the 21st century […]
When Communicating, Don’t Make People “Change the Channel”
Posted On February 6, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
The world I grew up in and the world my young son is growing up in are vastly different. And I’m not even that old! But when I was a kid, there was no cable TV, no internet, no streaming content… We had five channels, and you watched what was on, commercials and all, and […]
End Annoying Conference Calls in 5 Easy Steps
Posted On January 25, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
We’ve all been to THIS conference call… too many times in fact. While Tripp and Tyler absolutely nail the inherent comedy in the ways we conduct conference calls, let’s take the conversation to the next level. How do we run better conference calls? Here are a few simple ideas: 1. Set context and get the […]
Are You “Other People Focused” in Your Communication?
Posted On January 11, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Have you ever listened to yourself speak to your colleagues or customers? Have you ever just recorded yourself in a standard, nothing-special conversation, and actually listened to what you sound like? Try this. Record yourself in a typical conversation or phone call and listen closely to what you sound like. More specifically, count your pronouns. […]
Mapping Your Communication Progress
Posted On December 12, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Our work at The Latimer Group is all about helping our clients build strong and powerful communication skills. And to do that effectively, we have to be able to help them assess two things: current strengths and weaknesses, AND a path towards improvement. One without the other just isn’t that helpful. Skill development, in any […]