Wednesday for Women Celebrates Oprah!
Oprah’s legend is…well…legendary. For 25 years, she has been the foundation of daytime TV for millions of people all over the world. And throughout it all, her presence and messages have been uplifting, inspiring and revitalizing.
I recently heard the story of a woman who purchased a pair of Oprah’s shoes at [...]

I have been working with a recent college graduate who is seeking an entry level job in sales and he is finding that many of the positions available are cold calling, telemarketing positions. While I am not certain that sitting behind a desk, on the phone for 80-100 calls a day, is the best fit [...]

Yesterday was the centennial running of the Bay to Breakers foot race. For those of you who have never heard of it, allow me to paint the picture: Over fifty thousand people, a majority of which were dressed in outrageous costumes, took to the streets of San Francisco and marched from the San Francisco Bay [...]

The word “enchant” means to cast a spell on or bewitch; to delight or captivate utterly; to fascinate; charm. Guy Kawasaki’s new book, Enchantment, The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions, has given us a new spin on a more traditional approach to persuasion, influence, marketing and customer care.
Kawasaki defines enchantment as “the process [...]

In entertainment, performance, and even public speaking, props play an important role when creating an image or making a key point. Whether your prop is something you hold or something you wear, your audience will connect it to your message, thus making your points more memorable.
For example, I know a professional speaker whose signature prop [...]

When I was growing up, Easter Sunday was a celebrated occasion, much like it is today. A big part of the fun was dressing up in our new pastel dresses with matching shoes, jewelry and fancy Easter bonnets. To top off our splendid outfits, my father gave my sister and me one last accessory: freshly made [...]

Have you heard of Rebecca Black yet? If not, you probably will soon. She is a thirteen-year-old girl whose parents hired Ark Music Factory to produce a music video for her. If you haven’t seen it, here it is. But I warn you…while Rebecca is a sweet young teenager who may indeed be the next [...]

I work with many people who give PowerPoint presentations.  And no matter how experienced they are, invariably a few of them forget to bring (or don’t own) a remote control for advancing their PowerPoint slides.  As such, whenever I’m working with clients I always take extra remotes with me and usually end up giving them [...]

I have a client who tells me she that when she’s giving a presentation she likes to take “the pulse” of the audience every few minutes. She stays in touch with her audience by reading their cues. She looks first for the friendly faces and then she looks for other behavioral signals. When she can see, hear and feel the energy of an engaged, enthusiastic group then she knows she is connecting with them.

We all know who they are. You may even be one. I’m talking about the ideal listener.These are the people who sit in the front of the room, turn off their cell phone and Blackberry without a reminder, don’t send Tweets, look attentive, take notes, and show interest.