The Bottom Line: Re-stating Your Value

Here’s food for thought: when you meet with senior management in your organization, do you know what to say? More importantly, do you know how to say it and when to say it? If not, then you may be selling yourself short when it comes to stating your value to the organization. Sure it’s great to get a company to help take care of the HR, workplace injury and other sections of the company but this won’t help increase the value of yourself if you keep selling yourself short.

For junior executives in particular, learning how to speak to and with upper management is an invaluable skill. In fact, communication skills coaching in this precise area is one of the most frequent requests from Accent On Business clients.

Getting the results you want in the boardroom and similar settings can mean the difference between being […]

Before You Speak – Get It In Writing

contract-408216_1280Picture this:

There you are…taking the stage with authority and confidence, about to deliver the speech you’ve spent months honing. You made the investment in professional coaching, you discovered your authentic voice, and you rehearsed your presentation from one end to the other and back again. You’ve finally arrived at this auspicious day. As you look out on your audience and prepare to utter the first words of your speech, it hits you….you are officially a professional speaker! But wait…..are you really, or are you just “a speaker?”

“What’s the difference,” you may ask.

That’s easy! A professional speaker uses a contract – always!

Now, it may seem obvious to state such a thing. But frankly, many speakers forget to include this essential communication tool in their speaker’s kit. This is particularly true for individuals who are just getting started in the business of giving public […]

It’s Never Too Early to Polish Your Speaking Skills!

beautiful-15704_1280Earlier this month, Accent On Business hosted ten home-schooled teenagers for a public speaking practice and evaluation session. The teens, who go by the name Franklin Homeschool Group, included a mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors – three boys and seven girls – who hail from various churches in the Franklin, IN area. These young people presented speeches on some weighty and very timely topics. One student championed Dr. King and his fight to end racial oppression as a role model for overcoming current trends in marginalization of at-risk populations such as the elderly, unborn and disabled; another spoke about choosing gratitude over excess. And one young lady spoke about the difficult subject of self-abuse among ‘tweens and teens.

One thing was clear in listening to these young men and women deliver each of their 8-10 minute speeches: they were passionate about their subjects and they had a […]

Six Steps to Becoming a Successful Professional Speaker

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Want more speaking gigs?  There are three reasons for not getting enough offers:

  1. No one knows you’re out there.
  2. Your topics or services are not needed.
  3. Buyers don’t believe you’re good enough.

 

Here’s a great Six Step Strategy for increasing your opportunities to speak:

  1. Tell everyone you meet and every person you know that you are a highly and continuously trained speaker on the subject(s) of “x”, and that you are seeking opportunities to speak.
  2. Seek out and meet event and meeting planners, large company VPs of HR and Sales, and non-profit organization directors.
  3. Speak for free anywhere locally, especially to churches, networking organizations, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, and other associations.  Use this as time to hone your message and your delivery skills.
  4. Share your information in articles and blogs on your own website and on the sites of others as a guest writer.
  5. […]

Eliminating Throat Clearing

 

Throat clearing is one of the most traumatic things you can do to your vocal folds. When you clear your throat, you create an extreme amount of movement of your vocal folds, causing them to slam and rub together.  Sometimes people do not even know that they are clearing their throats; it has become a habit.  Often they say that they feel something in their throat, like phlegm or mucus.  The majority of the time; however, when you clear your throat, there is simply nothing there.  One thing you have accomplished is to create more vocal fold trauma.

 

We […]

Say It Like You Mean It – And Be Remembered!

How is your 60 second introduction?  Are you using words and phrases that will connect you with the people you are meeting with everyday?

For example if you are an IT professional, what are you saying that will help the people you are networking with and meeting with understand exactly who you are and what you do?

Does your introduction sound like this?
“Hello, my name is David, and I work for XYZ IT Solutions, and I am a developer.”

That introduction is not very memorable, is it?  Why don’t you try something like this:
“Hello my name is David, and I take the headache out of managing companies websites, so they can focus what they do best!”

Or what if you are a financial planner?  What is it that you say that will help the people you are meeting understand your business?   How about:
“Hello, I am work with […]

Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

By guest blogger, Scott Emmett.  Scott is a client of Accent On Business.

I don’t think I’m going to like this, I said to myself. I was having one of my early sessions with Ellen Dunnigan, my newly acquired speech coach. We were just the two of us in a room and she wanted me to give a speech that was going to push me out of my comfort zone. I did not like this one bit. No sir, not one bit. Told her so and further informed her that I was not ready for this. She just sat there and stared at me. Did not have any choice but to suck it up and get on with it. It was not one of my better experiences but, at the end of the day, I got past what proved to be one of the larger […]

Sharpen Your Skills Before Your Next Interview!

interview-861513-mIf you’ve been considering a career change, or know someone interviewing, take time to consider a few additional items critical to the success of your interview, namely your style of presentation and your communication skills.  Being mentally prepared for the interview is very important. Presenting yourself as an effective communicator qualification in great demand by employers.

Here are a few tips for before and during the interview process:

  1. Exercise.  A short workout the morning of your interview will get your blood and breathing going and will help you present yourself with energy and vitality.
  2. Breathe.  Take slow, deep diaphramatic breaths before the interview.  This will help you center yourself, reduce stress, and keep your voice steady and confident.  Your abdomen should extend outward upon inhalation and deflate upon exhalation.  Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
  3. Be positive and enthusiastic.  Speak with a positive […]

Tips for Creating Professional Video Blogs

Watched a few local business video blogs last week.  Certainly the blogs allow for the dissemination of information and quick messaging to staff and to customers.  The words we heard were all good messages.  You and I both know, though, that communication follows the “93/7 Rule”.  7% of what is communicated comes from the words chosen.  A full 93% comes from the image left behind from body language, nonverbals, facial expressions, and inflection (tone of voice).  In our office, we’ve certainly seen the need to provide more seminars on how to create impressive videos. We had a video wall from GSEAV installed and everyone loves it. Watch for details; however, here are a few thoughts which may guide your next videos.

  • “Shakey Cam” may be good for personal videos to friends and family, especially if you and they are young(ish).  Not so much for business.  Seriously, think […]
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