Joseph Riggio is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Communication Skills and Training". You can find complete information on Joseph Riggio and his products by visiting www.josephriggio.com.
There are two universal truths about conflict: 1) everyone experiences it, and 2) no one really likes it. Conflict, at best, is a disagreement; at worst it can be intensely destructive. But can conflict also be a positive experience? I believe it can be a constructive – or even welcome – ... Views: 1807
Think back to a time in your life when you had to learn a new skill.
Were you able to perform that skill to complete perfection the very first time you tried it?
My guess is no.
Chances are you made a mistake. Maybe even a lot of mistakes.
But, if you stuck with it, you gradually ... Views: 1279
In the corporate world where you’re constantly required to come up with presentations, or in situations where you need to make connections, you’ll definitely need to brush up on effective conversational skills.
I’ve seen people develop these skills rapidly just by concentrating on a few key ... Views: 1934
A Few Words on Apologies
Last fall, on a walking tour of downtown Toronto with my son, a particularly attractive building caught my attention. I was so busy admiring its architecture that I didn’t see the bench in my path. Boom! I took a tumble worthy of a Hollywood stuntwoman.
It was ... Views: 1306
Who is the one person who always raises your blood pressure, causes you to mumble to yourself and always darkens your otherwise beautiful day like a shadow across the sun?
WRITE the name of that person on a scrap of paper. No, it isn't enough to simply THINK the name. It's time to bring that ... Views: 1945
Abraham Lincoln wrote: "Extemporaneous speaking should be practiced and cultivated; it is the lawyer's avenue to the public. However able and faithful he may be in other respects, people are slow to bring him business, if he cannot make a speech."
When Lincoln spoke of extemporaneous ... Views: 1473
Think through, then follow through is good advice. If you do heavy lifting with your mind, physical lifting can be efficient, productive, and pleasant.
Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest thinkers the United States has produced, grew up in a culture that held thinking in low esteem. With ... Views: 665
Abraham Lincoln had an uncanny ability to predict behavior. For example, when Lincoln was President, he told one of his associates how every member of Congress would vote on a particular bill. To make the point, he wrote down what their votes would be. Sure enough, when the votes were ... Views: 724
There is a major 'problemo' that a lot of speakers sometime fall into when using Power Point. I call it upstaging yourself. 'Upstaging' is a 'technique' that stage actors have been using 'against' each other since Greek times. It happens when one actor moves up the stage which in turn makes ... Views: 3178
Good customer service is grounded in its ease of use for the consumer. If it’s difficult to reach you, they will go somewhere else. It’s something I’ve always known. At least, I’ve known it for so long I don’t remember how or when I learned it. It’s such a simple idea. Why is it so difficult ... Views: 1199
The problem with communication … is the illusion that it has been accomplished.
~George Bernard Shaw
The day at work has been horrific. Emails never stopped. The voicemail light kept flashing. The boss needed the information yesterday. And to top it all off, you had a fight with your ... Views: 761
Human beings organize their behavior as a function of the milieu they are in or think they are in. Seldom, do we realize that it is the milieu that controls our behavior patterns, not the behavior itself. Our overall demeanor at a bar is different than at work, at home with our children or while ... Views: 4124
Over the past 10 years email has become one of the most utilised means of communication, in the office and the private. It is a fantastic way of corresponding, because you do not have to wait for the post to be collected and delivered and in many cases it’s even better than the telephone, ... Views: 1095
Relationships are all around us, from our family members to fellow colleagues to customers and to our friends. There are three easy things you can do today to instantly change the relationships in your life.
Listening
When was the last time you really felt you were heard? Many of us do not ... Views: 1051
Today’s global marketplace allows us to communicate and conduct business throughout the world. Our daily lives are enriched with a multitude of cultures and accents. Daily communication provides ample opportunities to interact with individuals who speak “American English” as a second ... Views: 4114
It may seem odd, but "the" most abused business tool in use today is....The Telephone! Yes, the telephone. Whether it's on the corporate side with endless commands, "Dial one for English, two for Spanish, three for customer service, four for sales" the list really does go on and on. Or home use ... Views: 522
The amount of time that you spend at your work place takes up almost 50% of your time. Since so much of our lives and energy are consumed by our job, isn’t it then important and natural that we learn to not just work well with our colleagues but build up great relationships with them?
Many ... Views: 1860
We have all been in situations with people who seem to be talking at us instead of with us. They just open their mouths, take aim, and commence to rapidly moving their lips. It doesn't matter that we don't (or have the chance to) interact or interject, they just keep on going...and going...and ... Views: 2661
Are you so shy that you can’t even start a decent conversation with someone you like? Well, don’t worry. There are conversation starters for shy people that can really get people talking and help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
After you read this article, I’m confident you’ll ... Views: 5836
It's estimated that more than one-third (35 percent) of U.S. adults have a profile on a social networking site, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project's daily tracking survey of 2,251 adults. A more practical survey can be done just by thinking of the number of people you know who ... Views: 3969
“Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” – General George S. Patton
A few years ago, I was asked to teach a workshop called, "Dreams Never Die - How to keep your dreams alive after 50". It is true that dreams never die, but they can wind up fading into the woodwork of ... Views: 503
Have you ever seen a speaker who thrilled you down to your toes?
How about just the opposite?
I’ve seen both and unfortunately, the boring ones far outweigh the exciting ones!
Let’s examine two people; Ferris Bueller and his teacher - played by Ben Stein.
The teacher just plodded ... Views: 1194
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*** Body Listening - by Paul Chek, The Official Guide to Personal Development
Truly hearing someone when they’re speaking to you can be far more challenging than you might imagine and there’s lots of training out there to help you become a better listener. Most of this training, however, misses out on an important first step to genuine communication. When it comes to ... Views: 2330
Why am I talking about love in the context of business? And no, I don’t mean a passionate office romance. I’m talking about the fact that loving my clients has been a key to success in my business. It hit me several years ago when someone asked me the secret to my success...without ... Views: 1654
Economic times are bad! Finances are tight! I can’t afford to carry these people!
Sound familiar? If you add your energy to this choir of voices in conflict, you are actually creating a reality that you don’t want! How DO you deal with conflict and financial realities without adding ... Views: 1221
Spa/ Salon Training #1 -Customer Service is a key focus to make your Beauty Business succeed. But, What does customer service really mean for your business? Think about Customer Service.
Q & A Goals to develop customer service.
a.) Are all of your employees truly on the same page ... Views: 8780
We've all been there. You walk into a bank, restaurant, or store and suddenly feel it, that vague sensation that all is not well. It drips from the ceilings and sits in puddles on the floor. The employees are lost in thought, unable to decide whether they'd rather be somewhere else or stay and ... Views: 819
“I have long been convinced that…employers and employees are partners, not enemies: that their interests are common, not opposed: that in the long run the success of each is dependent upon the success of the other.”
~ John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
This is so right on, John. I totally agree. Wake ... Views: 946
People do business with people who they like who all are like them. Suffice to say, in order to build rapport with your patients there a couple of major steps you need to take to build a lifelong practice. It's more important than ever before that you build rapport with your patients in order ... Views: 1725
If you’re like me and I know many of you are out there, when it comes to customer service there are certain traits that stand out and can make or break a business. The three simple traits that I have noticed in businesses that deliver first-class service are the following:
1.They Listened to ... Views: 9031
If you’re like me and I know many of you are out there, when it comes to customer service there are certain traits that stand out and can make or break a business. The three simple traits that I have noticed in businesses that deliver first-class service are the following:
1.They Listened to ... Views: 9031
The bizarre exchange I had last night with my new hair wrangler highlighted how poorly American's listen to one another. Kelly and I chatted as she flat ironed my rebellious curly hair into the sleek submission that matches my book cover. (Audiences seem think I am the cousin of the author if I ... Views: 1087
Sound trumps logic! The QUALITY OF YOUR VOICE hits your listeners with more impact than does the quality of your argument! I have absolutely no doubt that you are capable of formulating a sensible, clear, logical, passionate statement or response.
It is understandable that in the ... Views: 916
You have two voices. The first of the two is the natural relaxed one that Mother Nature gave you at birth. The second and more familiar voice is an encumbered and distorted version of the first. For the sake of discussion let's refer to these as your "true" voice and your "cluttered" voice. ... Views: 887
Give me 5 minutes with anyone and I can tell you more about their character than a 10-page résumé. I have “read” thousands of people who tell me I know more about them in a few minutes than their spouse, family or friends ever have. Am I the only one who has access to this ancient secret? No, ... Views: 7604
Earlier this month, Global News asked me to appear on the 6 o’clock news to comment on the social taboo of foul language or cursing and swearing. I was being asked to comment on the etiquette of cursing–an oxymoron if ever I heard one! (Swearing – meaning solemn promise – is another subject ... Views: 2258
People form opinions and make judgments about us in the first 60 seconds of a meeting or when speaking with us on the phone. Statistics indicate that 87% of people's opinions are formed based on the tone of our voice while only 13% is based on the actual words we use.
The 500 most frequent ... Views: 2302
The days of selling are over. We can no longer afford it, neither financially nor personally.
It is time to take a trip to the Land of In-Between. The old times of spiritual escapism - leaving the family, leaving the "world" - no longer serve. The newer times of immersing oneself so ... Views: 1155
"Managers tend to use compensation as a crutch. After all, it is far easier to design an incentive system that will do management's work than it is to articulate a direction persuasively, develop agreement about goals and problems, and confront difficulties when they arise." — Michael Beer, ... Views: 1373
Ask any group of managers if they view themselves as an elite within their organization and you can be sure they will deny it. You'll hear comments such as: "I have an open-door policy" and "I take pride in always being accessible and approachable."
And in most cases, these managers will ... Views: 891
To say that the way we communicate in business today is undergoing major changes would be a wildly profound understatement. Many businesses simply feel overwhelmed by the advances of Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, not to mention the near total penetration of mobile devices like the iPhone and ... Views: 1332
The Stress Doc presents a four step, “Four 'R'” communicational guide for building successful “give and take” professional relationships. The Four “R”s are dramatically illustrated in his recent encounter with an ENT surgeon.
Many of us “Boomers” grew up with an alliterative academic ... Views: 6125
"The increasing availability of new information and communication technology is one of the key ingredients that makes a high-involvement management approach possible. This capability, more than any other, makes it possible for individuals to become self-managing, to be involved in the business, ... Views: 1031
Are you entrusted with proprietary information? It’s very easy to innocently divulge confidential information just in passing.
Years ago while calling on a small construction company the owner’s wife (let’s call her Joan) told me a story that emphasizes the significance of what you share ... Views: 2934
In business we are often faced with occasions where we are called upon to make introductions. These introductions can vary from a small group setting involving as few as three individuals up to a large group at a corporate function. Never underestimate your ability to positively influence the ... Views: 3207
If you’re a parent and you have ever convinced your children to do what you wanted without force or threats then you sold. An educator that makes learning more palatable for their students by adjusting their style and approach is using sales skills. A manager or employer that gets staff buy in ... Views: 1799
Some things simple simply aren’t; at least at first. While chatting recently over cocktails I was reminded (thank god for cocktails) of a past life career that took me overseas on a number of occasions. While there were many experiences during that tenure which helped me grow in a number of ... Views: 1215
I believe that everyone reading this understands that no matter what business you are in- Real Estate, Financial Services, Teaching, Auto Sales, or any other profession, we are all in the PEOPLE BUSINESS. It’s been said that fully 85% of your success in life is directly related to your ability ... Views: 4481
Watch any skilled speaker on TV - a celebrity, news commentator, or political leader - and chances are, much of their seemingly "effortless" delivery is due to practiced use of a teleprompter.
It's also likely that, at some point in your role as a professional communicator, you'll be called ... Views: 2971
Recently, it occurred to me that the sessions and workshops I deliver to corporations’ new recruits could be called Business Boot Camp. Fitness marketers have created a designation called “body boot camps” and I see an interesting parallel.
My role, like that of the fitness instructors at ... Views: 1291
Great speakers are not born but made. You too can become a good orator by taking up the public speaking courses. The art of public speaking must be practiced by everybody who wants to reach great heights in their career. Those who are incapable of speaking infront of the public cannot come up in ... Views: 2210