Communication Skills and Training Articles

For years we have been hearing about a widespread “sea change” in the business world. Certainly technology developments have made some of our former networking moves obsolete. You wouldn’t hand out 8 track tapes at a Chamber of Commerce reception, for example. Likewise, some of our spoken messages don’t attract new acquaintances as they once did. Worse, they drive people away. Let’s look at three of those outmoded approaches. Scorekeepers

One characteristic of good communication skills is the ability to start a conversation. How are you supposed to start a conversation anyway? Starting a conversation is very interesting and it has been coined with so many names. Bachelors call it pick up lines. Salesmen call it pitches. Writers call it an introduction. Come to think of it, how do you even start talking about starting a conversation? Here are some tips that you might want to consider so that you can start a con

Last week I taught a class on Business Etiquette. My class consisted of people ranging in ages from the mid 20’s to the early 50’s. I noticed a definite gap in how people identified “correct” behavior. The younger people seemed more relaxed with the rules. Webster’s defines etiquette as “behaviors required by good breeding or prescribed by authority.” When I showed that definition to the class, they burst out laughing. What is good breeding? Did our parents prepare us for today’s workplace?

WHAT IS THE CALL OF GOD? Mike Ghouse: “It is a call from God to learn about each other and know each other.” LISTENING TO THE CALL OF GOD When we do that, myths about others disappear. We open up to friendships without reserve or fear. Mike shares some practical points about the practice of Islam in the USA and worldwide. ISLAM USA STYLE

In the world of business, I believe you want to treat yourself as a brand and to position yourself effectively in the mind of your target audience. Personal branding is a way to build credibility, get noticed and get clients. This being said, building your brand effectively is not easy, which is why many people take a shot at it but very few actually become brands. As a communication coach, I often work with people to help them become brands. Here are the things I’ve concluded to be the most important.

It’s really easy – and highly tempting - to blame poor performance on other people or circumstances– but are you yourself the problem? Are you really fit to lead? For instance, do you ever find yourself repeating behaviours such as; recruiting the wrong people; having key people leave unexpectedly; getting yourself overloaded?

If you’re shy and you’ve tried multiple ways to change without success, then you may be wondering if it’s even possible to overcome shyness. This articles answers that question. Shyness is very common. Some people manage to beat their shyness and gain more social confidence, but many seem to not be able to overcome it. In this later situation, they often conclude that shyness cannot be beaten and they simply give up.

Have you taken a trip in a small plane? I mean truly small… the type that requires a limit of one carry-on bag only? Aside from the apprehension that I personally feel about bouncing around in a small airplane, I feel a slight anxiety about the packing of this all-important bag. “Carry on only,” the travel documents read; which means that one seemingly diminutive piece of gear has to contain absolutely everything that could be needed for the travel time and the destination. What do you do?

When people are caught up in their own little worlds they not only miss a great deal they also inadvertently can do damage. What is wrong with our children these days? As Shakespeare wrote, “The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves.” Watch what the adults do and say and you will see ...

Sometimes, the life of a “mature” person must be completely shaken, shifted and reshuffled to bring them to where they were meant to be in the first place! Some events are beyond our control that make those transforming shifts necessary: losing a job, children moving back home, a health crisis or death of a loved one. Other events open up the time and opportunities to explore new adventures. Even if you are experiencing issues that have hindered your ability to do what you love, think about how you can incorporate your desires into your newly developing everyday life.

The elements of the engagement stance (Presence, Engagement, Empathy, Openness, Curiosity, Depth, Safety, and Collaboration) are so vital to good communication that I will post articles about all of them over the coming weeks. These eight points are the keys to the kingdom, and if you master nothing else but these, you will be amazed at the improvement in your communication. I covered Curiosity already, so I will look at a Presence this time.

My clients frequently ask me how to find happiness. Over the years I've noticed that a common characteristic of people who are happy is having a strong awareness of who we are and where we are going. Self-awareness is a deep understanding of who we are. It literally impacts how we treat ourselves and others and what kind of life we live. Let me give you a real world example to illustrate how important it is to get to know yourself.

Britney Spears just can’t get out of the news. She has lost visitation rights for her children, her fans are dropping like flies, ran over a photographers foot and where is her underwear? There is an Association she should join. They even have a special day of celebration – and we ...

Hunger Pangsr By Day Four of Ramadan (the fasting month for Muslims) Mike was feeling exhausted and hungry from noon onward. HOW TO DEAL WITH HUNGER The solution: pray for hungry children and people around the world in Congo, Haiti, Somalia and Burma. Mike Ghouse: “The tragedy of Rohingi people in Burma shatters me… it is the identical humility that the Vietnamese suffered, and Darfurians and Palestinians are enduring.” REAL RESPONSIBILITYr

R: Relationships, Revival, Restoration, and Responses Business is all about relationships. One great way to build those relationships is to pick up the phone and call your clients. Talk to them. Ask them how they’re doing and tell them how you can assist them in solving a problem that they’re currently experiencing in business. Letters are great, too. People like getting letters that are written to them personally. I’m not talking about form letters. I’m talking about letter

The Cost Of Persistence, by Doug Grady per·sist·ence (noun): firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. “I will persist until I succeed.” -Og Mandino “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” -Calvin Coolidge "Energy and persistence conquer all things." -Ben Franklin

To the Americans it is Mom, but to the British it is Mum! (or is it!)

Making the wrong choices – now that would be tragic! Nevertheless, as dumb as it sounds, that’s exactly what we do. So often God shows us the consequences of making a bad choice or walking through life with a bad attitude, and yet we choose that attitude anyway. Then when ...

“Love is all that matters faithful and forever, keepin’ us together, love is all we need.” Anybody older than 30 (or even younger) might be familiar with this song which was popularized in the late ‘70’s to early ‘80’s. Various artists have since rendered their own version of the song, making the line “love is all that matters” a household name for a happy relationship. But, is love all that matters? Our world today is an

I have often been asked by colleagues why I use neuro-biological instead of psychological concepts to explain developmental processes. My answer is always that neuro-biological concepts can be 'seen' on MRI scans and we become more understanding of how our brain works. I find that exciting. So ...

Impressive CV The irony of life is that we need an impressive CV but its impressiveness is not what bags the job. It is a good intro but then … A Leg in the Door No more than a leg in the door, resumes get you in front of the hiring people, but it will be a compelling story that will get your past the door and into a work station that is truly yours. Preparation is Key

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your success in media interviews is to answer the reporter’s questions directly. And the way to do that is to have in mind a question answering model. More on the model later, first, the teachable minute. Treasury Secretary Timothy ...

EFFECTIVE WRITING IS A LEARNABLE SKILL THE FACTS OF THE BUSINESS WORLD Think about it – a significant part of your job consists of communicating with others. This communication will be both speaking and writing. Email, letters, memos, proposals, office materials, promotional copy and a wide range of other documents. Here are 13 tips to improve your writing impact. 1. Brief is bestr

One of the biggest blocks to emotional intelligence and effective communication is emotional reactivity. You know how it is, you have all the best of intentions to have a productive communication with somebody and they say the “wrong thing” – the thing that pushes your “hot button”. Often it can be a criticism, or a negative reaction to your “great idea”. In any event, defensiveness arises and communication becomes regrettable. This shuts down any creativity or collaboration that could be possible in this situation.

Domestic demand, in most industries, is falling. So now is a good time to look outside your home country for growth opportunities. It’s easier than ever to sell abroad as regulations are being streamlined and borders are opening. Selling beyond your own borders is not just for big corporates, smaller companies can tap into these lucrative markets too - if you know where to start.

Breaking bad news to customers is not an easy task. However, when the time comes, it must be done with empathy and professionalism.nnHere are five strategies for delivering the message with compassion:nn1. Tell the truth. People tend to fear what they do not understand. Put the situation into perspective for your customer. Give as much information as you can about the who, what, when, where and why. nn2. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. It’s useless and naïve to tel

Verbal ability is a fundamental part of administration placement tests. The questions in this area extensively test capacities in word control, analogies, sentence revision and verbal thinking. This implies one must have a decent vocabulary and a solid command over English. In the course of the most recent couple of years, the nature of questions asked in Verbal Ability Test, especially in the Common Admission Test has changed from being immaculate vocabulary based to thinkin

The key to higher sales is developing a presentation that taps into your prospect's psychological needs. Each phase of the sales process satisfies a need that moves your customer closer to the sale. rnIn a telemarketing presentation, tapping into your prospect's psychological needs allows you to overcome the disadvantages of not having visuals or face to face contact. Several keys to unleashing your sales power are hidden in the attention, interest, proof and closing steps of

With 105 million strong in the US, the Millennial generation is now larger than the number of Baby Boomers and Generation X combined. Their presence is felt in the workplace and is creating great diversity in age, work ethic, interpersonal social and communication skills. Instead of silver spoons in their hands, they were born with computers in their laps and cell phones and iPods attached to their ears. They are the first totally digitized generation and are truly hooked on

SHARING IDEAS An incredible revolution is taking place and it is not always for money but is fuelled by passion. This amazing revolution is the worldwide accessibility of videos and how people are viewing them, creating their videos in response and in effect upping the ante in a particular area. This is happening at all levels from youngsters revealing exciting break dancing moves to men and women in white coats disclosing scientific breakthroughs. MASS ACCLERATED ACCESSr

POSITIVE POWER 1. When you have a choice as to who you can associate with – choose people who are positive, who can help you positively and who give you an energy boost when they are around. Be with people who you are proud of, people you admire and people who like and respect you. 2. DETERMINING DESTINY Let go of people who really are not a benefit in our lives. Many people contribute to your destiny, not just any one person. Be more disce ing as to who really matters in your business and personal success. 3. PLAY FAIRr

Are your employees happy at their jobs? With all the stress of the modern career these days, not to mention the added work load and extra hours the average employee is expected to work, it is not hard to understand that the stress has negatively taken its toll. Statistically speaking, they're less likely to be happy today than they were 20 years ago. In 1986, the Conference Board, a leading research group, conducted its first survey of job satisfaction. At the time, just ove

Advancement of technology has played a great role in shaping our society; be it the Stone Age, Iron Age or Bronze Age or today; every age has its own features and significantly has a greater impact on shaping our society. What we are today or what we have evolved is a result of what technology has given us. In this recent time where technology is at its best and we humans have all the modern amenities, making our life easy and hassle free is just because of the evolution of t

Social media is the big buzz. We’ve been swept up in the currents of Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter. We can allow the currents to carry us to new connections, new business , and massive reach and visibility. Or we can get caught in the riptides that pull our reputation under. The biggest mistake in social media is not realizing that social media is a presentation. That’s right. Success in social media follows the rules of effective presentation skills. Mistake One: No purpose or focus. What is your objective? Why are you using social media? What are you trying to accomplish?

S: Shocking, Solution, Secret, Shortcut, Spoken for, and Sold Out You can build a sustainable business by giving away surprise bonuses. Your clients will feel they’re getting the biggest bang for their buck. My clients are always shocked when they receive surprise bonuses with an item that they ordered. Recently, a client from Hawaii ordered a one-dollar CD from me. When she opens the package that my team sent, five CDs will fall out. Four of those CDs are surprise bonuses.

Do you know how to write an interesting blog? Fascinating and interesting blog posts trigger satisfying feelings for a reader. The content either inspires or motivates the reader to act in a way that benefits him or her. When your fans love your content, they see you as a trustworthy business friend. Build Relationships With Your Readersr Whatever you write in your blog post, design its content to develop a genuine relationship with your target market. How do you do that? Give your blog post a specific voice that appeals to your fans.

Being a freelancer is a way to break the status quo to provide our own work without relying partly bureaucratic and heavy upon chains of command that what they do is limit our creativity and motivation structures. Obviously, I do not mean that there should not be large companies, but for some types of activities and achieve greater personal and professional fulfillment may be necessary to leave the "system" and create our own proposal. Also in times of crisis we must sharpen

If you are not confident by nature the simple task of starting a conversation is enough to start the heart racing! Yes you read it correctly! Cold sweats, heart palpitations, shaking, stuttering, are just some of the effects that the faint-hearted can be faced with whilst starting a conversation. This can all be avoided by following these simple yet effective tips to help your confidence soar. 1. Shyness doesn’t pay. Being timid and shying away amongst the crowd really doe

In the present modern world, everybody needs to learn how to speak effectively by standing before the audience. Irrespective of the job or position, you may be required to make a speech on one day on some particular topic or concept before the audience. So, each one of us must improve our public speaking skills without fail especially the professional students of all the courses. Speaking to various types of employees on different issues will be inevitable to the people who hold responsible positions or jobs.

Allowing the audience to ask questions after your presentation is an excellent way to reinforce your message and to continue to sell your ideas. In addition, because listeners can ask for clarification, audience members are less likely to leave your presentation with misconceptions about the ...

In addition to the professional phone image I discussed in Part I, it is also vital to be able to read people over the phone to increase your chances for personal and business success. Using the leading-edge DISC (Dominant, Influencing, Steady and Conscientious) communication styles, I’ll help you recognize the other person’s natural communication style so you know how to respond. It works even better when both of you are cognizant of each other’s style. June, which is national Effective Communication month, is a great time to examine why this is so.r

Raining Down Blessings Upon You B: Beliefs are at the core of our being, so be prepared to go deep to brighten up your thinking. L: Learn to think in bigger and better ways. Let your imagination run riot and imagine your mind is overflowing with wisdom. Look harder and deeper at the universe living within you. E: Every time you think of your blessings you are impressing upon your mind, soul and heart the good things you have, and you will feel better. Every time you think of the future you are impressing upon your mind that you have a direction and a place to be.r

Listening is the #1 communication skill for leadership, selling, customer service, and even romance! The problem is, most of us don’t listen very well. We’re not trained to listen and we don’t even realize that listening is a skill. People have lost jobs, customers, employees, and relationships ...

Who isn’t familiar with the stories of Sindbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and Aladdin? Immortal collections that emerged out of the sun baked sands of the middle east centuries ago to enthrall generations with their simplicity, moral codes, proverbial lessons and eye popping excitement. Complied in a time when movies, radio shows, television serials were unheard of, these tales of adventures, rags to riches aspirations, hopes and sorrows avidly indulged both the rich and poor of

This is a tough principle to swallow for most hard-core business and salespeople. However, what if you recognized this is the path to attracting your preferred prospects and clients – would you then give it some consideration? Have you ever dealt with someone who was less than an ideal customer? The interaction is far from pleasant. Many associates and I have on occasion fired such clients. Life is far too short to deal with unkind people.

Your success in every area of life will be influenced by the relationships you develop and maintain. The ability to communicate and converse with confidence and clarity is a key trait that will help you get to the top of your profession and field. Without making these business relationships or connections you may find your leads and work drying up in these challenging times. Now more than ever, your focus on getting out from behind your desk and into networking and conversing with others in business is critical to your future success.

Self-esteem is a product of recognition through solidarity. Let me explain what that means. Within a community of peers people experience the expression of appreciation, acknowledge, valuing, and support as a sign of solidarity. When we are recognised in the above ways by people who share our ...

SUCCESS WAITING TO HAPPEN There is a proverb that gives a warning: This is an accident waiting to happen. A dangerous situation has been created and it is inevitable that an accident will happen, sooner or later. Let’s reverse this idea and let us do all the things that will lead on to success. In other words, this is success waiting to happen. Very soon you will be successful or more successful.

I’m not a sexist, and I’m not a bra-bu ing feminist. I am a realist. That’s why I can say that the ole boy network still unequivocally affects relationship building in the corporate hallowed halls … not so much in the entrepreneurial ranks. Building beneficial relationships knows no gender boundaries. It is equally beneficial for men and women, and the process can be equally daunting or equally easy for members of either sex.