It’s not always the words and phrases we use that have an impact. It’s the pauses and silences. The signals. We spend so much time crafting the structure and then the words. But it’s the bits in between that hold it all together and weave a magic web of meaning. Watch out today for the […]
Archive | Language
Written English is different to Spoken English
I’ve been reminded this week that written English is different from Spoken English. Why am I stating the bleeding obvious? Because when we write scripts or go to the laptop or notebook first when preparing our presentations, we run a very real risk that we’ll write our talk. And we write differently to how we […]
The power of the well-placed word
I was listening to an interview with the authorised biographer for Victoria Woods on the radio last week. Apparently, she was a hard taskmaster to work with and knew exactly what had to happen and what had to be said. (And of course, she was right so colleagues trusted her and did what she asked) […]
How to use effective body language – distracting or dynamic?
How to use effective body language – dynamic or distracting? I’ve been asked by clients whether to stop moving around when delivering a presentation and I’ve been asked by clients whether to start moving around in a presentation. Either way, people do get twitchy when it comes to thinking about body language…and that’s maybe the […]
Do the words we use REALLY matter? – speaking, responsibility and obligation
Does it really matter what we say? Isn’t it all a game of style and substance and the interplay between the two? Surely actions speak much more loudly than words? These are questions I think about especially when I am working with clients who are working out what their ‘message’ is. Especially when I hear […]
Presentations and different perspectives
Do you love an argument? Do you hate conflict? I was listening to Lord David Owen on the radio in the car the other day. A high profile, big personality MP now sitting in the House of Lords, he explained how he liked controversy, he enjoyed an argument, he welcomed discussion, alternative points of views, […]
Presentations in disguise – are you wearing camouflage?
It is tempting isn’t it…if we have the Big Presentation coming up, the one that matters, the one where it is critical that all goes well – to include all that we know. After all, we want to be credible. We need people to know that we know. But the more information we include the […]
Why telling your business story can win you loyal clients, raving fans and happy staff
It’s one of the hardest questions you will get asked in business. ‘What do you do…?’ Sounds so innocuous doesn’t it? But beware…if you answer it blindly, without thought, you could get into hot water! What do you do…? Well behind the questions is a whole range of questions the asker might want answers to: […]
Stories don’t just tell themselves you know – how to craft your business story
Mum rang the other day. Muriel had called and embarked on telling her a story of some happenstance at the supermarket. Half an hour later, Muriel had still been on the phone, telling the story from ‘Thread ‘t Needle, as Mum put it! And that is all too common isn’t’ it? We ask people, ‘what […]
So, who are you again? From networker introduction to webpage, three ways to be consistent.
Ever met someone at a networker event, took their card and later checked them out on the website? Ever asked yourself if the people you met in flesh and blood were actually the same business? Or have you ever looked at someone’s website, were impressed with their style and ‘feel’ only to find out they […]
