All tagged Communications
A common mistake of someone new to the sales process (whether you're selling a product to a prospect or an idea to your boss) is that the more detail you provide, the higher the chances of success.
Reality works quite differently, as I explain in today's episode. The fact is that the onus is on us to get our message across, which means we need to do the work, not the customer.
Self-awareness is a tricky thing.
I mean, we intuitively recognize its importance, but truly practicing it - balancing it - is another thing altogether. Certainly, we’ve seen examples of folks who run the entire spectrum.
Those who are like a bull in a China shop, completely oblivious to whatever anyone around them says or thinks - or perhaps they are aware but simply don’t care or believe it’s necessary to consider their views.
Confidence and volume are two separate ideas, but often, when it comes to our communications, we tend to conflate the two.
There is a material difference and, as I discuss in today's episode, it's important we work to understand that distinction.
How we spend our time on a day to day basis is materially influenced by the extent to which we're responding to signals or to noise.
In today's episode, I speak to the need to think about which cues we pick up and what we react to - the signals versus the noise.
When we're trying to sell an idea or a product, we want to say all the right things to the prospect, so that we can close the deal quickly.
In doing so, we can at times, sugar coat the message, or gloss over key issues that need to be grappled with upfront. All the more reason, as I discuss in today's episode, that we always be upfront - even if that means talking about difficult things.
Expectations management is everything in business. We understand and buy that when it comes to big picture issues - such as a client delverable.
But, as I discuss in today's podcast, it matters just as much in our more common day to day activities.
We throw around the word "partnership" pretty loosely. And often, when we do, we're sincere about it. But it's easy to talk about partnerships when there's nothing at stake.
You really find out whether you have a real partnership (or not) when problems arise. And in those moments, there's one trait that matters above all else, as I discuss in today's episode.
Whether we're selling a product or an idea, we're often faced with situations where our messages simply aren't getting through - that is, we're just not able to communicate effectively.
There are a number of tried and true approaches to improve our chances and today's episode dives into these practical tips and techniques.
Email has become a necessity in today's business environment - and it's brought us plenty of value and efficiency in both our personal and professional lives.
But email can sometimes also be used as a way to avoid real conversations, to sidestep issues or frankly, to not make the effort. In the long run, this has real consequences, as I discuss in today's episode.
When we're communicating an idea or selling a product, we often think that if we just explain the benefits, people will buy.
When they don't, we lament that they just didn't get it. But maybe we're the ones who didn't get it - because it's not anyone's job to listen, it's our job to make them want to hear us, as I discuss in today's podcast.
In the last episode, I talked about how everyone has a platform and how that can be a good thing.
But having a platform isn't for everyone, as it comes with a set of responsibilities around what we say and how we say it. Today's show speaks to some of what I believe are the ground rules for establishing your own platform.
Many of us believe we have a message to share, in one domain or another, and many of us long to actually share it.
Today's episode speaks to the fact that we all now have a platform to say, write and otherwise communicate, anything we want. But wanting to and doing so are two different things, and the discussion today focuses on that inner dialogue.
Today's podcast focuses on the idea of owning our messages.
In any work we do, we're called upon to present our ideas and findings in front of an audience. Often, we feel compelled to "do what we're told" or to "follow a script". The reality is that we need to own what we present, no matter our level. In this podcast, I discuss how.
If you were to ask me what the most valuable part of my education was from a decade in Management Consulting, I’d tell you it was the ability to craft a story. That is, putting together a slide deck or telling a message that was logical, coherent and that clearly communicated its central message.
As I learned when I left Consulting, that’s not a widely available skill. It’s a bit of a rarity, actually, but it’s critical to the success of any initiative.
This month's podcasts focus on the art of communication - a critical skill no matter what we do for a living.
In today's episode, I speak to the fine line we walk when we're in the midst of combative communications. In particular, I speak to the four elements that allow us to tell when it's constructive and when it's not.
This month's podcasts focus on the art of communication - a critical skill no matter what we do for a living.
Today's episode focuses on the idea of objectivity in what we believe and what we communicate. It's important to believe in ourselves but still be objective enough to understand the reality of our situations.
Those who’ve worked with me for any length of time will inevitably have heard me say some variant of the following words: “If the customer has to work to understand what we’re offering, we’ve already lost.” I try to live by those words.
There’s enough going on with any client or customer that any of us are dealing with. Just like us, they’re constantly bombarded by emails, news, requests for, and demands of, their time - and, oh yes, their actual work.
This month's podcast closes out the year with my thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic that's absorbed all of us this year. I'll share my perspectives on how I've assessed this impact and how I interpret its impact going forward.
Today's podcast discusses how the pandemic has reset the equilibrium of what we thought was our "physical-virtual" balance, for good reason. This is likely to endure well after the pandemic is over.
This month's podcasts focus on war stories, recounting situations and experiences that were unique, intriguing and (always) educational.
In today's episode, I talk about my early experiences traveling - something I originally wasn't happy about, but soon came to realize that it is, actually, a hygiene factor today.
This month's podcasts focus on war stories, recounting situations and experiences that were unique, intriguing and (always) educational.
In today's episode, I share a story about a very unique experience I've had - and keep having on Twitter. Specifically, about how I'm regularly confused with the Former Chief Minister of Kashmir, and what that tells us about how to effectively communicate.
