Talk the Talk

Think about the worst speaker you’ve ever heard. Not the one who was so nervous his voice shook or the one who was so wildly uncomfortable that she stood ramrod-straight gripping the podium like a life raft, but think for a minute about a speaker who took to the stage (or conference table, or hallway…

For the people we work with, many of whom are scientists and engineers, communications have long been considered a “soft skill.” That’s code for “not important enough to study.” The irony is that as people in even the most technical fields rise through the ranks, they realize that it’s more important, and a whole lot…

OK, I know the term “elevator speech” ranks right up there with “think outside the box,” “keep you in the loop” and “ideate” on the list of corporate-speak you’ve heard too much. But you know what it means, so there’s that. We can dialogue on new terms with a better ROI at a date TBD.…

Every time we work with clients on presentation and communication skills, from college students to research scientists to engineers, when we’re doing training, we give real-life examples and opportunities for practice. People love it. As scared as they may be to stand up and give a presentation, the confidence they gain from doing it and…

Whether you’re in a B2C business, a B2B business, or in any other situation that involves getting other people to help you get something done (so that’s pretty much all of us), there’s one thing you have to prioritize. It’s your audience. B2C is customer-focused, and if you think about it, so is B2B. After…

Good presentations are like math – they really add up. Now, for some people, those are two really scary concepts: public speaking and math. But don’t be afraid, presentations don’t have to be intimidating. Just like a complex math problem, they’re a lot easier to do if you break them down into steps. When you…

You’ve got the latest and greatest. It’s the engineering innovation that will revolutionize manufacturing. It’s the medicine that will save lives. It’s a transformation in chemical processes that will save time and money. Engineers and scientists are making life better for all of us every day. Without their work, we’d all be missing out. We…

Keeping it between the lines Don Draper, the iconic ad man in AMC’s Mad Men series, says, “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.” Great advice. But it’s hard to follow if you don’t know where you’re going. You need a good guide. If you’ve been selected to represent your company or…

Most people are terrified of public speaking. You might be one of them. You think everyone else is better at it than you are, and in fact, you don’t even know where to start. Start with a recipe. It’s just like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You gather the ingredients. You follow the…

Why are we here? It’s more than an existential pondering. It’s the difference between a presentation or a conversation that gets you what you want and….