Celebrating a Life-Changing Journey: January 18th, A Day of Reflection

Each year, on January 18th, I find myself pondering with a blend of celebration and introspection.

This date marks a pivotal moment in my life, a day that set the course for an extraordinary journey.

Robert and Patricia Fripp on the way to the Majestic

The First Glimpse of a New World

Decades ago, as a young 20-year-old, I vividly recall peering through the porthole of my room on the USS United States. My eyes caught the first light of dawn illuminating the Statue of Liberty. That iconic symbol of freedom and hope was my welcome to a new country, a new life. With just $500 in my pocket, no job, and no contacts, I stepped into the vast unknown. Or as I considered, a great adventure.

A Post-War British Perspective

Reflecting back, I realize that my departure from Britain was during a time when the nation was still healing from the scars of World War II. My experience with America was limited to what was depicted in movies. I firmly believed that in America everyone was rich and the streets were paved with movie stars! Naïve and optimistic, I never considered the possibility of failure – a mindset that served me well. It was nice to know, if I was ever without money or unhappy, my father would send me a ticket to go back. It was a source of pride, that once I left home at 18, I never asked my parents for money.

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Punch Up Your Presentations with Your Life Experiences

Take the money when customers want to give it.

As a presentation skills expert, I’m often asked, “Where do I find good stories and examples for my presentations?”

The answer lies in our everyday experiences. Here are a couple from my own journey, focusing on the important role of customer service.

Consider this: every interaction your organization has with customers either strengthens or weakens your relationship. This includes every letter, ad, phone call, and especially each employee interaction, from the CEO to the technicians and maintenance crews. It’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?

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Be the Star of Your Own Show: Hollywood’s Advice on Dressing for Success

Do you hold the position, earn the salary, or command the respect you believe you deserve?

If not, I encourage you to dress and speak for the role you aspire to, not merely the one you currently have.

When I was growing up, my mother gave me great advice. “Patricia, of course, it is the inner you that is most important. However, you have to dress up and look good so that you can attract others. They will then discover how nice and smart you are and how you can be of value to them.” This principle, emphasized by my mother and echoed through the annals of Hollywood, remains as relevant today as ever.

Hollywood’s history is rich with icons like Edith Head, an eight-time Academy Award winner for Costume Design. Her work in classics such as The Heiress and All About Eve shaped the visual language of an era. Edith said, “You can have everything you want as long as you dress for it!”

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Shift Your Perspective: Embrace 2024 with Fresh Eyes

As we stride into 2024, it’s crucial to recognize the impact of recency bias – the tendency to overemphasize recent experiences or the latest information when forecasting future events. This bias can skew our expectations, leading us to believe that the near past is a mirror of what’s to come. However, there’s an alternative viewpoint worth considering, inspired by a memorable experience from my past.

Rewind to my avid running days in the scenic Marina District of San Francisco. One Sunday morning, I found myself jogging alongside David, a psychiatrist, and my running partner. Our route took us from the vibrant Marina Green to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and back, immersed in the breathtaking beauty of the bay. Just another heavenly day in San Francisco.

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The Shocking Truth Unveiled! A Journey Through Time

Patricia at the time of her first management seminar

As a budding entrepreneur embarking on my journey with my upscale men’s hairstyling salon, I vividly remember attending my first management seminar. This was, of course, many moons ago, yet one statement from that day has stayed with me:

‘Your business is as good as your worst employee.’ Quite the alarming thought, isn’t it?

Fast forward to my days as a keynote speaker, I had the honor of sharing the stage with the iconic broadcaster, Paul Harvey. His words, much like the ones from my seminar days, left a lasting impression. He said, ‘For a company’s advertising strategy to work, it has to be handled both corporately and individually.’

Every member of your team must understand the significance of customer service in your business.

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Every Moment Counts: Lessons in Opportunity from TV to YouTube Stardom

Get ahead in your career
Keynote speaker and speech coach Patricia Fripp reminds us that opportunity is everywhere.

Want Success? You Never Know Where Your Next Big Break Is Coming From!

A Blast from the Past

Frippicism® Opportunity does not knock once. It knocks all the time we do not always recognize the sound.

Earlier in my speaking career, I was mostly a keynote speaker. Recently, I was having fun reviewing a couple of the examples I told decades ago!

Early in the career of TV host, Joan Lunden received great advice from Barbara Walters.

“Take every crumb they throw you and handle them magnificently.”

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Want to Make More Sales? Please Lose These Words

Better Words Better Results

Watch your use of “Basically” and “Simply”

Many of my clients offer complex solutions to solve their customers’ problems, streamline their businesses, and protect their valuable assets.

They engage me to help their technology experts simplify the complexity of their offerings so that their buyers will understand why it is a good investment. I tell them, “Speak to be remembered and repeated. Then your message is not diluted and they can better explain to others what they heard enough to get their buy-in.”

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Don’t Fade into the Background

When you count your riches, do you do it in money or memories?

For me, memories win out every time. At this point, most of my friends and I enjoy experiences together instead of exchanging gifts.

Don’t fade into the background

Many years ago, on my first and only trip to speak at a series of events in South Africa, my hosts took their speakers to a game park.  A game park is not at all like a zoo, and it was hardly roughing it. By the time we got up for our 6:30 a.m. café au lait, the beaters had been out for an hour. We bundled up in layers of clothes and climbed into big high jeeps. We were all excited to see the animals and they were as magnificent as you would expect.

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Are Your Visual Aids Really Helping You Make More Sales?

When I sit down with my clients to discuss their sales presentations, I often ask, “How long is your presentation?”

t used to shock me when they replied, “Twelve slides.” When I inquired, “How do you design your sales presentation?” it was dreadful to hear, “We get the slide deck.”

When you begin the process of designing your sales presentation by organizing your slides, you will sabotage what could be a great presentation. PowerPoint is a valuable visual aid, not a scripting aid.

Creating a compelling sales presentation is a creative process.

Look closely

The technique is often messy and not set in stone until you have completed it. Your finished PowerPoint needs to be tidy and make a logical and compelling case of why your prospect is well served to do business with you.

My suggestion is to begin with a flip chart where you capture all the information you need to include.

Once you have the outline of your new, improved sales presentation structure, you can ask yourself, “Where do I need help telling the story?” How can you visually demonstrate what you’re saying? Charts, graphs, and diagrams are perfect in this medium. However, do not have too many words. This is not your leave behind. You are there to add the context.

If your slides are complex, break them down and reassemble them with “builds” in a way that simplifies and clarifies your message. Now, let’s dive into the best PowerPoint practices for maximum impact:

Use Fewer Words: It’s impossible for your audience to read and listen simultaneously. Consider using more slides with less content. They’ll be more effective if you use the “build” feature when introducing a talking point.

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How to Win With An Audience Who Does Not Speak Your Language

Twelve Years Later: Reliving the Unforgettable Presentation Experience

In 2011, Salve Finance from Slovakia invited Darren LaCroix and me to deliver a presentation skills program in Las Vegas. The audience was their sales winners. Our challenge was… nobody spoke English. As their president, Peter explained, “Our generation grew up speaking Russian. We did not learn English at school.” In advance, we rehearsed our program with our interpreter, and the audience appeared to consider it the reward it was designed to be.

Little did we know that the impact of our presentation would echo through time. Twelve years later, Peter contacted us, and we revisited the experience. He said, “The audience hasn’t forgotten their last experience. We have some of your original audience and many new sales winners.”

Here is how a single presentation became a memorable legacy that continues to influence and inspire, even after all these years.

Advice I learned from past experiences.

Earlier in my career I recorded a video training series for a company that sold the programs in fifty-seven countries. My voice was dubbed into fifty-six languages. That is where I learned to de-Americanize all my examples and remove the names of people, places, books, and companies they would not know.

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