“Good structure gives you the confidence to be creative.” Patricia Fripp How often have you sat in an audience and been mesmerized by a speaker? Was it their compelling content? Were their stories scintillating? Were they able to reach out and grab you in such a way that you thought, “Wow, the speaker is talking […]

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Opportunity does not knock once. It knocks all the time, but we do not always recognize the sound. Early in her career, TV host Joan Lunden received great advice from Barbara Walters. “Take every crumb they throw you, and handle them magnificently.” You never know which magnificent crumb is going to be your big break. […]

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The Secret of Conversation is to Ask Questions Your prospects and customers can give you important feedback, both directly and indirectly, but perhaps there is another great way to find out how you are doing. This is a blast from my past. After addressing a group of sales contest winners in Hawaii, I was on […]

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Lessons from Everyday Heroes My brother, the legendary guitarist Robert Fripp, played on David Bowie’s Heroes. In our presentations Robert says, “There are three kinds of heroes. The occasional hero, the everyday hero, and the superhero. “The occasional hero may perform a heroic act; however, it is not repeatable. “The superhero knows what happens in […]

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The Secret to Discovering Innovation and Solutions An advantage of having long-time clients is not only the friendships that develop but also the lessons you learn from them. One of the American Payroll Association’s Women of the Year and past board members is Patty Lake. She accepted a new position heading up a large payroll […]

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Look for everyday heroes. I was invited to deliver the opening keynote speech at the Toastmasters International Convention in 2001. In this 10-segment series, you view the anatomy of a keynote presentation. 8 of 10 “All right, ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been talking to you for about, I don’t know, 44 minutes, give or take. […]

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Want to Write Great Speeches?  I was invited to deliver the opening keynote speech at the Toastmasters International Convention in 2001. In this 10-segment series, you view the anatomy of a keynote presentation. 7 of 10 “I was working with a company in Petaluma that had hired me to work with all its marketing managers, […]

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