Do you want to sound intelligent, powerful, polished, articulate and confident? Of course you do! Voice coach Carol Fleming, PhD gave me some great insights based on her years of study and working with thousands of clients. TO SOUND MORE INTELLIGENT: Speak just a bit slower to allow yourself to select your most appropriate vocabulary […]

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You have read, or heard me say, stories make a speech or sales presentation more interesting, memorable and ‘visual.’ Remember, your audience remembers what they ‘see’ in their minds more than the words you use. In my sales training I recommend you call your satisfied clients and interview them about their experience of doing business […]

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Most speakers know about the importance of using “The Rule (or Law) of Three.” Most of us are not aware where it came from. We use this ancient mathematical law of proportion in ways we don’t even think about. Abraham Lincoln learned it in his one-room schoolhouse. Even Aristotle, in his Art of Rhetoric, referred […]

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Get a what? Champions get coached. In 1999 I won the World Championship of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International and have been speaking regularly ever since. Several years later, after a disastrous speech in Montreal, I went back to my hotel room, threw my head on my pillow, and faced the following reality: I need […]

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In-Between Time by Craig Valentine In-between time is what I refer to as the time between your major points. Of course you need to use this time to transition into the next story or example, but how you use this time can make the difference between a dry speech and an exciting one. One effective […]

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“Of the modes of persuasion furnished by the spoken word there are three kinds. The first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third on the proof, or apparent proof, provided by the words of the speech itself.“ —Aristotle

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Having an exhibit at a convention or trade show is a major opportunity to position your company or Association as a real player in your industry. Sure, it costs money, but it can become a major moneymaker for your organization. (It’s also a big convenience for your members and suppliers.) Here’s how to make the […]

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(Your chance to eavesdrop on a conversation between Patricia Fripp and her friend, mergers and acquisitions specialist Mike Sipe.) My friend Michael Sipe is a brilliant mergers and acquisitions specialist. Here’s a great business tip he gave me that you might adapt to your own business. “We were involved in an acquisition search for a […]

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From Fripp’s Confessions of an Unashamed Relentless, Self-Promoter audio album and book: Make It! So You Don’t Have to Fake It.  Does your marketing match your image? If you deliver a quality product or service, your marketing materials should reflect this. Your image, reflected by your advertising, should do two things: Convince people you’re worth doing business with. […]

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