Our mothers always reminded us. Stand up straight and smile.

She knew the value of this simplest of facial expressions. How a smile can immediately warm up the connection between people — even strangers. As community-based animals, it is our most powerful tool.

Yet, it is often lost and we often forget to use it. Especially online.

Online is where we need it most. When we present through a camera we lose so much of the small connections we have when we are in front of live prospects or peers or any audience. We cannot afford to lose our smile.

I envy those of us who have that wonderful, engaging natural smile. It is always there. They have a special advantage in the connection arena. The rest of us miserable people have to remind ourselves to put on that happy face — when appropriate.

So when you practice (you do practice, right?) and then review, make sure you look for as natural a smile as you can muster. Try it out. Get used to it. It is a critical connection tool.

Now, go make your mama proud. (and make sure you send her flowers for Mother’s Day)

Be well my friends,
Tom

PS… Wanna chat about delivering powerful presentations online? Presentations that can help you sell more and influence more? Your survival as a communicator and business person will depend on it.

Book a 45 min. discovery call with me: https://calendly.com/ready2speak

The world needs you. Get going!

T

I am attaching a great little video my good friend and superstar speaker buddy Jennifer Kahnweiler shot a few months back where she and I discuss why introverts should push themselves a bit to become good, confident presenters at work or wherever.

She just reminded me of it and I realized it is more relevant than ever with our crazy world getting totally reorganized because of this virus thing.

If you are an introvert (and many of us are at least partly that way), then you are looking a primo opportunity right in the eyeballs. Everybody just got thrown into the deep end of the icy pool in terms of communicating online. Almost no one is good at it. (Just check out your latest team meeting on Zoom).

The bar is set super low. To stand out you just have to look a little bit more professional and a little more confident than your peers or competition and you will be the star.

You don’t have to jump around the front of the room and be Mr. Energize Guy. You can be your calm, collected, thoughtful self. Just push your comfort zone a bit, don’t wear your Superman PJs, organize your thoughts and you will blow past everyone else.

Here’s a secret — many of the world’s greatest professional speakers are actually quite introverted. They have learned to use their particular skills to become superstars.

You can do this.

Don’t let this opportunity slip away…

How Introverts Can Become GREAT public speakers

Be well my friends,
Tom

PS… Let’s talk about you and where you want to shine in this new world we are inventing. Book a 45 min. discovery call with me:  https://calendly.com/ready2speak

The world needs you. Get going!

T

One of the big-time benefits of my career is that I get to see clients I have worked with succeed and grow. I would like to take credit for much of this, but I think I have been very fortunate to coach some highly gifted and motivated individuals.

This leads me to my win-win-win story.

Win #1 for you, gentle reader…

I coached Hanni Berger a few months back. Hanni speaks about how to manage stress in today’s crazy-modern world. She was to prepare a presentation for an elite women’s business forum. We redid a lot of the visuals and I helped her tweak the stories, structure, interaction and humor of her talk. She was already a very strong and confident presenter. My job was more, as I said, to help her fine-tune the details for maximum effect.

During the debrief call she reported she felt it went exceptionally well and there was a lot to learn from the experience.

She has now created a 30-day series on YouTube to help all of us house-bound folks manage and reduce stress. Short, easy-to-apply concepts to help you get through all of this.

I would highly recommend if you are feeling just a bit nuts these days. Go watch and be sure to subscribe.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9yZCc2VP21YlnYKnvgxd0Q

Win #2 for my client…

Her videos are casual, conversational and real. Her skills at connecting and motivating are likewise substantial. Again, I would like to take credit, but this is all her.

I am sure her confidence, on-camera manner and ability to deliver an effective message will continue to grow. This will serve her well both online and, when the world reopens, on stage.

Win #3 for me…

I get to subtly showcase a success story about one of my clients and deliver this shameless pitch: If you are motivated to deliver your message to the world, online or in-person, I can help. Let’s talk. Book a 45 min. discovery call with me:  https://calendly.com/ready2speak

We can discuss where you are and where you want to be when we put the afterburners on again.

The world is waiting for your brilliance. I would love to help you deliver it.

Peace and love. Be well,
Tom

P.S. Here is that link for your discovery call again:  https://calendly.com/ready2speak

Someone famous once said: Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Oh yeah, it was that Einstein guy.

I think he was onto something. Have you ever noticed that most business folks and subject matter experts get too close to their work and have some serious trouble condensing their thoughts down to a concise, clear message?

This is probably the most common problem I see when I coach people with their online or in-person presentations.

True experts seem to have the most difficulty. Too much information swirling around in their brilliant brains. They have spent decades figuring out the inner celestial plains of the distant Crawfish Nebula. They have spent zero time figuring out how to tell the world about it.

Perfectly understandable.

But the world won’t know about your amazing work unless you can make it simple and clear.

Maybe a single sentence clear.

Maybe written so-a-5^th-grader-could-get-it clear.

That’s the genius of Einstein’s quote above.

A big part of my job, as I see it, is to help you get to that simple core message that the world will understand and act on. Whether you are presenting in a live, in-person presentation or online pitching your product or service to your clients.

Then they just might listen to you. And “get” it.

Wouldn’t that be nice? Nice and simple.

It’s not always easy. But it is worth it. Because simple and clear is how you get clients to buy.

If the above simple message appeals to you and how you want to do business, we should talk.

Book a one-hour call and we will discuss where you are and where you want to be message-wise and if I might be of some assistance. No pressure. I promise.

Just click here. https://calendly.com/ready2speak

How simple is that?

Stay safe and happy today,
Tom

The other day I suggested that it might be wise, in our hour of greatest anxiety, to turn off the (expletive) news. Today, I am suggesting you turn it back on for a bit.

Let me explain.

Stealing ideas has always been an honored practice in my previous life as a graphic designer. The belief was that there were no new ideas, just modifications and updates of old ideas.

I think that is mostly true. If you have a totally new idea that you are sure that no one has ever thought of and you are sure you can sell a million of them and get rich, you are most likely mistaken. The reality is that others have probably thought of it first, tried it and it didn’t work.

Sorry. I know that the eyeglasses windshield wipers idea sounded like a real winner.

I have always looked to others for inspiration. In graphics, I mined creativity from tags on high-end clothes at fancy shops, greeting cards and fabric stores (they have amazing ideas for color combinations) to name just a few. If I was designing a brochure for a very conservative product, I would often check out the brochures at my bank.

The point is people have already done all the heavy lifting for you. Learn from them. Modify. Make it yours.

So, we come to how to be an effective presence online. The answer is simple.

Check out the national evening news.

Whoa there. I know there are a million objections to this crazy advice…

But they have fancy background graphics and sets.

But they have a control room full of technicians with satellites that can instantly switch from a super cool set in New York to Main Street in Lander, Wyoming.

But they have beautiful people…

There is still a lot to learn.

Check out the anchors and the field reporters. How do they stand or sit? How do they address the camera? How close or far away are they? How are they lit? Do they smile a little, a lot, or all the time? How do they sound? How fast or slow do they speak? How much or little do they say? What do they do with their hands?

There is a lot to learn. After all, these companies have done endless consultant studies and focus groups to figure out what works.

Learn from their research, try it for yourself. Record, watch, edit and get better.

Then checkout Ted Baxter on YouTube for a few old-school laughs.

Be well,

Tom

PS – We’re still open. Every day, I sweep the sidewalk, open the front doors and bake the pizzas. Come on by for the best handmade presentation coaching in town. Just like in the old country, except better.

Try our introductory quarantine special — a free 45-minute discovery call to see if we can help you get better — either for remote or in-person presentations. When it’s time for you to get back in the game, you’ll be ready.

https://calendly.com/ready2speak