World Health Organization announcements about the COVID-19 pandemic are raising many uncertainties and questions about the way business will now be conducted around the world. In the face of this unusual situation, companies often do not know what to do and how to communicate with customers, partners, even their own employees. It is obvious that the current quarantine … [More]
Convey Complex Ideas Simply and Persuasively
Not everyone is a natural raconteur. But everyone can enhance his or her skill by keeping three principles in mind: People need to feel something for a story to have an impact. The story must be easy to follow and stripped of unnecessary detail. And finally, because focus is a scarce resource in the brain and attention spans are dwindling, the quicker it gets to the point the … [More]
Rehumanize Your Business
Every day, most working professionals entrust their most important messages to a form of communication that doesn’t build trust, provide differentiation or communicate clearly enough. It’s easy to point to the sheer volume of emails, text messages, voicemails and even social messaging as the problem that reduces our reply rates and diminishes our effectiveness. But the faceless … [More]
Handshakes Speak for You
Have you ever wondered what your handshake says about you? Your handshake is like your business card. It conveys your confidence, credibility and influence without a single word being spoken. Studies have shown this one simple gesture can enhance a social situation and make a positive impact on others. In our culture, a handshake accompanies almost every introduction and … [More]
Use Disagreement to Build Stronger Teams
Because I facilitate team sessions for a living, I’ve seen a lot of team interactions. All kinds of drama, some shouting and tears, but also a lot of laughter, joy and bold action. Much about teamwork has been researched, dissected and discussed. Yet lately, situations have come forward that fall into an unexplored topic: how to get team members to disagree. What do you do … [More]
Crisis Communication Is Key for Businesses
The NFL’s regular season starts each September, but the preparation for battle is a year-round process: There’s free agency, the college draft, mini-camp, organized team activities, training camp and the preseason. Now, imagine the controversy and outrage from fans, sports radio and ESPN’s talking heads if teams walked into stadiums and stood on the sidelines of the first game … [More]
Dos & Don’ts of Company Communication
In many cases, a company’s Intellectual Property (IP) assets, such as its patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, constitute the most valuable assets on the company balance sheet. To be sure, protecting the most commercially valuable of these IP assets is critical to establishing and maintaining a company’s marketplace advantage. Important as they are, these forms … [More]
Combat Social Media Mud-Slinging
Winston Churchill said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” An Internet search for “Charlotte police shooting” will pull up more than 20,000 news articles and videos littered with speculations and quotes from witnesses, family members and police. Did Keith Lamont Scott have a gun, or was it just a book? The viral nature of … [More]
No Joke: Humor Is Vital to Workplace Culture
Comic actor Charlie Chaplin famously said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” This philosophy can be applied directly to the workplace. A Gallup study found that people laugh significantly less on weekdays than on weekends. And a study by Happify found that millennials — who represent the largest generation in the U.S. workforce — are obsessed with their jobs, … [More]
The Storyteller’s Secret
Keynote speaker, bestselling author and communication expert Carmine Gallo reveals the keys to telling powerful stories that inspire, motivate, educate, build brands, launch movements and change lives. The proof lies in the success stories of 50 icons, leaders and legends featured in The Storyteller’s Secret: entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Steve … [More]
