I want to give you a simple yet genius technique that will help you be more powerful, charismatic and persuasive — in just 3 seconds flat.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Pause.

When you’re in a conversation, a pause of silence gives you the wonderful opportunity to listen and to make an impact on the people around you.

Being a really good listener is one of the most underrated secrets of success. Its crucial if you want to be more charismatic, more persuasive, and a better negotiator.

Plus, truly listening to someone and having them feel that they were truly heard is one of the biggest gifts you can ever give. The pause gives you presence. And people can feel it.

The problem is, most of us suck at listening, and we don’t even know it. We’re always interrupting people with our points of view, feedback and ideas.

But when you remain quiet and just zip it shut, you’ll be surprised how often people will open...

It doesn't matter if you're a politician, a business owner, or an expert in your field - if you're giving an on-camera interview, you want to make a memorable and lasting impression.

Here are 3 tips to help you shine!
1. If you're standing, plant your feet about hip distance apart and stay there. Moving around is really going to piss off whoever is running the camera.
2. If they give you a chair and it swivels, ask for another one. The last thing you want is to look like you're 12 years old by swiveling in your chair. If they can't switch chairs, don't swivel.
3. Whatever you do, don't touch your hair. It makes you look flighty.

DO:
1. Rehearse out loud
2. Speak with enthusiasm and/or passion
3. Gesture - it will help you to remember what you want to say, and the audience will remember more of what you tell them.

Have questions or want more tips? Email me at [email protected] 

Do you ever feel invisible sometimes? Like you’re overlooked or what you have to say doesn’t matter?
 
If you’re grudgingly nodding your head yes, you’ll get a lot out of this article.
 
First of all, no matter who you are or what business you’re in, there will always be people who are just not interested in hearing you out. It doesn’t matter how great your ideas are, you can’t make someone listen to you if they’re not interested.

Take heart, because more often than not, their disinterest is a reflection on them and their circumstances. It’s not a reflection on you.

With that said, let's take a look at how you communicate.
Because making small tweaks in the way you communicate can make a world of difference in making sure you are taken seriously.

This list isn’t exhaustive. Not even close.

But its enough to give your communication skills some traction the next time you need to be heard.

Number 1. Cut the jargon.

Why?

Because...

Does your avatar capture the interest of potential clients?

I'm working with a client to develop her digital brand into something that will capture the interest of her potential clients. One of the elements we worked on today was her Avatar, the photo(s) she uses on social media and on her coaching website.

Your avatar is your visual representation of your professional persona and your BEST authentic self. Your avatar should be interesting and not bland. It should represent your personality, but also demonstrate strength and warmth. Because strength demonstrates certainty, and people pay for certainty. And warmth gets people to like and trust you. So both need to be considered.

Rather than just posting a photo, put some thought into how you want others to perceive you. Because your avatar is often the first impression we have of you, and that first impression carries a lot of weight.

What images and colors come to mind when you think of quirky, confident, creative, smart,...

Does anxiety ever creep in when you have to meet new people?

It doesn't matter how rich, handsome, athletic, smart, or beautiful you are, the one thing we ALL have in common is that sometimes our biggest fear is that we won't fit in - that we won't be liked, that we will be awkward, or that we will be rejected.

This fear creeps in when we me meet new people in any number of arenas:

-The first day of school is never easy. 
-Fitting in with new co-workers can be equally intimidating.
-Networking events can make us feel isolated. 
-And pitching a new product or service requires stepping out of our comfort zone on a daily basis.

Fitting in is different than standing out! And make no mistake, there are times when you're going to want to stand out - but not every situation calls for that. Sometimes, our only desire is to FIT IN.

I have three things you can do right now that will make fitting in easier the next time you enter any arena.

1. Have a warm and genuine smile at the...

How do you want to be remembered by others? 

Think about your character and legacy. Look out there, beyond your meetings, beyond your month's to-do's and all the things you have to do. Ask yourself this simple question, "How do I want those whom I love and serve to remember me?"

It's important to take a step back because when you're constantly juggling and feel depleted, because you're not thinking about the future. You're just trying to survive and get through today. You start to lose your clear intention for how you want to show up with your family and teams. Your executive presence suffers. The quality of your interactions suffers.

Can you relate?

Let me tell you, its not about having more time. Because we all know there's never enough of it. 

It is about imagining your interactions with people, and asking yourself why they love and respect you. How would they describe their interactions with you? Make a list and then choose to demonstrate those qualities each...