Save your Speed for the Pool!

Speed is a measure of success in sports. Here my daughter speeds to the finish. She is a 12 time All-American Collegiate swimmer. Understanding is the measure of success when speaking. Professional speakers, Bruce Turkel and Jay Baer both advise speakers to pause and slow down! Pauses draw attention to important pieces of information. Pauses…

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Is it a verb? Is it a noun? No, it’s both!

Correct syllable stress is important for quick understanding. There are at least 100-word pairs of two-syllable words that are spelled exactly the same are both nouns and verbs. The difference is shown by syllable stress-noun-first syllable stressed, verb-second syllable stressed. These syllable stress changes often result in vowel sounds changing to schwa in the unstressed…

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What’s In It For ME?!

All-day long, we subconsciously and consciously contemplate this question. What’s in it for ME?! Your audience is asking this very question! They want to quickly hear that you are interested in them and that you are offering them value. The value you offer can range from pure entertainment, support, providing them a service, or educating them so their…

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Advance your English: Include Final Consonants

Many words in English only differ by the ending sound. Leaving off the ending sound causes confusion in the minds or ears of your listener. Listen and watch this video to hear how closely some words sound. Practice enunciating ending sounds by counting (0-13) or try some tongue twisters. Two tongue twisters to try: Skunk…

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Can your accent affect your salary?

Research in both Germany and the United States says YES!  Speaking pattern can cause you to have a 20% lower salary than co-workers that use the country’s standard speaking style. The fact is that every person speaks with an accent. Our accent reflects the geographic region of our childhood and our native language. People can…

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Communication Skills are Essential for Managers

When you Google the top skills needed in management, communication is always at the top of the list, it’s no surprise that communication skills rank high on what’s essential for success in business. A good manager must be able to lead others, encourage teams of associates to work together, empathize with employees, and make presentations.…

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Transition to the Next Level

Our current situation encourages us to reflect on our professional position, our career goals and how we may get to the next step. Often, the next career position requires us to both enhance and develop new skills. If you are considering a managerial position, consider your communication skills. Listener friendly speaking patterns are essential for managers. Professionals who…

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Tips to Overcoming Communication Breakdowns

Have you ever had an experience where you were talking, but the person you were communicating with didn’t understand what you were saying? Communicating in a way that you are easily understood is important to both professional and social activities. My first and most important advice: Don’t stop talking! It is vital that we hear…

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