Year: 2021

Next week, over 50,000 people will visit Houston for the OTC. If you are in the energy industry, you know OTC means the Offshore Technology Conference. But in medicine, OTC means Over The Counter drugs.  What about Over-The-Counter stocks? When is it OK to abbreviate or use an acronym? First, know your audience. Use acronyms…Continue Reading OTC or OTC? When can you use an acronym?

During an oral presentation, your transition statements serve as “glue” to hold your presentation together and demonstrate your logic. When preparing a presentation, pay attention to crafting transitions between sections of content. You can use easy transitions such as first, second, third. But it’s more powerful to use what Communication guru Mary Munter calls a “look…Continue Reading Getting from A to B

Effective communicators pay attention to three components inherent in most conversations. Think of a Venn diagram with three spheres. The first relates to the content – what the conversation is about. That’s important, but often what makes or breaks an effective conversation is played out in other spheres: the relational and the identity. Conversations serve…Continue Reading Spheres of Conversation

You’ve got an important presentation coming up. Should you memorize what you want to say? I say “no” for two reasons: people who memorize often sound like robots when speaking, and, I’ve seen very capable people simply freeze up. Instead, think of your presentation as a fine piece of music – you need a great…Continue Reading Play it “like jazz”

Knowing what motivated someone to take action is important, so asking “why” is useful in certain circumstances. Of course your situation and vocal tone have much to do with how a question is received, but be aware that the word “why” can elicit a very defensive response. “Why did you do that?” Your intention might be perceived as…Continue Reading Why can “why” backfire?

How would you benefit from truly understanding the perspective of another? In problem-solving sessions, difficult conversations, negotiations? The best way to understand another’s perspective – in fact, the closest we can get to being mind readers – is to improve our listening skills. We speak at 125-200 words per minute, but our brain can process…Continue Reading Are you a mind reader?

TL : DR stands for “too long: didn’t read.” The perception of what is too long clearly depends on the audience and the topic, but another key factor is formatting. Full disclosure here: my observations stem from experience rather than exhaustive academic study of the issue. However, I know that many people check out when…Continue Reading TL : DR

For years our communication classes have been teaching the acronym “WIIFM.” It stands for “What’s in it for me?” This is the question that ALL audiences want answered. So think about that first, before you begin to talk or write. Ask yourself what you know about the audience, their level of experience, their current attitudes about…Continue Reading WIIFM?

You’re at a networking event. You see someone you vaguely remember coming toward you. She reaches out to shake your hand and says her name: “Hi – Jane Doe – nice to see you!” This is your cue to give your name in reply. “Hi – yes – Sean Smith – how are you?” Chances are that…Continue Reading Names and Networking

Sending an email? Use the subject line to tell the reader what the email is about, or what you want and when. For example, Budget deadline: noon, February 10 is more informative than Need your budget input, and certainly more informative than catching up. If you are making a new contact, consider using the name of the person who referred…Continue Reading Email subject lines that get results