As the salesman entered the boardroom, he knew this meeting had huge implications for him. This prospect would be the largest client in his company’s history and the revenue from this one client would exceed what they were currently earning from his entire portfolio. Winning this account would place him in a new income bracket.

He opened his presentation like this, “I don’t know much about accounting, that’s John’s field of expertise, I am not well versed in engineering, that’s Steve’s area.......” and he went on to cite each decision maker’s proficiency.

Most people feel some anxiety about asking for a raise during the best of times, let alone when it seems things are not so great economically. However, if you feel you deserve more money, be direct and make an appointment to speak to your boss about a salary increase. Good employees are the key to keeping the company afloat during tough times.

Write down and rehearse what you want to say. This will help you to be succinct. You don’t want to ramble. Knowing what you want to say will increase your confidence.

Many people want to sound more polished when they speak, but sometimes it is difficult for an individual to know exactly what they need to do to achieve the sound that they admire in others.

One of the things I am able to do for my clients is to pinpoint exactly why they may not sound they would like. I find that there are a few common habits that deteriorate the way we sound. My clients find that by implementing a few simple changes their speech not only becomes cleaner and clearer, it improves the overall sound of their voice. You will find that if you dissect the speech of those you enjoy listening to they probably naturally implement the following linguistic sounds...

It is not uncommon for employers to think-- if they hire people who are friendly there is no need to invest in customer service training. Erroneously, some employers believe hiring pleasant staff is all that is needed. Sourcing naturally friendly people for your front line is very important; however this is only the first step in ensuring your customers have a great experience.

I cannot tell you how many times during my workshops I have witnessed “polite people” give their best effort, only to demonstrate their honest ignorance of what is acceptable and unacceptable. Training helps to create self awareness, which is an important key in delivering exceptional service.

How do you communicate your personal brand so that others get it? There is a lot of talk about branding yourself. What does it mean? Your brand is your unique selling proposition. In other words, it is a culmination of your values, skill set, talents and abilities that are easily identifiable and make you stand out from everyone else.

I work with people who struggle to differentiate themselves in the workplace. Being good at what you do is not enough. The ability to communicate what you bring to the table on a consistent basis is what will distinguish you from the pack.

Here are five things you can do to help you to solidify your branding in the eyes of your coworkers, seniors and clients:

Amazingly, simply being good at what you do is not enough to excel in today’s competitive environment. Forbes published a study by the Carnegie Institute that revealed only 15% of our success in business is determined by our technical skills. A whopping 85% of our success is determined by our communication skills, ability to lead others and our personality.

Many languages have two forms; the standard and then a variation of colloquialism, dialect and slang which is indigenous to specific regions and groups of people. In the Bahamas, though we speak English, we have our own dialect and colloquialism that we as a people recognize as part of our Bahamian culture. Our unique accent and phrasing is what makes our speech colorful and expressive. Dialect is an important part of culture; it connects us and creates a feeling of familiarity.  

What we do have to keep in mind is dialect is defined as nonstandard  spoken language, which indicates it is not best suited for the workplace. For example if you go to the beach in a pair of cut off shorts no one would think...

It is not uncommon for employers to think that if they hire people who are nice and polite, there is no need to invest in customer service training. Erroneously, some employers believe that if they hire pleasant staff, that’s all that’s needed. Sourcing naturally friendly people for your front line is very important; however this is only the first step in ensuring your customers have a great experience. 

I can’t tell you how many times during my workshops I’ve witnessed “polite people” give their best effort only to demonstrate their honest ignorance of what is acceptable and unacceptable to say. Training helps to create...

If you are in a position that requires you to get the cooperation of others you will be able to perform more effectively if you increase your ability to influence others. Here are some tips.  

Developing rapport is crucial when you are trying to sway others to be receptive to you and your ideas. Rapport comes easily when you can find areas of common ground. Once someone feels that you are more like them they begin to let their guard down and more open to what you say.  

Learning to skillfully phrase questions can be a powerful tool. Always phrase your question to get the answer you want. For instance, as a manager instead...