People want to be satisfied. That's why "satisfaction guaranteed" is a catchy and enticing selling phrase. Whether it's tires, ice cream, or a new and revolutionary hair replacement system--if the product satisfies, more often than not it will be a successful seller. [...]
There are few things in life more painful, more disturbing, than being forced to listen to someone who is trying to be funny. As one obscure comedian put it, "You can pretend to be serious, but you can't pretend to [...]
It's amazing what fans will do to show devotion to their teams. Let's take football fans for example. They'll dress up in goofy costumes, paint their faces and bodies, and then stand brazenly half-naked in freezing weather. They'll even buy [...]
Two weeks ago I was the luncheon keynote speaker at the California Water Association’s (CWA) annual meeting. When I find out I’m going to give a lunch or dinner talk there are two things I get ready for: 1) a last minute [...]
Stories are fun to tell. Even if it’s a serious story, it still feels good to share it with an audience. Telling a story is also a powerful way to prove a point or move people emotionally. Facts fade quickly [...]
Here is a small playground around the corner from my house. When I first moved into this neighborhood 20 years ago, the playground was regularly used. Most summer days (and nice weather afternoons during school months) there were at least [...]
This past May I had the privilege of speaking at a convention in Dubai. It was an unusual experience and I had a wonderful time. This gig tested some of my social skills, particularly my ability to adapt to an [...]
While attending and speaking at a convention a few months ago I had some free time, so I walked around and looked in several meeting rooms to see what was going on. (Many of the doors were open or partially open.) Most [...]
Here’s a question I get asked on occasions, which, when I was starting out as a professional speaker, was tough to answer, but isn’t now: “What is the single most important thing a speaker (or trainer) needs to do to [...]
It’s very inexpensive to do and can be easily used with any audience that isn’t too large. It’s a technique I’ve used successfully hundreds of times with all kinds of audiences including pipefitters, CEOs, nurses, truck drivers, engineers, and of [...]