http://guruknowledge.org en-us http://guruknowledge.org N/A daleking@guruknowledge.org Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:58:53 -0400 20 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1632/1/10-Sure-Fire-Steps-to-Take-the-Fear-out-of-Public-Speaking/10-Sure-Fire-Steps-to-Take-the-Fear-out-of-Public-Speaking.html Do you "feel the fear" when asked to do some Public Speaking? Public Speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our internal plumbing to act up and turns our knees to jelly. alan@themotivationdoctor.com (Alan Fairweather) Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1477/1/Grow-Your-Business-by-Speaking/Grow-Your-Business-by-Speaking.html If you want to grow your business and reach a lot of people quickly, consider developing your skills as a professional speaker. There are dozens of trade organizations in every major city that need speakers for their weekly or monthly meetings. As a featured speaker, you receive instant credibility and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Your event (and you!) will also be promoted to the entire membership of the organization, even if only a fraction of the members attend. daleking@guruknowledge.org (Stephanie Chandler) Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1315/1/Priceless-Tips-for-Public-Speaking/Priceless-Tips-for-Public-Speaking.html Many people would rather jump out of an airplane or tackle Mount Everest than stand up in front of a group of people and give a speech! Yikes! But nervousness is natural. Even a very experienced professional speaker will get butterflies before an engagement. mattwb@powerfulpromoter.com (Matt Bacak) Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1287/1/Public-Speaking---Attention-Getters---Are-You-Beginning-Your-Speech-With-a-Big-Mistake/Public-Speaking---Attention-Getters---Are-You-Beginning-Your-Speech-With-a-Big-Mistake.html Public speaking is a fabulous tool for solo professionals to market their businesses. But I've seen so many do it all wrong. That's a shame because when you present your speech using the right time-tested techniques and strategies, you'll see amazing results every time. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/1286/1/Public-Speaking---3-Ways-to-Make-a-quotSignature-Speechquot-Work-to-Market-Your-Small-Business/Public-Speaking---3-Ways-to-Make-a-quotSignature-Speechquot-Work-to-Market-Your-Small-Business.html Public speaking is powerful stuff and the word is out: creating a Signature Speech to market your business is a must. As the foremost expert in creating a speech to market your business, more and more I am invited to speak to record-breaking large groups of home-based business owners, solo professionals, and entrepreneurs about how to put together your own Signature Speech. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/976/1/Understanding-the-Roots-of-Persuasive-Communication-for-Greater-Sales/Understanding-the-Roots-of-Persuasive-Communication-for-Greater-Sales.html Sales. The very thought of selling something can drive a person to high anxiety in a hurry. But for the small business owner, regardless of the business, there is still the need to find a way to let other people know about the business—and turn prospects into customers. For many, understanding the roots of persuasive communication can help take away some of the pain and anxiety of selling. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/975/1/Public-Speaking-as-a-Powerful-Tool-to-Get-Business/Public-Speaking-as-a-Powerful-Tool-to-Get-Business.html Believe it or not, I have met dozens of business owners who have avoided opportunities to present their products or services to potential prospects because they were terrified of getting up there in front of an audience. When I hear that, I want to both hug them and shake them at the same time. It's ok to be nervous, but one of the fastest ways to grow your business is by public speaking and avoiding it is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's so simple to develop a great presentation. Once you get out there and present it a few times, you'll see how great speaking can be to help you get more people wanting to do business with you. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/974/1/Empathy-for-Clients-is-Key-in-Communication/Empathy-for-Clients-is-Key-in-Communication.html I am often asked what is the one communication skill small business owners should possess in order to be as successful as possible. The best advice I can give is to be receiver-oriented, which is the fancy communication way of saying stay focused on your clients’ and prospects’ needs and wants. Sure there are techniques for all sorts of communication skills like becoming more confident; boosting your “know, like, and trust” factor; putting together a speech; and rules about email etiquette. Certainly learning more about all these areas will improve your professional communications. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/973/1/E-Mail-Etiquette-for-Effective-Business-Communication-Questions-Answered/E-Mail-Etiquette-for-Effective-Business-Communication-Questions-Answered.html As a communication coach and consultant, I often receive questions from folks in all areas of business who want to know the best way to handle certain situations. Usually people want to know the best way to approach someone about a particular issue. The issue that draws the most interest is e-mail communication. Clearly many people we interact with don’t know the rules of etiquette for business e-mails. When someone breaks those rules, responsible business people want to know how to deal with that situation tactfully and professionally. Here are several questions I’ve recently received along with my answers. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/972/1/Develop-Your-Interpersonal-Communication-Skills-for-Success-at-Work-and-at-Home/Develop-Your-Interpersonal-Communication-Skills-for-Success-at-Work-and-at-Home.html Of course as small business owners we "get" why good communication skills are important. We need to know how to best communicate with our clients, prospects, vendors—and pretty much everyone we come into contact with for our business. Yet, it’s important to realize that communication skills are easily transferable to your home life as well. Just how are the interpersonal skills someone learns useful at both home and work? It's not that big of a stretch, really. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://guruknowledge.org/articles/971/1/Effective-Business-Plan-Presentations/Effective-Business-Plan-Presentations.html Peter Drucker, American educator and writer once said, “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” As you put together your business plan, remember that as a planning document for your business, you will need to present your plan to several audiences in order to get those people to commit to taking action in accordance with your plan. In my career as a college professor of public speaking and in my private communication consulting and coaching practice, I have helped thousands of people learn to better present their messages in order to get the results they want. felicia@communicationtransformation.com (Felicia Slattery) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400