“A “brand” identifies how you are unique and different. It is an attention-getter to help you stack up against your competitors. It also shares with us what we can expect by doing business with you.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Whether you are in business or simply want to be remembered positively, frankly consider these things: What makes you feel special and significant? What makes you unforgettable? When people see or think of you, what image do you think comes to mind?”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“How can you stand apart from the herd? How can you start to be noticed so people will remember you? How can you be heard above the noise? “What is your personal branding that makes you special, unique, individual, and memorable?”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Color is one of the most important and distinctive elements in enhancing your image. Wearing the colors which are best matched to your personality, energy, skin tone, hair color, and body type will make you look healthier, more vibrant, confident, successful, and approachable.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“People will form impressions, assumptions, opinions, and judgments all within a few short seconds. To make a favorable first impression and make these seconds count, enhance your image by choosing clean, crisp, appropriate attire that reflects confidence and professionalism.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Like it or not, how we each present ourselves to the world, by way of our appearance, attire, behavior, and speech, all send messages on our behalf.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Making a great first impression is not an accident, and with a little planning, experimentation, and application, you can transform your style, substance, and impact.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Once you are dressed there may be still more you can do to enhance, complement, or complete your look. Simply changing your accessories will change your entire impression.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Proven professionals know that by focusing on quality, you can’t lose with the classics and your clothes will last longer. It’s not about having expensive clothing, it is about having style.”
Source: The Art of Preparation: 8 Ways to Plan with Purpose & Intention for Positive Impact
“Does your tone match your intention? Is your tone of voice confusing or clarifying? Are you coming across to others as you had hoped? Once you begin to notice your tone, you can adjust as needed to make it work in your favor.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Heed Your Speed. Are you a fast or a slow talker? Be mindful towards the person with whom you are speaking to ensure that your message is being comprehended, understood, and absorbed. If they are listening at a slower rate than you are speaking, disconnect can occur.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Align your voice value with the tone, pace, and pitch of your listeners will help you connect on all levels.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Have you ever paid notice to the full sound range of your voice? If you have ever been in a chorus or a singing group, you already know that they will separate the group based on each singer’s pitch and assign their roles accordingly. While my speaking voice has a soprano pitch, my singing voice is a lower alto.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“A high-pitched voice may sound less authoritative, more youthful, and less experienced, whereas, a lower pitched voice may be perceived as being more authoritative, confident, and credible. It is unfortunate that listeners will make assumptions based on these differences before even knowing the depth and value of your message. Play with your ranges and find a comfortably low pitch. Practice it to see if it makes a difference in conveying more authority and brilliance.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“When your speaking style is clear, confident, and concise, your listeners will perceive you as such.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Developing your eloquence and enunciation will reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation and misunderstanding, making your delivery more powerful.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“By speaking in a competent and confident way, your message will sound more relevant and appropriate, reflecting you in a favorable light.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Variety is the Spice of Life. Voices come in all shapes, tones, and sizes. Some are compelling and effective, while others are grating and agitating.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“The list below begins to illustrate how different personalities can be assigned to different vocal qualities . . .
• Warm
• Loving
• Breathy
• Gravelly
• Dull
• Nasal
• Rough
• Hoarse
• Gruff
• Melodious
• Whiny
• Sultry
• Twangy
• Energetic
• Shrill”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Neen James (NeenJames.com) is an eloquent and successful international speaker who stands at four-feet-eleven with a rich Australian dialect and a high-pitched voice. For years, fellow speakers with good intentions told her she needed to take voice lessons to lower her pitch to give her more depth for a compelling stage presence. With complete confidence and loyalty to her uniqueness, she ignored the naysayers and her amazing signature voice has become a powerful brand.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Most people are familiar with the rich, resonant tones of James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman. Their signature voices bring strength, authority, and lyrical enjoyment. Are there aspects of your voice that you can capitalize on to make a great impression and be simply unforgettable?”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Think of the times that others remembered your name and used it kindly. How did it make you feel? When you use someone’s name it makes him or her feel recognized, appreciated, and special.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“A Sign of Respect. As our world grows more casual, we observe a tendency for everyone to use first names rather than surnames. “It is a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Young,” has a completely different connotation than “Nice to meet you, Susan.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“What determines whether the usage is acceptable or inappropriate? If you want to make a great first impression with positive impact, it is essential that you know there is a difference.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Using titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, Dr., etc. demonstrates respect. In previous generations, it was a social necessity and simply good manners. One would consider you rude and uncultured if you were so presumptuous as to go straight to a “first name basis.” First names can imply an intimacy that does not exist and it may offend a new person until they know you better. Be wary of making assumptions.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“I was raised in an era when part of respecting your elders was to call them by Mr. or Mrs. When my children were growing up, an occasional child would call me Susan. It was jarring, felt disrespectful, and I did not like it. We reached a mutual agreement and their friends began calling me Ms. Susan. Perhaps this is more prevalent in the South, however, your awareness and consideration can help prevent social missteps.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“It is wise to use titles for people in positions of power, higher education, seniority, or maturity, unless otherwise instructed. This may sound old-fashioned, but practicing respectful traditions will earn you points and inevitably make you seem more cultured and sophisticated. This is especially true with older generations.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“To call certain people, such as your boss, teachers, professors, doctors, your parent’s friends, etc. by their first names might be considered disrespectful. It is best to err on the side of caution until you know what is appropriate.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Asking permission to call someone by their first name is a gesture of gentility and consideration. And once permission is granted, the gate is open for mutual respect and mutual purpose. Simply demonstrating this courtesy before making an assumption is impressive. Once permission is granted, you have earned points on both sides.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Make It Fun. Have you ever been publicly acknowledged or called upon in a room filled with people? Depending on your personality type, it can be either exhilarating or mortifying. It certainly does grab your attention, as well as everyone else’s!”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“When I am working with groups of thirty or fewer people, there is a powerful name exercise that I do to break the ice, start with humor, and begin my program with positive energy. One by one, each person will introduce themselves using an adjective that describes their personality that starts with the first letter of their name. “Spontaneous Susan,” “Dependable Dave,” and “Happy Helen” are a few quick examples. The benefit for the participants is twofold: it makes each person feel good and it makes people laugh. Additionally, it enables me to learn their names so that I can integrate them into the entire presentation for full engagement and participation.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Using names with respect and consideration tells a person that you care, are present and engaged, and that you are genuinely interested in making a connection. You make them feel remembered!”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Uh-Oh . . . One year I was the guest speaker at an annual conference. The person who coordinated the agenda mistakenly typed my name as “Sue” rather than “Susan.” I felt odd and a little disrespected because they didn’t take the time to ask the spelling of my name. It felt awkward when I saw it on all the tables throughout the ballroom, to say the least. I asked, “Please make sure that you introduce me as Susan because I’ve never been called Sue.” The initial impression was sticky for an instant, but they quickly made it right. The correction was shared and everything turned out fine. Even an innocent and unintentional name error can impact your first impressions. Making a joke about it once I was on stage was a light-hearted way to confirm my real name.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“It is generally believed that nearly 40 percent of your first impression will be set from the tone of your voice. Your vocal thermometer can be more impactful than the actual words you use.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Every time you speak, you are using your voice to connect with others, whether it is in-person, on the phone, or in a recorded message.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Is your voice value delivering the image you wish to convey? Is your voice coming across as smart, friendly, and positive or ignorant, rude, and negative?”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“The way you deliver the words you say becomes your “vocal image. This "vocal image" can make or break your first impressions, impact your communication, and determine how people respond to you.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“What can you do to ensure that your voice value translates into impression value?”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Every professional voice coach worth their salt will bring you back to the importance of tone, pace, and pitch. While these concepts were introduced earlier in The Art of Body Language section, we can now elaborate and take a deeper dive into how you can use your voice to improve your communications.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Your encounters will be more successful when you slow down, pay attention, and become more mindfully aware of the world around you. Heightening your awareness in your social, situational, contextual, orientational, and cultural scenarios will improve your agility as you adapt to new social settings.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Mindfulness means paying attention to what is happening at this very moment and being keenly aware of your surroundings and the people in it.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Whether your awareness is focused on your own emotions and perceptions or directed toward the preferences, needs, and feelings of others, being mindful (aware and attentive) will enable you to respond more appropriately.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“This deliberate focus and sensitivity allow you to "put yourself in another person’s shoes and walk around a while" to better understand where they are coming from and what they are all about.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Mindfulness is a quiet strength and deeply rooted value which many other cultures understand and often practice better than we do. It can be puzzling to people from other countries as to why Americans are so task-driven and action-oriented.”
Source: The Art of Action: 8 Ways to Initiate & Activate Forward Momentum for Positive Impact
“Developing this ability instills a sixth sense for navigating human relationships with dignity, grace, and discretion, thus making an intentional and thoughtful first impression.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“As Americans, we typically move full steam ahead without much regard to mindfulness or thoughtful reflection, often to one’s own detriment. Yet it is that same propensity for bold action which makes fulfilling the "American Dream" possible—where an immigrant can come to our country with nothing and achieve extraordinary things.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Although it may serve you well, any strength or skill which is overused can become a limitation when it forces you to constantly be moving and looking for the next best thing. Distractions, interruptions, and incessantly chasing after the next golden ring can become the norm.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“With your mind alert and your eyes wide open, you will be better able to assess your space and your place for optimizing exchanges and your communication impressions.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Becoming more socially aware involves greater understanding of the dynamics of social interactions to assure you achieve harmonious outcomes.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact