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Communication

Mind the (Service) Gap

by RandallCraig August 24, 2010

How often have you been disappointed by an experience with a supplier? When it happens, it is usually because of a very basic problem: a gap between your expectations of service (or quality), and their expectations when delivering the service. Reducing frustration and disappointment is easy… if only you could get rid of that pesky [...]

Diverse Points

by RandallCraig July 21, 2010

Have you ever had the opportunity to listen to a speaker from another country, or from a culture that is very different than your own? If you have – and most people have – you may have noticed that they use different words than you. Perhaps you found them odd, but you were able to [...]

Cultural Connection

by RandallCraig January 12, 2010

Have you ever been in a situation where a joke you told fell flat? A bit embarassing perhaps, but you shouldn’t blame yourself: it’s not your fault – it is the listener’s. There are many reasons why people find something funny: maybe it’s a play on words, a physical gag, or an unexpected situation or [...]

Too Much Information

by RandallCraig January 5, 2010

Do you feel bombarded with information? Advertising shouts for your attention wherever you turn. Friends, family and colleagues clamor for your attention. And the books, magazines, blogs, and websites that you “must” check every day: are you approaching an overload condition? We’re wired to be curious, and we’re wired to avoid unnecessary risk; information satisfies [...]

Verbalization

by RandallCraig November 3, 2009

Did you ever think that you would appreciate the grammar that you learned back in grade school? While writers (and grade school teachers) might be concerned with nouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, is there any reason you should be? The answer is yes… but perhaps not for the reason you might think. Think [...]

What catches your eye?

by RandallCraig September 8, 2009

What can we learn from the world of advertising? That ads that are intrusive or annoying might stand out for some, but billions are spent each year, in every country of the world — surely something has been learned that can have direct applicability to us? Effective advertising shares a number of key attributes. Consider [...]

Influence

by RandallCraig July 1, 2009

Governments use regulation to influence how we each make decisions, either through tax policy or laws. Business uses money to change our behavior, either through commission plans, bonuses, or advertising. But how do we, as individuals, change the attitudes and behavior of those around us? The key is our influence over others. If we have [...]

Not Like Me

by RandallCraig June 2, 2009

Clients, prospects, friends, family, co-workers, your manager, and recruiters: It’s easy to assume that everyone thinks precisely like you do. But they don’t. They each have their own experience, education, training. We know this instinctively, yet still we make mistakes based on this premise. Then during a presentation, in an interview, when we write reports, [...]

A Great Story

by RandallCraig April 14, 2009

Have you ever wondered why some presentations seem to grip the audience, and others are beyond dull? The reason is simple: an entire generation of people have been raised on PowerPoint and an outline-style presentation mode. Think about it: most business presentations are lists of points, sometimes with cheesy clip-art, and maybe with a table [...]

Not Yet

by RandallCraig April 7, 2009

Have you ever been asked whether you had a particular skill, and struggled to answer when the answer is clearly “no”? While no one appreciates spin, there are a number of ways to answer, each with a unique nuance: Answer: Yes: If you are part of the Fake it ’til you make it school of [...]

Good Penmanship

by RandallCraig April 1, 2009

If you had gone to school in the 1800′s, you would have learned important skills… like penmanship. Good penmanship required concentration, attention to detail and many hours of practice; it indicated that you were cultured, educated, and serious about what you had to say. It spoke to our ability to communicate. While we may not [...]

No Conflicting Advice

by RandallCraig January 6, 2009

There are great colleagues, and there are bad colleagues, and you have to work with them all. But what happens when your interaction with the bullies and the slackers begins to influence your success? Here are some strategies you might use to get back on track: Approach them: It may be that the offender is [...]

Just Ask

by RandallCraig December 23, 2008

We ask others for things all of the time: on the job, with our families, and in the community. Yet, we aren’t always met with the response we want. How can we improve our odds? 1) Ask for something specific. If people don’t know exactly what you want, they will always decline. No one likes [...]

Nemawashi Master

by RandallCraig December 13, 2008

In Japanese culture, there is a desire to avoid causing others to lose face. In business meetings, this often means that objections are not raised, and decisions are made apparently without a thorough discussion. While this is what appears to an outsider, the reality is far different. The Japanese have a concept called Nemawashi. This [...]

PAR 3

by RandallCraig November 25, 2008

While PAR 3 might have special meaning for golfers, it is actually the name of a great framework for describing your experience. It can be used in sales presentations, group status meetings, brochures and web sites. PAR stands for Problem, Action, Results. Rather than describing what you did (the “Action”) in isolation, it answers the [...]

Active Listening

by RandallCraig October 14, 2008

If you are in a meeting, and the speaker seems to be repeating themselves, is it their fault… or yours? While it is true that communication is tough, could it be that they are repeating themselves because they “see” that you aren’t listening? They reason – sometimes subconsciously – that repetition brings retention. To signal [...]

Weasel words have no weight

by RandallCraig October 7, 2008

Have you ever met someone who doesn’t give you a straight answer? They have a way of saying things that leave doubt in your mind about whether they will deliver on their promises. When this happens, listen to their words carefully: they use conditional words to express commitments. For example: I might try to work [...]

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