Volume 7, 2008

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Featured Topic: Learn and Earn or Burn

Inside This Issue

L. E. A. R. N.

This month in The Exchange, we are focusing upon the topics of learning, earning, or burning. It makes sense that when we learn, we are more capable of earning and if we fail, we may burn our opportunities. Since this process begins with learning, let’s discover what it takes to learn.

Listen. There is much wisdom that surrounds us. Only the extremely vain will think there is nothing to gain by conversing with others who have preceded us. There is an old song from the 1960’s titled, “No Man Is An Island” based upon a meditation by John Donne. The lyrics continue to tell us that no man stands alone. To be politically correct, now we would say no person is an island and no person stands alone, at least, not anyone who wants to gain information.

There is value to be acquired from listening to anyone, but if you are in a hurry, pick the people that you choose to listen to. Select someone that has achieved what you want to accomplish, someone whom you admire, or someone who intrigues you. Listening to a person is one of the highest compliments that you can give to an individual. Most will give you some of their time when they see how much you value it.

Educate. Educate yourself through reading, attending training, or experiencing new opportunities. In 2008, knowledge is just a click away on your keyboard. Along with educating yourself is the necessity to evaluate the information that you are gathering. Information is just data and some of it is erroneous. Sometimes we keep ourselves so busy that we fail to replenish our sources of knowledge. Search for information and put it in a reading file to look over when you have some down time.

Education can be formal, such as obtaining a degree or an advanced degree. It can be selecting courses for non-credit that fit your niche. Education can also be informal. A self-made leader has the natural ability to encourage others to reach their potential. However you choose to do it, obtain knowledge through education.

Ask questions. After listening and educating yourself, being willing to put yourself on the line by asking questions is important. Sometimes you may not get the answer, or you may be ignored. Ask someone else or ask a different question. If you want to get the most for your question, begin with “how” or “what” to obtain a longer answer. Of course, the next step is obvious: listen to the answer and evaluate its value for you.

Respond. Once you have gathered information through listening, educating yourself, and asking questions, remember to respond. Give back something that you know or have experienced. This is a great way to confirm your understanding and to ensure your learning. The exchange will also give understanding to the other person. Remember, no person is an island. We all can learn from each other. Make your responses informative rather than opinionated. Ensure that your feedback contains information for verification.

Nibble. Ah! Nibbling is the act of taking a gentle bite and doing this repeatedly. Take this last step in the learning process to test your new knowledge. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Some have said that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Rather, take your new learning and try it out a little. Keep at it. It may take longer, but nibbling a steak will get the job done and it will be digested better.

Listen. Educate. Ask Questions. Respond. Nibble. When you follow this process, you will LEARN. When you learn, you will earn. You will earn the respect of others, and most importantly, you will earn respect from yourself. You will also have the ability to earn positions of responsibility and the satisfaction and wealth that accompany.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Thanks again for another productive session today. I always feel I can conquer anything in my path after we meet. My sword of communication is always sharpened! I feel empowered. Thank you again for doing the job you love and doing it so well. I am growing and wanted to pass that feedback to you, my gardener!

Andrea Irvin in Chattanooga, TN

You’re Worth the Investment

Vincent Ivan Phipps

Clients often ask me, “How much does it cost to receive presentation coaching?” I tell them, “Regardless of the cost of coaching, it is more expensive for you and your organization if you give presentations without proper training.”

As seasoned professionals, most of us are experienced in giving presentations. Experienced? That means we do it well, right? Wrong! Experienced just means we have done it. Experience could even mean that you have been doing it wrong for a long time. Presentation coaching does not just provide experience. Presentation coaching provides something more important: skill!

This month’s theme is Learn-Earn-or-Burn. Simply put, either improve on how you present in order to advance your career or burn out and burn away into an abyss of professional vapor.

I deliver presentations daily. Some are one-on-one, some are to small groups, and some are to large groups. It is flattering to hear how much others enjoy my presentation style. Those who have seen me prepare, ask why I review my own presentations. They ask me why I spend so much time in my organization and development since I deliver presentations so often. I tell them, “The same reason I rarely have car trouble: I keep inspecting my car!”

A presentation coach is your presentation mechanic. An exceptional coach can tell you what you are doing well in your delivery and, even more importantly, provide effective tips and techniques on how to improve.

Here are seven steps to the coaching process that we use at TLC to improve presentation skills:

  1. Identify and resolve the fears associated with delivering presentations or public speaking.
  2. Understand the effects of how our body language impacts our presentations.
  3. Speak with the proper tone of voice and use it to deliver more meaningful messages.
  4. Prepare your content in an effective method to make presenting and comprehension more applicable.
  5. Handle questions and answers with more confidence and professionalism.
  6. Practice to accomplish presentation goals and adapt to different audiences.
  7. Evaluate the results to critique areas of needed improvement and ensure continuation of what was done well.

Mary Walker was a former slave who at the age of 117 learned how to read and write. Someone provided her books. Someone gave her paper upon which to write. Someone helped by keeping her secrets of wanting to be more than a slave away from those who could hurt her. Mary Walker was smart enough to accept the assistance of those who could help. This enabled her to get to where she wanted to go faster. Regardless of the obstacles, seek the assistance of those who can help you.Begin with calling a professional coach!

If you want to further develop your presentation skills, contact us: 423-622-TALK or tlc@talklisten.com

Happy Birthday

TLC wishes a Happy Birthday to these clients celebrating in July:

TLC Training in Dalton GA - July 25, 2008

TLC will be conducting two workshops on July 25th in Dalton, GA. If you are in the area, we hope you can join us for one or both of these communication skills learning opportunities.

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Treat Other People the Way They Want to be Treated:
Customized Communication for Customer Service

Adapt Your People Skills and Customer/Employee Approaches to Build Rapport.

Overview:

Successful interactions with your customers will be determined by how well you can adapt to their communication styles. This workshop teaches you about yourself, how to recognize the behavioral styles of your customers, and how to adapt.

Learn how to:

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Listen More Than You Talk

Improve the Most Important and Least Trained Communication Skill.

Overview

Managers spend 40% of their average working day listening. If you are being paid almost half of your salary to listen, are you being overpaid? Score how well you listen for emotions (nonverbal content). Discover what you need to do to master your listening by understanding each of the listening dynamics.

You will:

Facilitated by: Vincent Ivan Phipps, BS Speech/Language Communication. As an eleven-year Senior Communication Coach, he is an award winning international trainer and speaker. His presentation philosophy is, "If I can get you to laugh, then I can get you listen. If I can get you to listen, I can help you improve."

Cost: Attend one session: only $69.95! Attend both sessions:only $115.00!

Includes:

Where: LaQuinta Inn & Suites, 715 College Drive, Dalton, GA 30720

Contact TLC at 1-888-BECAUSE ot tlc@talklisten.com to place your reservation(s).

You Can Catch More Flies with Honey than with Vinegar

Therese Padgett

According to the New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition, 2002, this age old adage means “you can win people to your side more easily by gentle persuasion and flattery than by hostile confrontation.” Allow me to give you a personal example of how this applies to our theme this month, “Learn and Earn or Burn.”

The Missions and Outreach Commission of my local church is in the process of convincing our congregation to become what is known as an EarthChurch in its approach to stewardship of the environment. The commission itself is totally dedicated to this mission and very well informed. Sometimes, though, we forget that everyone else has not yet been so well educated.

Skipping over the important step of education caused me to step on someone’s feelings several weeks ago. This person was so hurt that she almost left the church. To my surprise, last Sunday, as I entered the building, this same lady greeted me warmly, hugged my neck and announced that she had decided that the Hospitality Committee would be using china plates, real glassware and cloth napkins from now on instead of the paper products that had aroused our original confrontation. What in the world had happened during the interim?

First, as soon as I heard that she was upset with me, I picked up the phone and called her to apologize. To begin with, she was unwilling to accept my apology. Instead, she wanted to vent, and vent she did – for forty-five long minutes! I could very easily have cut her short with an explanation and justification of my behavior, which probably would have only made her dig in her heels with more vitriolic defensiveness. Instead, I (bit my tongue and) simply listened with my full attention. After she had repeated herself at least three different ways and finally slowed to take a breath, I let her know that I had heard her concerns by repeating what I had understood her to say. I then asked if my understanding was correct. It was. However, she took the opportunity to say it again, but this time her tone of voice and choice of words were much calmer and kinder. Before ending the conversation, I had apologized again and assured her of how very much I valued her friendship.

The next day, I ran into this friend. We cordially greeted each other with a big hug. She offered to assist me with a project in the food pantry and we carried on a delightful conversation. The following Sunday, I helped clean up after a reception. She sent me a hand written thank you note that week. Every time I saw her for the next two or three weeks, I went out of my way to talk with her and to thank her for all she was contributing to the fellowship of the church.

I was catching a fly with honey. I was also applying what I had learned from her and adapting my communication style to that of my friend. My GOOD friend, I can now add. This friend has become an ally in our movement toward becoming an EarthChurch.

Learn from your mistakes; listen to your elders and others with more experience; nibble at them with kindness; catch flies with honey; and earn the cooperation of those who once opposed you! Oh yeah! Remember the important initial step of educating before you expect to see changes.

CEO Corner, Chief Executive's Opinion

Beverly Inman-Ebel

Learn from the Burn

The cycle we have discussed in this issue is learn, then earn, or don’t learn and burn. There is another cycle. It comes after the burn. I firmly believe that some of my greatest lessons gained have come after the burn. Simply put, I burn and then learn.

Maybe this is not the preferred process. I would rather learn the easy way or the planned method. The good news is that I am determined to learn from my mistakes. An error that ends there has no value for my future. The learning that ensues from a mistake makes the mistake valuable.

Don’t get me wrong. I hate making mistakes. I would much rather be perfect. Doing wrong slams my ego and brings me catapulting back to earth. Sometimes the landing is painful. Perhaps because I make so many mistakes, I have come up with a process that gets me going again better than before. I use the word “fail” as an acronym for this process.

F stands for free. I am now free to choose other options, other choices. Now I know what doesn’t work and that puts me ahead. Okay, I am not really celebrating this newfound freedom, but looking ahead instead of having a pity party is a far superior choice. This step in the process is an attitude changer. I choose to look at the good. Hey, it works for me!

A stands for analyze. I look back long enough to learn the lessons. I don’t spend much time here, maybe 30 minutes. I ask myself the question, “What did I learn?” The next question is, “What will I do differently next time?” Last November I did not get a contract for service that TLC was a perfect fit for. The prospect told me that while the committee was impressed with our knowledge and experience, I was too laid back. They went with another provider who wowed them. That was a difficult pill to swallow, because most of you that know me would probably not describe me as laid back. After my analysis, I realized that I went into the sales meeting in a rush, perhaps too confident, and with inadequate preparation. I turned up the intensity and got the next sale.

I stands for imagine. This is the fun part of the process. This is where I open my mind to new possibilities and find different ways to accomplish my goals. It makes me think outside of my experience box. When I imagine, I see it clearly in my mind, hear the objections, practice what I will say, and feel the satisfaction. I even smell the coffee!

L stands for launch. I take what I have imagined and launch it into reality. This has me soaring again with new possibilities. I am aiming for success with the experience of what didn’t work before, the lessons learned, and the new plan.

The burn causes me to learn. The learning brings me opportunities to earn. Regardless of the outcome, I continue the process and move forward to success. Learn. Earn. Even burn. Live your dreams!

TLC establishes long-term relationships with our clients. If we have helped you or if you believe our approach to change would work for someone you know, please request a proposal or phone 1-888-232-2873. We work with individuals and groups on the following subject areas: attitude, listening, body language, voice, leadership, compliments and corrections, behavioral style, teamwork, effective meetings, public speaking, accent reduction and much more!.

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