It’s no secret that the communication landscape has changed drastically in the last few years.

Back in 2020, we all had to figure out our new normal when it came to communication – which mostly involved online platforms. Whether it was phone calls, video calls or emails – it became clear that our days of communicating with others in person were behind us for the foreseeable future. We had to adjust.

After all, there’s a different energy communicating over Zoom compared to face-to-face communication. I don’t know about you, everything felt different and disconnected.

Fast forward to 2023 and things are looking hopeful again. Social and business gatherings are becoming more of a reality and presentations can be held in-person. As a Communication Coach, I’ve found that there are a lot of differences when it comes to in-person communication vs. video communication, and there are also some similarities.

If we’ve learned anything over the...

Have you ever thought about hiring a communication coach? Or wondered how a coach can help you? 

The truth is, nearly everyone can benefit from working with a communication coach. Whether you’re a professional public speaker or just getting started in your career, there are certain elements of speaking that can be improved exponentially with the right observations and strategic feedback.

In this post we’ll cover a bunch of frequently asked questions, like what a communication coach is and what we do, some of the benefits of a coaching relationship (either one on one or in a group setting), and what to know before your first communication coaching session.

Let’s dive in.

What Is a Communication Coach and What Do They Do?

In a nutshell, communication coaches work with people on their communication skills. Sounds obvious, right? Think: presentations, speeches, sales pitches, and even everyday conversations. No matter what type of important communication you have...

Spontaneity is a powerful tool that I’ve used throughout my life and career (mostly without realizing it).

In general, I’ve always been a person that has said ‘yes’ to things. From starting multiple businesses (one of which was a cheesecake operation out of my home) to moving across the country for various jobs, to traveling Europe at age 18 – I’ve always been what someone would call a spontaneous person.

When I’ve told these stories of spontaneity to my friends or clients, their reactions were typically, ‘Wow, you did that?’ To which I responded, ‘Of course! Wouldn’t you?’

It wasn’t until I had these conversations with others that I realized not everyone is as quick to say ‘yes’ to things. Personally, I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong way to live your life since everyone’s feelings and circumstances are different. That said, I’ve noticed some major payoffs when...

The ability to get great results when communicating with your clients, prospects, and staff requires that you have the right message for your audience, that your message addresses what’s important to them, and that you deliver the message in a powerful, effective manner.

In this blog post, we’re going to cover the 7 simplest communication strategies designed to help you and your organization confidently communicate the right message to the right audience at the right time. In other words, increase sales.

Strategy #1: Always take the time to prepare for your communication situation

The need to prepare for communication is not news. And, so many (ahem, I’m talking to you salespeople) go into situations where the stakes are high with little or no preparation and they “wing it” GASP! Let me be blunt. Regardless of whether you’re an individual planning for a meeting or a professional getting ready to speak to a large group, never go into a...

Have you ever heard of the term “drive-by communication”?

In a nutshell, drive-by communication is communication that’s squeezed in between areas of our lives without focused attention. This type of communication is quick, lacks direction, and is ineffective. 

No matter what industry you work in, drive-by communication can be detrimental to your success as a communicator, a leader, or an effective team member. If practiced frequently, drive-by communication can lead to a sharp decline in results in your conversations, presentations, sales pitches, the list goes on.

It’s important to recognize when this type of communication occurs so that you can nip it in the bud. And the good news is that there’s a simple mindset shift you can implement immediately to quit the drive-by communicating and start seeing immediate results.

First, let’s begin with the issues in drive-by communication and how to recognize if you might be behind the wheel...

Wondering how to deliver a more effective presentation that gets results?

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably found that the outcomes of your presentations aren’t always exactly as you’d hoped.

What many people don’t realize is that they hold the power to deliver an effective presentation versus a not-so-effective one. And there are two distinct communication strategies that allow them to get consistent results.

Strategy #1: Evaluate the purpose of your presentation

We had a discussion with a client several years back about different types of presentations. This client made the distinction between persuasive and informational presentations, and a member of our team interjected with the opinion that the purpose of all presentations is to persuade. Our client brought up the important point that something like a “how-to presentation” isn’t intended to persuade, but to inform.

The types of presentations we give at Connect To The...

What do you think of when you hear the term “spring cleaning”?

If you’re like most people, your mind might instantly go to cleaning out your closet, organizing your pantry, or getting rid of items around your home that you no longer need.

And while we highly recommend all of those things (hey, who doesn’t love a good closet declutter!), spring cleaning can also be applied to many other areas in your life.

Given the fact that we’re a communications company, we thought it would be appropriate to provide you with some simple steps you can take to spring clean your communication. Because yes, even your communication can use a tidy-up from time to time.

Here are 5 ways to declutter your communication (in your business and personal life) right now.

1. Simplify your call to action in presentations and meetings

Did you know that the average person will only remember a maximum of three takeaways from a presentation? That means that if your Call To Action (CTA)...

Last week, there was a theme in my conversations and workshops with various clients. That theme was in the arena of agreements, or more accurately, the lack of them.

Whether you’re feeling frustrated due to last-minute requests from co-workers, suppliers not meeting expectations, or clients who don’t follow through on their commitments, the issues can frequently be resolved by setting up agreements and managing them well.

Here’s a 6-step framework to follow so more of your expectations are met on a regular basis. As an exciting side note, these steps will work just as well in your personal life as they do in business situations.

1.   Set clear expectations

The starting point is for you to be clear about what your expectations are. For the most part, we operate with misspoken or unspoken expectations and then we wonder why we don’t get what we want.

What are your conditions of satisfaction? What has to happen for you to feel your expectations have been...

Enhancing your leadership presence is important to do at any stage of your career.

Many people think that you either have what it takes to be a great leader, or you don’t. This actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Like anything, being a great leader takes practice, determination, and an understanding that you will probably make some mistakes along the way. 

The good news is that every great leader started exactly where you are. And even if you don’t feel confident in your abilities just yet, there are steps you can take right now to get to where you want to be in your leadership journey.

In this post, we’re sharing how to enhance and develop your leadership presence in a few simple steps.

1. Develop your communication and listening skills

The first step in becoming a better leader is developing both your communication and listening skills. As I’m sure you can imagine, there are a number of ways to go about this depending on your current...

In the last twelve months, it’s become clear that virtual presentations aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Whether you’ve come to terms with it or not, cultivating meaningful connections online has simply become a critical part of our new normal. 

It feels like not long ago that we were all trying to figure out how to navigate platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc., just to stay afloat in our businesses and daily lives.

Company meetings and check-ins, family gatherings (don’t even get me started on trying to teach my Mother to use Zoom), game nights… the list goes on — were all happening virtually, and still are. 

A year ago we had a lot of questions on whether or not we could get the same results in terms of connection through video. While that question still might be up in the air, I believe there are a number of virtual presentation tips and techniques we can use to make the most out of these online platforms and ...