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...

Visualization is a powerful tool that I’ve used over the course of my career to reach some of my biggest goals.

In case you’re new to the Connect To The Core Blog, I often speak about mindfulness and how I use tools like meditation, yoga and journaling to bring me into the present moment. Visualization is another important piece to that puzzle that I have yet to dedicate a full post to – until now.

In this blog I’m covering what visualization is and why I believe it’s critical for success, some easy ways to implement visualization into your life, and why visualization is only the first (yet extremely important) step to conquering your goals.

What is visualization and why is it so important for success?

In the context of goal-setting, visualization is a practice that can be used to help visually motivate or stimulate someone to take action. It can also be used to relieve anxiety, rehearse a presentation, enhance confidence and gratitude, and so much...

Have you ever made a decision that went against your intuition? If you have, you’re not alone.

Some people call intuition a gut feeling, other times it’s more complicated than that. I like to call my intuition my “inner knowing”.

Every time I’ve acted in a way that conflicted with my intuition, it hasn’t worked out in my favour. With that said, I also don’t regret any choices I’ve made because I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. It’s hard to make a “wrong” decision if you recognize that every choice leads to a lesson, and I find a lot of comfort in that. Your intuition is there to guide you, and it shouldn’t be the only deciding factor (1).

Intuition is a powerful tool to hone not only within the decisions in your life – also in your communication. It can help you think quicker on your feet, be more authentic, cultivate more natural stage presence and so much more.

Before we...

Are you someone who loves quizzes? You know, those famous Buzzfeed ones that tell you what kind of bread you would be based on questions about your personality? Or the old Cosmopolitan quizzes that reveal who your celebrity boyfriend or girlfriend would be?

Personally, I’m a big fan of quizzes like these. Even if most of them aren’t overly intellectual, they’re a lot of fun and have the potential to be quite revealing – even if you don’t take them too seriously.

Interactive Content Is the New Way

I’m not the only one who finds themselves drawn to these types of quizzes. Thousands and thousands of people engage in interactive content every single day. It was found that 96% of users who start Buzzfeed quizzes finish them, and there’s a quiz on their website called “What City Should You Actually Live In?” that’s been viewed over 22 million times (1).

Knowing statistics like these, it’s clear that people love quizzes and...

It won’t come as a shock when I say that stories are one of the most important elements of presentations and communication in general.

They help us connect with our audience, keep them engaged, share parts of ourselves that wouldn’t otherwise be known, be seen as a leader, drive home the points we want to make in our communication, the list goes on.

I happen to come from a long line of storytellers. Growing up visiting my grandparents farm in Michigan, my family members were constantly telling stories to pass the time especially while working, because there were no iPods or anything else to pass the time.

I was enchanted by the stories they would tell. If you’re anything like me at the beginning of my communication journey, I always wondered how to be a great storyteller.

I would hear the word storytelling all the time, and I would listen to my family and friends recount fascinating stories, so I knew that the topic was important. And it was also a challenge to...

Have an important presentation coming up? It’s no secret that the introduction of any speech is one of the most critical aspects. After all, it’s what will grab your audience’s attention and keep them listening.

When done correctly, the opening section of your presentation will draw your readers in and get them excited to hear what you have to say.

When done incorrectly (because, yes, there’s definitely an incorrect way to open your presentations) you risk losing your audience. And once they’re disengaged, it’s a lot tougher to bring them back.

If you want to know the secret to an engaging introduction and learn a formula to open your presentations step-by-step, you’re in the right place.

First, let’s begin by establishing what an introduction is supposed to do.

The Purpose of An Introduction

In a nutshell, the purpose of any presentation introduction is to engage the audience and to tell them what you’re going to tell...

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...

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...

Have you ever had a rush of nerves before giving a presentation?

Even though public speaking and conferences look different nowadays, the nerves we experience beforehand haven’t changed. I mean, after all, we’re still speaking to groups of people — even if it is through a screen.

As a professional public speaker and presentation coach, I’ve come to know throughout my career that nerves and anxiety surrounding public speaking are completely normal, common, and aren’t something we should feel ashamed of or run away from.

In this blog post, I’m going to explain why nerves are actually a good thing and how you can use them to your advantage. I’ll also go over some of the best practices to prepare, get into the present moment, and deliver a virtual presentation more confidently and with ease.

1. Recognize that your nervousness is fuel — embrace it!

You might not realize that feeling nervous before a presentation or speech indicates that...