Larry Blumsack

The key to a great first impression is not what you think it is. Remember, you don’t get a second chance. You’re being judged the minute someone lays eyes on you. More important than clothing and grooming, setting that first impression is your posture. I don’t care what your profession is. I don’t care if […]

Are your leadership skills and strengths on par with your goals? One universal set of goals for leaders is to improve on one’s strengths. What would happen if leaders also focused on improving their weaknesses? Would there be an exponential improvement of their leadership skills and the value of their expertise? Some researchers believe working on weaknesses […]

Basics you need to know before presenting face-to-face with your audience. Spend the necessary time to analyze your audience. Don’t just be a talking head. Who are they? Why did they come to your presentation in the first place? Did you learn what your audience might want to take away from your presentation? How can your […]

To be understood or not. That is the communication, presentation question more people – especially leaders – need to ask themselves on a regular basis. The old adage “tell’em what you’re going to tell’em; tell’em; then tell’em what you told’em” doesn’t work anymore. This is the conundrum faced by executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and public speakers […]

When I wrote “Face-To-Face Is the Ultimate Social Media” a few years back, I didn’t realize then the extent of the impact of technology and social media on face-to-face conversations. Are you a spectator or participant? Today, I realize that technology has turned too many of us from participants in life into spectators. Once upon […]

How do you emotionally connect with your audiences? Pitching is the new catchphrase for business development/sales.

A major challenge for organizations in this blurring world of physical and virtual communication is building a collaborative culture. To overcome that challenge organizations must find a successful mix between virtual and face-to-face communication. The ultimate goal is not just to get people to interact more; it is to get them to interact more fully. […]

Can you make a silk purse from a sow’s ear? In other words, can you coach/train people into presentation, communication, speaking champions?

It is time for a reality check. Do you have the required skill? The number one skill set. Schools don’t teach it at any level, Kindergarten through PhD. It’s the skill business and industry rarely spends funds or the required time to properly train people in. Yet, it’s the skill rated number one when making a […]

The Richness and Complexity of our Digital World The complexity of this wonderful, digital, social media world has made it easier and at the same time more difficult and time consuming to connect with someone else. How to connect in our digital world just became multi-layered. Long gone are the days when there were only two […]