By Gail Zack Anderson on January 27, 2015
An accident happens in one of your plants. Your firm’s product is found faulty. A disgruntled employee brings a lawsuit against your firm. Suddenly, all eyes are on you, from the press to the public to your organization’s people. As a leader, how do you think clearly and communicate professionally and correctly under the gun? […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on December 15, 2014
Sadly, if your presentation is like most, your audience will remember very little of what you say. This is especially true if it is fact-filled, detailed and linear. You will be more successful if you think about creating and delivering a high-level message, and using facts and detail only to support your message. After all, […]
By Theresa Pojuner on November 11, 2014
How do you communicate change to others? It can be done verbally or through writing. For lead technical writers, immediate changes require the creation of new or updated requirements and meetings to present changes and new documents. Prior to the meetings, the lead technical writers have to question and determine where, when, and why changes […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on November 3, 2014
There was Mary, with a goofy smile on her face, telling her audience about a serious situation they were going to be facing. They had a hard time buying it. There stood Frank, welcoming new customer to a plant tour, with a sour, grim facial expression. They didn’t feel the vibe. Do facial expressions matter? […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on June 2, 2014
Many of our presentations deliver “just the facts.” Budgets, updates, status reports; these are generally full of facts and details. Less frequently, we are called on as leaders to deliver a motivational message. Initiating a new project, pulling together to improve our deliverables, asking people to volunteer or donate money, or even hosting a retirement […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on April 10, 2014
Jack* is a natural born people person. And that makes him a natural born communicator. When you first meet him you’ll notice his calm, steady eye contact and his friendly smile. But as you begin a conversation with him, something special begins to happen. He asks a few questions until he finds something you have […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on March 12, 2014
You have to terminate a project. You have to tell a job candidate she didn’t get the job. You have to tell your boss—or a client—you are unable to take on a new initiative. Whew! These may not be crucial conversations, but if they leave you feeling uncomfortable or if they place stress on key relationships, […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on February 24, 2014
Mary got nervous every time her manager started a conversation with her. She was worried she would forget some critical piece of information. That anxiety interfered with her ability to focus and remember what was said. As a result, she tried to write down everything that was said during every conversation. Since we speak much […]
By Theresa Pojuner on February 20, 2014
You have inherited a document that no one is happy with. How do you find out not only what is wrong with it, but also how it should be changed to satisfy everyone? Revising documents require excellent communications skills. You need to also think about: What questions should be asked and who should be approached […]
By Gail Zack Anderson on January 27, 2014
Whether you are presenting or training, long lectures can be a drag. To engage your audience, to add life to your presentations, and to increase recall, consider these ways to get information across without lecturing. Demonstration. Show, don’t tell, or show and tell. Bring in the item you are discussing and pass it around. Have […]
Gail Zack Anderson, President of Applause, Inc., has nearly 20 years experience in training and coaching. She
provides individual presentation coaching, and leads effective presentation workshops and effective trainer workshops.
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Theresa Pojuner is a Documentation Specialist with over 20 years of writing experience and is skilled in many areas of documentation, for example, Style Guides, Training Manuals and Test Cases, wth a specialty n Technical Writing and Procedures.
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