Success (Over $250,000)

Primary Factors in Achieving Success (over  $250,000):

1.      Communication skills 71%

2.      Intelligence 64%

3.      Integrity 54%

4.      Experience 50%

5.      Enthusiasm, positive attitude 48%

6.      Self-esteem/confidence  37%

7.      Risk-taking attitude 35%

8.      Formal education 29%

9.      Ambition 25%

10.   Emotional Maturity 16%

(Lamalle Report on Top Executives of the 1990s)

Rerun from Jan 27, 2014 and 04/17/2017

English Speaking Skills: Elevator Speech–  Introduction

Have you developed your “elevator speech”?

Shi on Facebook asked about an “elevator speech”.  She had read several articles on the importance of having a couple of versions of an “elevator speech” to maximize your communication.  In her case, she was seeking advice on how to get the most out of a conference.

For openers, the term refers to a quick way to help you communicate who you are and the work you do.

It is called an “elevator speech” because its length is about the time you would have for a  brief encounter with a person, say, about the time of a ride up an elevator to your destination.  That could be one to three minutes.

People see them as a kind of marketing tool since they are a way to let those you meet know where you’ve been and where you are hoping to go in the future.

In short, people who develop elevator speeches and memorize them are realizing the importance of every personal encounter.  They know that each personal encounter has the potential of helping them make advances in their career.  Perhaps these communications could help you get the ideal internship or job. Or it could help you build a connection for furthering the work you are already doing.

Shi found experts saying it was good to have a 30-second version, a one-minute one, a three-minute one, a five-minute one, and a ten-minute one.

The take-home message there is that you can stretch your communication about yourself or make it terrifically compact (down to 30 seconds).

Here’s a sample of a 30-second elevator speech.  When I was getting my Ph.D., people would ask me what I was doing my research on.  I would say:  “Do you ever talk to people who were born in another country and have trouble understanding them?  Well, I am doing research to find ways to teach international people how to speak English clearly, so it is easy for you to understand them.”

Next time:  More on how to write an elevator speech.

Click here: www.cleartalkmastery.com/scheduler to sign up for a Free Sample Lesson with us!

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

Rerun from 01/29/2014 and 03/08/2017

Success

Research by the American Society for Training and Development concluded that “the only thing that ranks above communication skills as a factor in workplace success is job knowledge.”

Rerun from Jan 20, 2014 and April 10, 2017

English speaking skills: Become a memory champion

You’ve heard this great advice for doing an excellent presentation:  Memorize the first several minutes and the last several minutes.

How to do that, you ask?   Under the pressure of the need to perform, you just know your mind will go blank.

What to do? The answer– become your own memory champion.

Here’s what the experts say:

Memorize often. Challenging yourself with memory tasks is good for your brain.  Start small.  Perhaps memorize three vocabulary words or names per day for a week.  “By the end of the week you’ll know 21 names, “ says Dr. Majid Fortuhi, a neurologist and leading authority on brain and memory issues.  “That’s like doing 10 pushups one day, 20 pushups the next day, then 30.  You’re stretching your memory muscles and making them stronger.”

A speech tip from me:  Consider spending 5 to 10 minutes a day, five or six days a week memorizing something of interest to you.  For years I have done that during my aerobic exercise of treadmill or stationary bike in my home.  I will memorize lists, for example, the 20 ways to persuade people to your way of thinking.  I will memorize clever and wise quotations.  For instance here’s my current favorite wise saying that I am memorizing:  “You have not lived a perfect day… unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”  –Ruth Smeltzer

Eat right You may believe that fat and cholesterol are bad for your health.  The fact is, they are essential for brain health.   “Your brain is 60 to 70 percent fat, and 25 percent of the cholesterol in your body is in the brain, “says Dr. David Perlmutter, a Naples, FL neurologist.  He recommends a diet low in carbohydrates and rich in healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). DHA is found in fish (salmon, sardines, shrimp).

Exercise regularly. Your brain thrives on regular aerobic exercise.  Perlmutter says, “Those who exercise actually grow back brain structure – new brain cells in the hippocampus,”  cells essential for laying down new memories.  He recommends 20 minutes of aerobic exercise five or six times a week.

Click here: www.cleartalkmastery.com/scheduler to sign up for a Free Sample Lesson with us!

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

Rerun from 01/22/2014 and 03/01/2017

The Power of Speaking

                     Ponder this gem:

If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable Providence, and I had my choice of keeping but one, I would unhesitatingly ask to be allowed to keep the Power of Speaking, for through it, I would quickly recover all the rest.

                    -Daniel Webster

Rerun from 01/06/2014. and 04/03/2017