The One Simple Thing That Can Make You Much More Impressive
ow More Enthusiasm Professor Stephen Ceci taught his class the way he had for the past 20 years, replicating nearly everything imaginable: Same book, same lectures, same exams... even the same student demographics. Via The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are: He took great pains to make sure everything else about the class was the same as it had been the previous fall; he used the same book, the same lectures, the same grading…
2 minutes
The 5 Step Formula For Presenting Like A Leader
ny books have tactics for giving a good presentation but few establish a reliable structure that works every time. In The New Articulate Executive : Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader Granville Toogood lays out an excellent 5 part progression for effective presentations. 1) Start Strong Just like a good movie, you want to start out with something that really grabs the audience. "But how do I do that?" The book provides a great list of techniques. Via The New…
4 minutes
How To Be Funny: The Six Essential Ingredients To Humor
What Are The Six Steps To Being Funny? Mel Helitzer's Comedy Writing Secrets is commonly used as a textbook in college courses on comedy writing. What does it say is the best method for how to be funny? Helitzer explains the "THREES" formula. It's an acronym for the six essential elements that are found in everything from good one-liners, to funny anecdotes to full comedy sets: Target Hostility Realism Exaggeration Emotion Surprise Here's a breakdown: 1) Target Via Comedy Writing Secrets: Humor is…
4 minutes
4 Powerful Things Con Men Can Teach You About Persuasion
ank Abagnale impersonated Pan Am pilots and doctors, traveled the world and scammed people for millions. And he was 17 years old at the time. Via Catch Me If You Can: I wasn’t a Pan Am pilot or any other kind of pilot. I was an impostor, one of the most wanted criminals on four continents, and at the moment I was doing my thing, putting a super hype on some nice people. I was a millionaire twice over and half…
6 minutes
Top 10 FBI Behavioral Unit Techniques For Building Rapport With Anyone
bin Dreeke is head of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program. In his book It's Not All About "Me": The Top Ten Techniques for Building Quick Rapport with Anyone he simply and clearly spells out methods for connecting with people. Here's a quick breakdown of the methods. 1) Establish artificial time constraints Nobody wants to feel trapped in an awkward conversation with a stranger. Robin often begins a conversation with something along the lines of "I'm on my way out but before…
6 minutes
Mastering The Art Of Conversation: 7 Steps To Being Smooth
The Art of Conversation: A Guided Tour of a Neglected Pleasure, Catherine Blyth gives some great tips on handling the subtle nuances of polite interaction. Here are seven of my favorite bits: How To Make Small Talk Via The Art of Conversation: A Guided Tour of a Neglected Pleasure: Whatever the context, old friends or new, it is best if speakers respect five principles: Put others at ease Put yourself at ease Weave in all parties Establish shared interests Actively pursue…
3 minutes
How To Be More Confident: 5 Research Backed Methods
one doubts the value of confidence. In fact, research shows people often prefer confidence over actual expertise. G. Richard Shell teaches at the Wharton School and his book Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success has a great chapter on how to be more confident. Here's what you need to know. Surround Yourself With People Who Believe in You I've posted a lot about how the power of context can improve behavior. And people are a part of that. When you're told you're…
4 minutes
How To Make People Like You: 6 Science-Based Conversation Hacks
you want to know how to make people like you? It's easier than you think. A while back I posted about how to master conversation skills. Here are 6 more research-backed tips: 1) Encourage people to talk about themselves It gives their brain as much pleasure as food or money: Talking about ourselves—whether in a personal conversation or through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter—triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money, researchers…
4 minutes
