by Motivation Expert, Jim Cathcart

“Profiling”

What do you think of when you hear that word? Racial discrimination or intelligent decision making?

The media has demonized this concept over the past decade or so. They’ve made it popular to believe that one should never use profiling as part of decision making. I say, that is a foolish point of view. Absurd in fact.

Profiling; the act of identifying the patterns of difference that separate individuals into general groupings, is a vital life skill. I said “vital”, meaning that we cannot get through life without it. It is as natural and useful as thought itself.

When you look at a forest, it is in your best interest to distinguish between deer and bears, squirrels and rats, rabbits and weasels. That’s the only way you’ll know the appropriate reaction to each: threat or not. The same process takes place as you walk through a crowd in a public place. You identify the people who look threatening and those who don’t. And you should do this. It is in your best interest to do so.

Security personnel at political events have to use profiling to speed their identification of threats. If they looked at the bulk of the crowd in the same way they looked at the scary looking people then much time would be wasted and threats might be identified only after it was too late to deter them. The same applies to you and me.

Everyday intelligence demands that we develop the habit of identifying patterns, “profiles” if you will. The more we recognize patterns in behavior, in appearance, in language use, and in movement, then the more we will know about who to move toward and who to avoid. Our schools teach us to recognize patterns in all parts of life, mathematics/grammar/physics, so that we can predict where the threats and opportunities will be.

So, let’s get over this hyper-sensitivity to the concept of Profiling. It is the only efficient way to use our time, attention and resources wisely in any situation. Now, having said that, I also want to acknowledge that just because you look like you’re carrying a gun or angry at the world doesn’t mean that it’s so. So, even though I might identify you as a “likely” threat it doesn’t justify my treating you as an actual threat, convicted before found guilty. But it totally justifies me in paying closer attention to you until I’m sure that you’re not a threat.

The essence of intelligence is making distinctions, noticing more. So let’s encourage our security personnel, our law enforcement officers, our military and even each other to use our Profiling skills to the optimum, while remembering that appearances aren’t realities. They are simply indicators of likely realities.

Every person in America is innocent until proven guilty under the law and that is how it should remain. So, if you belong to a minority that has a track record of violence or crime, then I sympathize with your dilemma, but I’m still going to be more cautious around you than I am around others. It is a reality of life that how we look and what we do sends messages to others as to what we are probably like. Our choices tell others what to expect from us.

And now I have a personal request. Last week I traveled from Barcelona to Los Angeles. In doing so I went through several security check points. One of them involved a full body pat-down, the intimate and intrusive new procedure that is getting so many people outraged. Well, count me among them. If I had behaved in a threatening way, shown any evidence of belligerence or threat then I’d say, check me out thoroughly. But since I was randomly selected without the use of intelligent Profiling, then give me the treatment that is justified based upon my appearance, credentials and behavior. As a multi-million-mile frequent traveler on multiple airlines with plenty of credentials to identify myself, I think that less groping is needed to eliminate me as a threat. Let’s change the policies that our TSA officers have to follow. Let them single out the likely threats and treat the rest of us with a bit more dignity and respect. It will save them time and keep us safe.

Notice more.

by Jim Cathcart

The 101 Leaders Institute “Prosperity Seminar Series” featured Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE on January 23, 2010 at the beautiful Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. Her topic was Presentation Skills and she Wowed the audience, as expected!

The amazing Miss Fripp not only taught, but also practiced the techniques and strategies that have allowed her to reach the absolute top of the field of professional speaking. She is:

• Past President of the National Speakers Association and its first female president,
• a Certified Speaking Professional, CSP
• an inductee into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, CPAE
• a Cavett Award winner
• a regular presenter on many of the most prestigious programs in the country
• and a speech & sales presentation trainer to celebrities, politicians, and corporate executives around the world.
• She has delivered thousands of speeches in every conceivable setting over a speaking career that spans more than thirty years.

Some of her key points, as remembered by the attendees, include:

Focus on what the audience will get, not on what you will tell them.

Reduce your “I” count, talk about them not about you.

Structure Frees you, it doesn’t “freeze” you. Organize your information into a logical flow.

Use your technology, don’t let it use you. Learn how to use PowerPoint and your other tools well.

The packed audience was engaged from beginning to end of this 3 hour program. Host Jim Cathcart, president of the 101 Leaders Institute and also a past president of the National Speakers Association, said, “I’ve known Patricia Fripp for over 30 years and, of the thousands of speakers I know NOBODY is a more dedicated student of their craft than Patricia. She is amazingly dedicated to learning: story telling, script writing, speech craft, stage techniques, choreography, voice control, writing techniques, comedy, acting and performance. There is no better presentation skills coach on Earth! And I defy you to prove me wrong.”

Attendees at the Prosperity Seminar (the 4th in the 7 event annual series) included; screenwriters, business owners, executives, attorneys, CPAs, entrepreneurs, comedy writers, radio personalities, authors, professional speakers, consultants, civic leaders, students, hoteliers, and club managers.

The next seminar is scheduled for February 25th at Westlake Village Inn. The featured speaker is Don Hutson, coauthor of The One Minute Entrepreneur, one of the nation’s leading sales trainers. His topic is “Selling Value over Price”.

To enroll in the next seminar or the series of seven seminars click here.
Enroll Now!

by Jim Cathcart

You’ve seen excellent presenters over the years who were able to move people to action even when their “argument” for doing so was weak. You’ve also seen people who had the right message at the right time but didn’t deliver it in the right way to produce results. The difference in the two is “presentation skills.” The ability to convincingly deliver a compelling message is a skill that can be learned…by you.

Come & spend the morning with the nation’s leading speech coach, Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE and me on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Sherwood Country Club in Westlake Village, California. (Click here for directions)

“Miss Fripp” is the private coach to politicians, celebrities, business executives and world leaders. She travels the world helping people tell their stories and move their audiences to action. I’m bringing her to Ventura County in January for a 2 hour seminar on Presentation Skills that will blow you away! Come and join us.
The enrollment in this single event is just $199 and if you want to enroll in the entire year long series of Masters Level Seminars, it is only $795.

Click here to enroll. You’ll be VERY impressed with the value of this seminar.

Here is one of Patricia’s articles I know you’ll enjoy.

The 10 Biggest Traps to Avoid When You Speak:
How to Turn Dull into Dynamic! (1085 words)

By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Whenever you open your mouth, whether your audience is one person or a thousand, you want to get a specific message across. Maybe you want your opinions heard at meetings, or perhaps you are giving a formal presentation, internally or externally. Possibly your sales team needs to improve its customer communication, or you’re in a position to help your CEO design an important speech.

Anyone who sets out to present, persuade, and propel with the spoken word faces 10 major pitfalls.

1. UNCLEAR THINKING. If you can’t describe what you are talking about in one sentence, you may be guilty of fuzzy focus or trying to cover too many topics. Your listeners will probably be confused too, and their attention will soon wander. Whether you are improving your own skills or helping someone else to create a presentation, the biggest (and most difficult) challenge is to start with a one-sentence premise or objective.

2. NO CLEAR STRUCTURE. Make it easy for people to follow what you are saying. They’ll remember it better–and you will too as you deliver your information and ideas. If you waffle, ramble, or never get to the point, your listeners will tune out. Start with a strong opening related to your premise; state your premise; list the rationales or “Points of Wisdom” that support your premise, supporting each with examples: stories, statistics, metaphors, and case histories. Review what you’ve covered, take questions if appropriate, and then use a strong close.

3. NO MEMORABLE STORIES. People rarely remember your exact words. Instead, they remember the mental images that your words inspire. Support your key points with vivid, relevant stories. Help your listeners “make the movie” in their heads by using memorable characters, engaging situations, dialogue, suspense, drama, and humor. In fact, if you can open with a highly visual image, dramatic or amusing (but not a joke!), that supports your premise, you’ve got them hooked. Then tie your closing back to your opening scene. They’ll never forget it.

4. NO EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. The most powerful communication combines both intellectual and emotional connections. Intellectual means appealing to educated self-interest with data and reasoned arguments. Emotional comes from engaging the listeners’ imaginations, involving them in your illustrative stories by frequently using the word “you” and by answering their unspoken question, “What’s in this for me?” Use what I call a “high I/You ratio.” For example: Not “I’m going to talk to you about telecommunications,” but “You’re going to learn the latest trends in telecommunications.” Not, “I want to tell you about Bobby Lewis,” but “Come with me to Oklahoma City. Let me introduce you to my friend, proud father Bobby Lewis.” You’ve pulled the listener into the story.

5. WRONG LEVEL OF ABSTRACTION. Are you providing the big picture and generalities, a sort of pep talk, when your listeners are hungry for details, facts, and specific how-to’s? Or are you drowning them in data when they need to position themselves with an overview and find out why they should care? Get on the same wave length with your listeners. My friend Dr. David Palmer, a Silicon Valley negotiations expert, refers to “fat” and “skinny” words and phrases. Fat words describe the big picture, goals, ideals, outcomes. Skinny words are minute details and specific who, what, when, and how. In general, senior management needs fat words. Middle management requires medium words. Technical staff and consumer hot line users are hungry for skinny words. Feed them all according to their appetites.

6. NO PAUSES. Good music and good communication both contain changes of pace, pauses, and full rests. This is when listeners think about what has just been said. If you rush on at full speed to crowd in as much information as possible, chances are you’ve left your listeners back at the station. It’s okay to talk quickly, but pause whenever you say something profound or proactive or you ask a rhetorical question. This gives the audience a chance to think about what you’ve said and to internalize it.

7. IRRITATING NON-WORDS. Hmm–ah–er–you know what I mean–. One speaker I heard began each new thought with “Now!” as he scanned his notes to figure out what came next. This might be okay occasionally, but not every 30 seconds. Record yourself to check for similar bad verbal habits. Then keep taping yourself redelivering the same material until such audience-aggravators have vanished.

8. STEPPING ON YOUR PUNCH WORDS. The most important word in a sentence is the punch-word. Usually, it’s the final word: “Take my wife–PLEASE.” But if you drop your voice and then add, “Right?” or “See?!” you’ve killed the impact of your message. (To discover if you do this, use the tape-recording test described above.) Don’t sabotage your best shots.

9. MISUSING TECHNOLOGY. Without a doubt, audio/visual has added showbiz impact to business and professional speakers’ presentations. However, just because it is available, doesn’t mean we have to use it! Timid speakers who simply narrate flip chart images, slides, videos, overheads, or view-graphs can rarely be passionate and effective. Any visual aid takes the attention away from you. Even the best PowerPoint(r) images will not connect you emotionally. Use strong stories instead if at all possible. Never repeat what is on the visuals. If you do, one of you is redundant. Make technology a support to your message, not a crutch. The trap is that information presented through technology tends to be about the speaker and the speaker’s organization, while communication should be about the AUDIENCE. One executive I was asked to coach had 60 PowerPoint slides–58 about his company and 2 about the prospective client. We halved the number and reversed the ratio!

10. NOT HAVING A STRONG OPENING AND CLOSING. Engage your audience immediately with a powerful, relevant opening that has a high I/You factor. It can be dramatic, thought-provoking, or even amusing, but never, never open with a joke (unless you are a humorist with original materials! Get your listeners hooked immediately with a taste of what is to follow. And never close by asking for questions. Yes, take questions if appropriate, but then go on to deliver your dynamic closing, preferably one that ties back into your opening theme. Last words linger. As with a great musical, you want your audience walking out afterwards humming the tunes.

When you can avoid these 10 common pitfalls, you’re free to focus on your message and your audience, making you a more dynamic, powerful, and persuasive communicator.

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Sales Presentation Trainer,
Keynote Speaker, Executive Speech Coach

527 Hugo Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
(800)634-3035, (415)753-6556, Fax (415)753-0914
PFripp@fripp.com, www.fripp.com

A final note from Jim Cathcart:

Learn the techniques of the Top Professionals:I’ve been a professional speaker since 1974 and have delivered over 2,700 paid speeches and seminars around the world. It has also been my privilege to personally know and work with folks like: Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Earl Nightingale, W. Clement Stone, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Og Mandino, Cavett Robert, Bill Gove, and Dr. Kenneth McFarland. I’ve been hired by: Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Denis Waitley and Tom Hopkins to deliver speeches to their audiences. And I’ve sat in the audience of literally thousands of presentations by the best speakers on earth.

You can do what they do. I’m not saying you can be the kind of speaker that these giants are but you can definitely learn their techniques and strategies to become the most powerful speaker you can be. These Hall of Fame professional speakers have shared their methods with me and my colleagues and now you can learn them too. Come see and learn from Patricia Fripp and then stay connected with me.
Let me be your speaking mentor. Have me in your corner to coach you on the presentations that will make a big difference in your world. None of us is as good as we could be.
Let’s discover just how much better you could be. Click here for more on how this works.

 Never deliver a mediocre speech ever again!

“I’m already a good speaker,” he told me, “I’ve done this dozens of times and I am an expert on this topic.”

But when the evaluations were reviewed it seemed that the audience didn’t share his enthusiasm. Scoring 2s & 3s out of 5 do not constitute a successful speech.

The days of thinking that knowing your subject would make you a good speaker are long gone. After years of CNN, MTV, YouTube, High-Definition TV, hilarious Advertisements and Websites that are often better than Movies, our audiences expect a lot more from us than just good information interestingly presented.

Come with me and let’s discover how much better you could be…even without high-tech extras.

Hello, I’m Jim Cathcart, the author of 16 books including Speaking Secrets of the Masters, Relationship Selling and The Acorn Principle and co-founder of The Professional Speaking Institute. I also recently wrote the introduction for the book Paid To Speak published by the National Speakers Association.

After delivering more than 2,750 professional speeches in all 50 US States, most provinces of Canada and around the world, I can show you how to improve your speaking, no matter how successful you’ve been so far.

Click here to see my brief Video Postcard to you:

http://videopostcard-004.com/X.asp?4598472X1920

You can be a better presenter and you can learn to Lead Meetings that will make others want to attend them. Let me help.

I’ve been inducted into the Professional Speaker Hall of Fame, earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation, received The Cavett Award from the National Speakers Association, served as their National President, and received Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel Award. The San Diego NSA chapter renamed its Member of the Year Award “The Jim Cathcart Service Award” and in 2008 I was inducted as one of the “Legends of the Speaking Profession.” In other words, I really do know what I’m talking about and from experience I can show you ways to “Own the Platform” when you speak, as never before.

<See what others have to say about Jim Cathcart as a Speaker & as a Coach & Advisor.>

So, are you ready to reach for the next level?

What is your current experience level?

Are you a Beginner who is still getting used to being the center of attention, Experienced but still a bit anxious, Confident but not yet a Master Speaker, Subject Expert and veteran presenter, Top Presenter who regularly gets rave reviews and standing ovations, or Full Time Professional Speaker and Best Selling Author?

I’ve worked with (and been) all of the above, and I know that you can be even better. Let’s explore how.

My mentors have been the giants of professional speaking: Earl Nightingale, Zig Ziglar, Og Mandino, W. Clement Stone, Cavett Robert, Bill Gove, Dr. Kenneth McFarland, Ken Blanchard, Tony Alessandra, Patricia Fripp, Art Linkletter, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson, Bert Decker, Ty Boyd, Jeanne Robertson and many more Hall of Fame speakers. They have been not just my teachers but also my close friends and fellow learners. We’ve sat together in coaching sessions with drama coaches, voice coaches, story consultants, comedy writers, choreographers, literary agents and image consultants. We have hired psychological experts to help us truly reach our listeners and have an impact on them. We coached each other and been each other’s biggest fans.

Now it is your turn to benefit from all of this learning.

To save you the time and travel that it took all of us to learn these insights I’ve created a DVD/CD package with a full course in Public Speaking plus an audio series on Leading Meetings. Order Now! Click here.

When Bill Brooks, Tom Antion and I created The Professional Speaking Institute I went on camera with 53 three-minute briefings on every imaginable element of speaking. From “how to change the audience’s mindset” to “how to structure a story” to “what to do when the speaker before you goes 30 minutes over time”, I’ve experienced it all and I share it with you in this system.

Confident Communication, The Cathcart Method for Public Speaking & Leading Meetings

This series of short video coaching sessions, full-length speeches and audio lessons is packaged so that you can learn these insights from the comfort of your desk, home or conference room. You may use the programs in a training session with others or simply study it on your own. If you wish to you can also download the lessons to stream through your iPod®, iPhone® or laptop device.

Order Now! Click here.

Here are the contents of the system:

Part One: PUBLIC SPEAKING

53 short lessons on how to speak like a Pro and own the platform!

Over three hours of Jim Cathcart’s best advice on how to speak in public. Here are 53 personal briefings on every facet of how to be successful when speaking to groups.

Learn what the professional speakers do to grab and hold an audience.

Public Speaking Videos

Overall Program Contains 4 video DVDs and 4 audio CDs.

DVD disk one – Lessons 1 through 19

Overall length:59:24 minutes

DVD disk two – Lessons 20 through 39

Overall length: 62:43 minutes

DVD disk three – Lessons 40 through 53

Overall length: 52:03 minutes

DVD disk four – Jim Cathcart’s Golden Gavel Keynote

Overall length: 39 minutes

Leading Meetings Audios

(8 thirty-minute lessons)

CD 1. & 2. Mastering the Six Vital Elements of Meetings

CD 3. Managing Group Dynamics

Conducting “Planning” Meetings & Keeping Them Under Control

CD 3. Maximize Your Presentation’s Impact

Meetings Set-Up & Dealing With The Unexpected

CD 4. Listening Strategically& Mastering One-on-One meetings

HOW TO USE THIS SYSTEM

STEP ONE:

Play the Golden Gavel DVD (39 minute keynote)

See it done and then analyse it. See Jim in action, examine his masterful use of humor, watch him weave stories to drive home his points, learn how he connects with the audience, see how natural and relaxed he appears to be onstage. Notice how he makes eye contact with every person in the audience, look at how he compensates for the huge head table behind him, see how he responds to the introducer and how he shows the importance of embracing his message. This powerful speech combines all of the elements covered in the Master Speaker course detailed above.

STEP TWO:

View the 53 lessons at your own pace (each is about 3 minutes long.)

You may schedule these for one lesson a day or one a week or create training sessions around half a dozen lessons each time. The key is to space the learning over time and to discuss and then apply each of the lessons. These can be done as exercises in class or in actual speaking engagements. Take the time to review and apply each lesson. Here is the Table of Contents: 

Public Speaking

DVD Golden Gavel video:

“All Leadership Begins With Self-Leadership.” Jim Cathcart’s Golden Gavel Award keynote presentation, delivered before 1,500 Toastmasters leaders at their International Convention. 39 minutes of humor, inspiration, motivation and ideas to be a better leader of yourself and others.

Contents of DVD video coaching disk One

1.How to be natural on stage

2.Know your opening and closing verbatim

3.What to do during your introduction

4.The first thing to do in a speech

5.How to structure a speech

6.Onsite preparation tips

7.When does a speech really begin?

8.How to connect with your audience

9.How to end your speech

10.When to end your speech

11. How to dress for each speech

12.How to recover from a bad introduction

13.How to manage your own first impression

14.How to change their mindset from earlier events or speakers

15.How to sell the audience on the value of this meeting

16.Podium or none?

17.Head tables are dead!

18.Speaking in the round

19.Cards, notes, handouts or none?

Contents of DVD video coaching disk Two

20.How long should a story be?

21.Using Props effectively

22.Write your own introduction

23.How to speak “among” the audience

24.When others run overtime before you

25.Remember when to smile

26.Where to look during your speech

27.Hit your marks

28.Greeting different audiences

29.Keeping your voice

30.What to do within 10 minutes before you speak

31.Articulation matters

32.See the meeting room early

33.Coach your introducer

34.Coach your cameramen

35.Be aware of your energy and pace

36.Know your patterns; Problems that repeat

37.What to do when laryngitis attacks

38.When A/V stops working

39.Always get a copy of their program

Contents of DVD video coaching disk Three

40. Keynote vs. Seminar

41.Get to know your set-up crew

42.What to do when the front rows are empty

43.Use technology for you & not against you

44.How to become the characters in your story

45.How do you get people back to their seats after a break?

46.Befriending your translators

47.What is scheduled for after your speech?

48.Who should you take time to thank?

49. Be a low maintenance speaker, know your place withinthe overall meeting

50.Offer them value on your website

51.Meeting room disasters and recovery strategies, (10:46)

52.Getting started as a speaker

53.How to get known in the speaking industry

STEP THREE:

Then watch Jim’s Golden Gavel Keynote once again.

You will pick up nuances and techniques that completely escaped your attention during the first viewing. Discuss these with others and see what they noticed that you did not.

So here’s the training process: See it done, learn how and why it works, then see it done again. And always, apply this learning to your next speech.

Perfect for use with groups.

Each lesson is between 2 and 10 minutes long. Most are around 3 minutes. Show one short lesson, discuss the ideas and then apply them on your own.

Combine several lessons into a full classroom session. There is no fixed order for you to review these lessons.

Skip around as needed.

You can navigate these lessons as you see fit. Learn at your pace and on the topics you need next. Get the advice of one of the world’s top professional speakers and business advisors; Jim Cathcart.

STEP FOUR: Listen to the 8 audio lessons on CD

Part Two: LEADING MEETINGS

These half hour audio lessons are completely separate from the videos in the Public Speaking portion of this program. The audio lessons are high production narratives designed for repeated listening to assure that you become a Meetings Master.

1. Mastering the Meeting (Part One)

Meetings are a primary source of information exchange for most of us. By mastering the skill of meeting with people, you can get what you want in your career and your life. Contents include: Four basic assumptions in mastering meetings. Six vital elements of every meeting. Defining the Purpose. Who will attend and why? What will they do? The three categories of meetings complexity. How to determine the best location to meet. Setting up time and format.

2. Mastering the Meeting (Part Two)

Timing, time frames, and time constraints in planning your meeting. Preparing the format and distributing the agenda. Conducting the meeting: orientation, overview, participation, maintaining the flow of topics, assigning responsibilities to implement decisions, reviewing what was accomplished, and follow-up. Selling the meeting to participants in advance, as well as the time it’s scheduled, and making sure that everyone is prepared. Creative meeting ideas.

3. Managing Group Dynamics

Three keys to understanding how people act & interact when they are in a group. The roles of personal power and position power. Rules for controlling a group. Working with: Changemasters, Agreeables, Drifters and Anchors. Avoiding mob mentality. Visual cues and predictable behavior. Techniques for controlling a meeting, keeping it on track, and keeping it on schedule.

4.Conducting “Planning” Meetings & Keeping Them Under Control

The purpose of your “Planning” meeting dictates the format. Strategies for: the committee, standing committee, and task force. Regular meeting dates and one-time meetings. Staff meetings to discuss operations and organizational directions. The brainstorming session as a forum for new ideas. The Annual Planning Meeting or Retreat. The Project Planning meeting. How to structure each format and achieve the desired results.

5. Maximizing the Impact of your Presentations

How to structure your presentations whether you have a week, a month or an hour to prepare. Jim Cathcart’s five-step structure and other commonly used structures. How to build information files on commonly addressed topics. How to handle questions during your presentation. How to research and customize your presentation. How to participate when there are other presentations so that you achieve the overall goals. Taking notes, offering comments and implementation steps.

6. Meetings Set-Up & Dealing With The Unexpected

Platform mechanics, physical set-up and layout or staging strategies. How to use direct and projected visual aids. Overcoming tension. Using eye contact and gestures. Handling questions and challenges effectively. Purpose, format, complexity, timing, audience needs, anticipating questions & challenges. Visualizing the meeting beforehand. Last minute checklists and problem avoidance.

7. Listening Strategically

Establishing your purpose and framework for participating/leading the meeting. Managing internal and external distractions. Guidelines for more effective listening. Dealing with negative feedback. Asking questions effectively. Using the CARE system. Avoiding irritating listening habits. Techniques for passive participation. Using listening strategies to master positive interaction.

8. One-on-One Meetings

The most common meeting you experience is one to one. How to apply: Purpose, People, Complexity, Time, Place & Format to these meetings. Selecting the right place even for brief encounters. Making sure that format and environment advance your purpose and achieve the desired outcome. Types of meetings: interviewing job applicants, orientation of a new worker, motivating a coworker, performance reviews, disciplinary discussions, reprimands, and settling grievances.

You can develop the same poise and confidence that you see in professional speakers and media personalities. It is a learnable craft and this program is your key to the behind-the-scenes thinking, strategies and skills it take to master it. Let Jim Cathcart be your speaking and communication coach. For in-person training programs, keynote speeches, or individual coaching give us a call. Our goal is to help you develop the confidence and skill to become a Master Communicator.

ORDER YOUR CONFIDENT COMMUNICATION NOW!

The price for the full training system with Four Video DVDs and Four Audio CDs is just $497.00 US. That is a full year of training sessions that you can use with individuals or groups indefinitely, for less than you’d spend to serve one of them coffee each day. What is it worth to you to have better meetings and more influential presentations? Order Now! Click here.

Special Bonus Offer: For every program that you purchase at the regular $497 price Jim Cathcart will personally provide a half-hour telephone coaching session at no additional charge! This is Jim himself actually coaching you on the topic of your choice. These telephone-coaching sessions alone are often $600 or more. Now you get personal telephone coaching for free with each program you buy. Buy multiple programs for your company and combine the coaching sessions for in-depth consulting advice.

Get the advice of one of the world’s top professional speakers and business advisors; Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE.

Become the best speaker and meeting leader in your organization. Become a Speaking Pro!

PERSONAL COACHING: To have Jim become Your Personal Speech Coach, click here for details of his one-to-one coaching.

“GOING PRO”: For those who choose to pursue professional speaking and begin to speak for a fee, go to www.professionalspeaker.com and review the entire knowledge base on video, audio and in print.

<See what others have to say about Jim Cathcart as a Speaker & as a Coach & Advisor.>

For more information on our prices, our systems or to book Jim Cathcart for your meeting please contact us.

Cathcart.com, Executive Office,

Phone: 805-777-3477

Email: jim@cathcart.com

Website http://cathcart.com

Copyright © Jim Cathcart 2009

Order Now! Click here.

by Jim Cathcart

Who ever spread the word that is was OK to hold bad meetings?

Well, someone did, because I’ve attended 100 bad meetings to every one that I enjoyed. How about you? Here is what usually happens:

The 8am meeting arrives and “Chair” is still arranging tables or setting out supplies, or refreshments. A couple of other attendees come in, talking on cell phones, grab a coffee and sit down while still finishing “other” work. They start to skim the handouts and a few more folks arrive. Nobody has begun the meeting yet so casual conversation flourishes for a while.

Finally, around 8:15 Chair decides that the stragglers won’t be there soon enough to continue waiting for them so he/she says, “Let’s get started.” Nobody responds. Chair is now seated and looking pleadingly at the others. Slowly they take their seats, still talking but quieter now.

Chair says, “Before we get started, I have some ‘housekeeping’ announcements.” And proceeds to speak to a group that is not yet paying attention. One of the group asks, “When are we going to get things going? I have another meeting to go to.” Another seizes the opportunity and says, “I’m also going to have to leave early.”

“OK, but this is an important agenda, so stay as long as you can.” says Chair. “Now, first on the list is Cecilia’s report. Cele.” She picks up a stack of paper and hands it around the table. Then begins a dry overview of the obvious with a few valuable extras mentioned in monotone. Others are fidgeting and looking over the papers, thinking “I’ve got the papers, who needs a report?” Cecelia proceeds but feels ignored. Noone asks any questions about her report.

On it goes in a similar fashion. Then Jay comes in late. He sneaks (in full view of everyone) over to the coffee table, gets a cup and then approaches Elena and whispers “Is this seat taken?” As he sits down everyone in the room is watching him. No real reason, it’s just that he was moving. The meeting continues as if he weren’t there and everyone feels uncomfortable.

As all had suspected the meeting runs over time because a few discussions expanded beyond their time frames. Also, the “brainstorming” discussion on one project didn’t produce any new ideas but it reminded people of some other unresolved issues that “needed” to be added to the agenda.

ENOUGH! So far, am I describing your experiences too? Haven’t you been there in meetings large and small where the collective waste of valuable time and talent was staggering? Well, I’m here to tell you that there is a better way, and it’s not all that hard either. Here are some guidelines that might make a difference for you.

1. If you don’t have to meet, then don’t. Just call or email or text them the news.
2. When you meet, show up before the scheduled start time. Get your coffee before the event.
3. Start on time, even if only one other person showed up. The stragglers will not respect your time until you do!
4. Do NOT say “Before we begin”. If you are speaking then you have begun! Just start communicating.
5. Open with a smile and a bold greeting, “GOOD Morning!”
6. Move quickly from one item to the next.
7. Ask: what do we need to know? what do we need to do? what help do we need? then…next!
8. Don’t ever go to a meeting just to get energy. BRING energy! Enter the room enthusiastically, take initiative, greet others, ask questions, offer suggestions, go get an extra chair, etc.
9. Do not try to “sneak” while in front of everyone. If you are late, just say, “Good morning, sorry I’m late.” Then sit down.
10. If you are the Chair then pause when a tardy participant arrives and say, “Good morning Bill, we are talking about xxxxxx.” Then continue with your comments.
11. If you are making a report, don’t just say it, SELL it! Give people a reason to hear what you’ve got to say. Show them why they should care about it.
12. Be a great listener. I’m a member of the National Speakers Association (3,000+ professional speakers) and it turns out that they are some of the best listeners on earth. Be the same, look at the speaker, encourage them, ask questions, and offer support.