Yearly archive for 2015

Your technical skills alone are no guarantee of success. Don’t get me wrong, they’re essential. In fact, you need technical skills to get a job and to do your job. But it’s your soft skills that will lead you up the proverbial socioeconomic ladder to advancement, success

Customer service excellence has always been and will always be one of the critical competitive advantages for any business. It’s an intangible quality that sets your business apart from another. A widely quoted statistic gets to the heart of the value proposition behind customer service: The cost

One of the great myths in our world is leaders are born, not made – you either have executive presence or you don’t. Frankly, the truth is just the opposite: Leaders are made, not born. Executive presence is a mix of learned skills, which everyone can develop

Call me old fashion but when I was a kid, my parents instilled in me the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, be polite, respectful and have good manners. Unfortunately, in this fast-paced, technology-driven world, common courtesy

I recently had the pleasure of teaching an etiquette class to boys and girls ages 8 to 10 years old. It was pure joy! These youngsters not only were excited to be in my class, they ate it all up (pun intended). After showing them how to

[spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ width=”1/2″ el_position=”first”] When it comes to presentations, I’m sure we’ve all experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. When speaking, the engagement factor is a key sign of success – in fact, if your audience is not engaged, it can have

[spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ width=”1/2″ el_position=”first”] Today, more than ever, companies are looking for candidates who not only have a superstar resume – chock-full of experience, skills and results – they’re wanting those who have a cluster of great personality traits, social graces and communication skills.

[spb_text_block animation=”none” animation_delay=”0″ padding_vertical=”0″ padding_horizontal=”0″ width=”1/2″ el_position=”first”] You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, and it has finally arrived. Good for you! You’re going to a power lunch to meet that important person/people who can impact your success. You’ve done your homework and are