Podcasts by The Communication Guys Podcast: Communication Excellence | Professional and Personal Success
Your ultimate level of success depends on your ability to express yourself in a creative, confident, and compelling way. Whether you speak, teach, or write, the same underlying principles of communication will guarantee excellence in whatever you do. The Communication Guys podcast teaches those timeless, universal principles and applies them to all forms of communication: spoken and written, personal and public, platform and small group. Tim Downs is a professional speaker, communication trainer, novelist, and cartoonist whose work has appeared in newspapers from the New York Post to the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Tom Barrett is an internationally recognized expert in the psychology of success who specializes in teaching communication skills, emotional intelligence, and business development to entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Further podcasts by Tim Downs and Dr. Tom Barrett: Speakers, Authors, Communication Trainers, E
Podcast on the topic Karriere
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How to Connect in an Angry World [E174] from 2021-10-12T11:00
Is it possible to connect with someone whose politics or social views are the virtual opposite of your own? Yes, it is possible—and it’s important that we learn to do it, because the world is be...
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Turning Resolutions into Reality [E173] from 2019-12-30T05:00
Do your New Year’s resolutions have a way of vanishing, despite your best intentions? This week’s Communication Guys podcast is “Turning Resolutions into Reality,” where the Guys Listen
How to Create Fun and Meaningful Conversations [E172] from 2019-12-23T05:00
Are you getting tired of the same old boring conversations? Then you’ll like this week’s Communication Guys podcast, “How to Create Fun and Meaningful Conversations,” where the Guys...
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The 1 Day Communication Challenge [E171] from 2019-12-16T05:00
You would be amazed at how much you can improve as a communicator in a single day. All you have to do is apply 5 simple techniques that will leave people wondering at the remarkable transformati...
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5 Ways to Become a Warmer Person [E170] from 2019-12-09T05:00
According to research, the character quality that everyone instinctively looks for first is “warmth.” Do people perceive you as a “warm” person? Today the Guys discuss intriguing research in the...
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Dealing with Conflicts Before they Become Conflicts [E169] from 2019-12-02T05:00
Why do park rangers lob explosives onto a mountainside to purposely start an avalanche? Answer: Because the avalanche you start yourself is the easiest one to control. In this episode The Guys e...
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Why We Make Bad Communication Choices [E168] from 2019-11-25T05:00
Do you suffer from a “brain bias?” We all do. A brain bias is a faulty way of thinking that’s hardwired into every human brain. They’re common to all of us, and they can lead us to make some ver...
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The Soft Skills are the Hard Skills [E167] from 2019-11-18T05:00
Your current skills allowed you to land the job you have now, but what are the skills that will allow you to hold on to that job in the future? What are the skills that future employers will val...
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The 6 Rules of Storytelling [E166] from 2019-11-11T05:00
Do you know how to tell a great story? Some do, most do not. Everyone agrees that stories are able to connect powerfully with listeners, but only if you know how to tell your story well. Today t...
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Crucial Conversations [E165] from 2019-11-04T05:00
Have you ever had a discussion where the stakes were high, opinions varied, and emotions were running strong? Master trainer Justin Hale from VitalSmarts, the organization responsible f...
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Avoiding Drama in the Workplace [E164] from 2019-10-28T04:00
When a conflict begins, what role do you naturally play: Victim, Persecutor, or Rescuer? According to Dr. Nate Regier, a conflict is like a drama that follows a predictable script, and we each p...
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The Compassion Mindset [E163] from 2019-10-21T04:00
Are you sick and tired of conflict in your workplace? Do miscommunication and strained relationships drain your creative energy and keep you from being more productive? According to Dr. Nate Reg...
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25 Things All Great Communicators Do [E162] from 2019-10-14T04:00
What are the habits that all great communicators have in common? Andrew Blotky should know. His career has taken him from the White House to Facebook, and he’s seen the best. In his new book, “H...
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The Golden Rule of Communication [E161] from 2019-10-07T04:00
What does it take to communicate clearly, honestly and effectively in a business setting? Ask Andrew Blotky. For five years he led global employee communications at Facebook, at a time when Face...
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Be Real, But Not Too Real [E160] from 2019-09-30T04:00
Modern audiences place a high value on the quality of authenticity. But how can you be open and authentic without revealing too much—or the wrong thing? What makes the difference between an ...
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Be Tough, But Not Bulletproof [E159] from 2019-09-23T04:00
With all the criticism and negativity that surround us today, it can be hard to maintain a positive attitude. But when we tune out all negative-sounding comments, we risk cutting oursel...
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Give Your Idea a Chance to Live [E158] from 2019-09-16T04:00
Why are some people able to turn their great ideas into successful realities, while others allow their similar ideas to fade into distant memory? What marks the difference between a mere dreamer...
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5 Qualities of an Emotionally Intelligent Person [E157] from 2019-09-09T04:00
At Stanford University’s prestigious Graduate School of Business, the most popular elective in their MBA program focuses not on business, but on Emotional Intelligence. Stanford’s best and brigh...
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6 Small Things that Make a Big Difference [E156] from 2019-09-02T04:00
In business as well as relationships, we sometimes make the mistake of focusing on the larger issues and forgetting that there are small things that have the power to make a remarkable differenc...
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How to Keep a Conversation Going [E155] from 2019-08-26T04:00
Do conversations feel like a boulder you’re trying to roll uphill? Do your interactions with others seem like a fire that’s always about to go out—and it’s up to you to somehow keep the fire goi...
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Connection Before Content [E154] from 2019-08-19T04:00
There’s a new mantra among communicators today: “Connection before content.” It means: Before you attempt to impart that fascinating content of yours, make sure you’ve established a personal con...
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Email Fails [E153] from 2019-08-12T04:00
Did you know that the average businessperson sends or receives 105 emails every day? Have you noticed how many of them you ignore—and have you ever wondered if your co-workers are ignoring yours...
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How to Be a Master Emcee [E152] from 2019-08-05T04:00
Have you ever wondered if you would make a good emcee? We tend to think of an emcee as a comedian, but the truth is, there’s a lot more to being a master emcee than just being able to tell a few...
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A Story to Inspire Us All [E151] from 2019-07-29T04:00
Did you see the story in USA Today? A woman named Alexa Bjornson put her 7 year-old son Landon on a plane to fly to Portland all by himself. But Landon is autistic, and Alexa was afraid her son ...
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Throw Me a Bone [E150] from 2019-07-22T04:00
Why are we so stingy with our words? Words are like a miracle drug: They have the power to soothe, restore, and even heal the people around us, yet we dispense that medicine so sparingly. What m...
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Communication Lessons from the Golf Course [E149] from 2019-07-15T04:00
Are you a golfer, golf viewer, or even a golf widow? Then this episode is for you. Golf immortal Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life.” If he was right, ther...
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How to Connect with Someone You Hate [E148] from 2019-07-08T04:00
Is it possible to connect with someone whose politics or social views are the virtual opposite of your own? Yes, it is possible—and it’s important that we learn to do it, because the world is be...
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But Enough About Me [E147] from 2019-07-01T04:00
Have you ever left a conversation wondering if you talked too much? Why do we sometimes share more about ourselves than we mean to? Why do we sometimes dominate a conversation, only to wonder la...
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6 MORE Ways to Lose an Argument [E146] from 2019-06-24T04:00
Episode 145 described 6 common techniques we all resort to in order to win an argument. They never seem to work—yet strangely, we continue to use these methods, hoping each time for a different ...
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6 Ways to Lose an Argument [E145] from 2019-06-17T04:00
No one likes conflict, so we often look for a shortcut that might bring the disagreement to a speedy conclusion. The problem is, some of those “shortcuts” turn out to be detours that take the co...
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How to Help your Listeners Pay Attention [E144] from 2019-06-10T04:00
In a busy, noisy, distracted world, how can you help your listeners pay attention to what you’re saying? It’s a big problem for communicators today, whether you’re a teacher, a presenter, or eve...
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How the Experts Make You Listen [E143] from 2019-06-03T04:00
Are you a fan of TED talks? Did you know that some of these 18-minute gems have been viewed more than 50 million times? What techniques do expert communicators use to grab your...
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Glad You Asked: Questions from Our Listeners [E142] from 2019-05-27T04:00
Each week you hear the Communication Guys talk about communication principles that can make you a more confident, compelling, and creative communicator in whatever you do. But this week...
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To Feel More Confident, Act More Confident [E141] from 2019-05-20T04:00
Scientists tell us that our thoughts can affect our physical health. Too much stress can raise your blood pressure; too much worry can give you an ulcer. That’s what scientists call the “mind-bo...
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Say What You Mean and Get What You Want [E140] from 2019-05-13T04:00
Do people come to you for extra help, work, or favors because they know you’ll say yes? Do you quickly agree to the requests of others, but find yourself regretting it later? Do you ever feel ta...
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How to Avoid the 5 Life Regrets [E139] from 2019-05-06T04:00
When you look back on your life one day, what will you regret most? In her book, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,” Bronnie Ware describes the five most common regrets expressed to her by peop...
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How to Choose Your Battles Carefully [E138] from 2019-04-29T04:00
We all have battles to fight, whether at work or at home. The trick is know which battles to fight, which to postpone, and which to run from. No one knew more about fighting battles than the anc...
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How to Connect in the Workplace [E137] from 2019-04-22T04:00
How “connected” is your workplace? Businesses used to believe that social connections between employees were unnecessary and potentially distracting. Now they understand that creating ways for e...
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Dealing with Post-Presentation Discouragement [E136] from 2019-04-15T04:00
Do you ever feel discouraged or disappointed after a big presentation? Do you feel as if you’ve failed in some way, and become overly critical of your performance? The “post-presentation letdown...
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Why Introverts Can Be Great Communicators [E135] from 2019-04-08T04:00
Are you an introvert? Have you ever noticed that it’s the outgoing, enthusiastic, dominant personalities that seem to get all the attention—and the promotions? Have you wondered if someone like ...
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The Annual April Fools' Episode [E134] from 2019-04-01T04:00
Could you use a good laugh? Then today’s episode is for you. Are you looking for profound insight into communication theory and practice? Come back next week. Today is April Fools’ Day, when the...
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The Incredible Power of a Name [E133] from 2019-03-25T04:00
Do you have trouble remembering names? You know the names of the people who are important to you, but what about all the co-workers, neighbors, and casual acquaintances in your life? One of the ...
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Quick Tips for a Great Day [E132] from 2019-03-18T04:00
Did you know the United Nations wants you to be happy? It’s true. In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal,” and established M...
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Tips for the Toughest Conversations [E131] from 2019-03-11T04:00
There’s a wise old saying: “Aim at nothing, and you’ll hit it every time.” Sometimes we rush into an important conversation without taking the time to consider what we’re really aiming at. What ...
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Don’t You Believe It [E130] from 2019-03-04T05:00
Do you ever lie to yourself? Self-talk is one of the most powerful forms of communication, because those are the messages you tell yourself. After all, if you’re the one saying it, it must be tr...
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How to Heal with Words [E129] from 2019-02-25T05:00
The bad news is that words have the power to wound, discourage, and destroy. Your words could be ruining your career or hurting someone you love. The good news is that words also have the power ...
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How to Kill with Words [E128] from 2019-02-18T05:00
Words have the power to motivate, encourage, and inspire, but they also have the power to wound, discourage, and even destroy. Your words could be ruining your career or hurting someone you love...
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The Amazing Power of a Compliment [E127] from 2019-02-11T05:00
A simple compliment can help someone recognize their talent or potential, or it can motivate them to keep going or take a chance on something new. The right compliment has the power to redirect ...
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The 1 Day Communication Challenge [E126] from 2019-02-04T05:00
You would be amazed at how much you can improve as a communicator in a single day. All you have to do is apply 5 simple but radical techniques that will leave people wondering at the remarkable ...
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How to Prepare for Successful Conversations [E125] from 2019-01-28T05:00
When you approach an important conversation, do your best-laid plans seem to vanish from your mind as you find yourself winging it and making regrettable mistakes? What are the most important th...
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What the World Wants Most [E124] from 2019-01-21T05:00
Meet an NYU professor with a Ph.D. in Computer Science who decided to find out how most people finish those sentences. Last year he collected 600 million posts from Twitter to see if he could de...
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The 6 Rules of Storytelling [E123] from 2019-01-14T05:00
Do you know how to tell a great story? Some do, but the truth is that most do not. Everyone agrees that stories are able to connect powerfully with listeners, but only if you know how to tell yo...
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Are You Numbing Them with Numbers? [E122] from 2019-01-07T05:00
Does your job involve presenting data or statistics? Have you ever noticed that your listeners begin to glaze over when you do? We live in the age of Big Data, but numbers have the unfortunate h...
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Dealing with Last Year's Regrets [E121] from 2018-12-31T05:00
It’s the start of a brand new year, and everyone is advising you to set greater goals and higher expectations for the year ahead. But what about the goals you set last year? Did you fulfill all ...
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5 Ways to Become a Warmer Person [E120] from 2018-12-24T05:00
When you meet someone for the first time, they form an impression of you in a matter of seconds—and that first impression is very hard to change. According to research, the character quality tha...
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Do You Know What You Sound Like to Others? [E119] from 2018-12-17T05:00
Do you know what you sound like to others? Do your listeners perceive you as weak? Blunt? Rude? Overpowering? Sometimes our perception of ourselves doesn’t match the way we actually come across,...
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What You Thought You Knew About Millennials [E118] from 2018-12-10T05:00
According to today’s guest, much of what you’ve heard about millennials isn’t true. She should know: She’s a millennial herself, and she built a nationally-known company by hiring only millennia...
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Permission to Screw Up [E117] from 2018-12-03T05:00
Did you ever make a major mistake in your business? Meet a woman who launched a cleaning business while she was still a college student, signed a contract to clean 800 apartments, then had 75% o...
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The Epidemic of Loneliness [E116] from 2018-11-26T05:00
Do you ever feel lonely? Did you know that in a recent survey of 3,000 corporate CEOs, more than 50% described themselves as feeling isolated and lonely? The fact is, we’re now living in what ma...
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Why Gratitude is Good for Your Health [E115] from 2018-11-19T05:00
Are you a grateful person? Do you make a habit of expressing gratitude to others? We all love to receive gratitude, but did you know that there are tangible benefits for the person who gives it?...
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Why We Make Bad Communication Choices [E114] from 2018-11-12T05:00
Do you suffer from a “brain bias?” We all do. A brain bias is a faulty way of thinking that’s hardwired into every human brain. They’re common to all of us, and they can lead us to make some ver...
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Conversation Tips from a Founding Father [E113] from 2018-11-05T05:00
Did you know that one of America’s founding fathers made a lifelong study of conversational skills? He formed a club for his friends and colleagues whose sole purpose was to allow them to become...
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5 Reasons to Enjoy Halloween [E112] from 2018-10-29T04:00
Of all the critical issues related to communication, what’s the most important topic of all? Not this one—this episode is just for fun, and we had a lot of laughs recording it. Episode 112 of Th...
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How to Deal with a Victim Mentality [E111] from 2018-10-22T04:00
How do you deal with a person who always blames their problems on someone or something else? How do you relate to someone who constantly complains but never accepts advice, because they’ve cast ...
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Are You Really an Entrepreneur? [E110] from 2018-10-15T04:00
Are you an entrepreneur? What exactly is an entrepreneur? Does the label rightly apply to anyone who starts a business, is self-employed, or has a clever idea? Or does that word imply s...
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Tell Me a Story or Tell Me Goodbye, Part 2 [E109] from 2018-10-08T04:00
What are the critical elements in crafting a powerful story? As important as stories are in business communication, why do so many executives hesitate to tell them? When are the right and wrong ...
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Tell Me a Story or Tell Me Goodbye, Part 1 [E108] from 2018-10-01T04:00
Have you ever noticed that great leaders are almost always great storytellers? Why is that? What do they understand about the power of storytelling, and what can we learn from them? Episode 108 ...
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Have You Plateaued in Your Career? [E107] from 2018-09-24T04:00
Have you reached a plateau in your career? Do you sometimes feel as if you’re standing still, while you’re forced to watch co-workers with no more education or experience than you get promoted t...
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Know the Features but Talk About Results [E106] from 2018-09-17T04:00
Are you trying to pitch a product or service, but for some reason your customer just doesn’t seem interested? Are you proposing a partnership—either with a business colleague or with a romantic ...
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How to Beat Burnout Before it Beats You [E105] from 2018-09-10T04:00
Have you lost the ability to find pleasure in things you normally enjoy? Do you struggle with a sense of fatigue that you just can’t shake? Do you feel as though you’ve lost passion, creativity,...
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Dealing with Conflicts Before they Become Conflicts [E104] from 2018-09-03T04:00
Why do park rangers lob explosives onto a mountainside to purposely start an avalanche? Answer: Because the avalanche you start yourself is the easiest one to control. Episode 104 of The Communi...
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How to Keep a Conversation Going [E103] from 2018-08-27T04:00
Do conversations feel like a boulder you’re trying to roll uphill? Do your interactions with others seem like a fire that’s always about to go out—and it’s up to you to somehow keep the fire goi...
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The Soft Skills are the Hard Skills [E102] from 2018-08-20T04:00
Your current skills allowed you to land the job you have now, but what are the skills that will allow you to hold on to that job in the future? What are the skills that future employers will val...
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How to Interrupt Without Being Obnoxious [E101] from 2018-08-13T04:00
How many times are you interrupted in the average day? Does it make you feel angry or disrespected? The truth is, sometimes you have to interrupt, so how do you do it in a way that does...
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6 Small Things that Make a Big Difference [E100] from 2018-08-06T04:00
In business as well as relationships, we sometimes make the mistake of focusing on the larger issues and forgetting that there are small things that have the power to make a remarkable differenc...
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The Persuasive Power of Humility [E99] from 2018-07-30T04:00
Do you ever get tired of conversations where everyone is competing for the spotlight and bragging about their accomplishments? Is boasting, resume padding, and inflated claims of past achievemen...
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How the Best Get to the Top [E98] from 2018-07-23T04:00
How important are communication skills to overall business success? What communication abilities do all great leaders share? What communication blunders do we commonly commit that might limit ou...
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Help, I'm Talking and I Can't Shut Up [E97] from 2018-07-16T04:00
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by words? What did Francois Fenelon mean when he warned us, “The more you say, the less people remember?” Does endless chatter sometimes seem like a form of mental p...
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5 Things to Never Do with an Audience [E96] from 2018-07-09T04:00
Do you know what to do to connect with an audience in a powerful and compelling way? Do you know the five things that a communicator should NEVER do? In today’s Communication Guys podca...
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Thought Bombs [E95] from 2018-07-02T04:00
A powerful quotation has the power to lift your spirits, give you new insight, and even change your whole outlook on life. It’s like a “thought bomb” that goes off inside your head and sends sho...
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A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together, Part 2 [E94] from 2018-06-25T04:00
What does Manhattan divorce attorney James Sexton mean when he advises clients to “Make the holes you dig shallow?” What does he mean when he says, “You can be right, or you can be happy?” And w...
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A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together, Part 1 [E93] from 2018-06-18T04:00
James Sexton is a high-powered Manhattan divorce attorney who has facilitated the demise of more than a thousand marriages. Over the years he has cataloged the problems that most commonly drive ...
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Why Can't People Hear Me? [E92] from 2018-06-11T04:00
Do you ever get the feeling that people are ignoring you? Does it seem like people often “talk over” you in conversations? Do you find yourself wondering if your listeners are really paying atte...
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How to Brief an Executive [E91] from 2018-06-04T04:00
A busy executive doesn’t have the time or patience to endure reports that are vague, disorganized, or irrelevant to her needs. If you report to an executive, your job may depend on your ability ...
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How to Complain Without Whining [E90] from 2018-05-28T04:00
How do you bring up a problem at work or a concern at home without sounding like you’re just complaining? And when the problem has to be brought up more than once, how can you avoid being labele...
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How to Discover What your Customer Really Wants [E89] from 2018-05-21T04:00
Did you hear about the woman who visited a marina intending to buy a pontoon boat, but left with a yacht instead? We heard the story from Steve Hedrick—the man who sold it to her. Episode 89 of ...
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How to Apologize [E88] from 2018-05-14T04:00
We live in a time where celebrities and public figures seem to offer public apologies on a weekly basis—and sometimes those apologies sound less-than-convincing. What makes a good apology? It’s ...
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How to Keep Meetings from Wasting your Time [E87] from 2018-05-07T04:00
Are meetings the bane of your business? Do poorly-planned conference room gatherings steal your time and challenge the limits of your endurance? What can you do to get more from a meeting when y...
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10 Ways to Not Start an Argument [E86] from 2018-04-30T04:00
Do you ever find yourself in the middle of an argument and wonder how it could have been avoided? Do your casual conversations have a habit of escalating into heated debates? Episode 86 of T...
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Try to See it My Way [E85] from 2018-04-23T04:00
Why is the world so polarized today? Why does it seem harder to connect with your world than ever before? How did we get that way, and what can we do about it? Today’s Communication Guys podcast...
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This is For Your Own Good [E84] from 2018-04-16T04:00
How do you offer badly-needed criticism to a co-worker who might not take it well? It’s for his own good, it’s for the company, it’s for the team—but how are you supposed to make your suggestion...
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How to Make a Boring Topic Fascinating [E83] from 2018-04-09T04:00
Think your product or company could use a little more sizzle? Meet Hollywood editor Marc Elmer, who helped turn the topic of alligator trappers in the Louisiana bayou into the internationally su...
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The April Fools Episode [E82] from 2018-04-02T04:00
Learning to connect with your world is a serious business—but there’s a lighter side to it too. Episode 82 of The Communication Guys podcast is “The April Fools Episode,” where the Guys...
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Before and After the Sale [E81] from 2018-03-26T04:00
When most people think of Sales, they focus on the sales presentation itself. But the success of your presentation just might depend on what you do before and after the sale. E...
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Spring Cleaning for Communicators [E80] from 2018-03-19T04:00
This week marks the first day of Spring in the northern hemisphere, a time to clean out those dust bunnies and cobwebs that have accumulated over the winter. It’s a good time to clean out some b...
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How to Keep Blarney Out of Your Communication [E79] from 2018-03-12T04:00
Sometimes our desire to tell a great story tempts us to embellish it a little—or as the Irish would say, to allow a “wee bit o’ blarney” to creep in. But if those embellishments turn out to be u...
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Recipe for a Great Presentation [E78] from 2018-03-05T05:00
Every chef knows that it helps to have all the ingredients at hand before you start a creative new recipe, and preparing a great presentation is no different. Episode 78 is “Recipe for a Great P...
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Crucial Conversations, Part 2 [E77] from 2018-02-26T05:00
What can you do when a conversation starts to turn angry or offensive? Today’s Communication Guys podcast is Part 2 of “Crucial Conversations,” where the Guys continue their interview with maste...
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Crucial Conversations, Part 1 [E76] from 2018-02-19T05:00
Have you ever had a discussion where the stakes were high, opinions varied, and emotions were running strong? In today’s Communication Guys podcast the Guys interview master trainer Justin Hale ...
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Everybody Has a Story [E75] from 2018-02-12T05:00
Who is the most fascinating person you ever met? The world is filled with interesting people with fascinating stories to tell, if we would only take the time to ask and listen. Episode 75 of The...
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Take a Stand or Take a Seat [E74] from 2018-02-05T05:00
Would you rather take a stand or take a seat? Your answer to that question reveals a lot about you as a communicator. Episode 74 of The Communication Guys podcast is “Take a Stand or Take a Seat,” ...
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