Dinner party conversations can either make or break an evening. Arguably, it is equally (or more) important than the food itself in contributing to the success of the event. So how do you know if you are a good dinner party guest? Nobody likes to sit with a nonstop talker who monopolises every conversation. Equally, it is just as bad to sit next to someone who has nothing to say and you feel like you’re pulling...

It is that time of year when there are more parties and social events than usual. Do you have work functions coming up? Have you been invited to a party where you hardly know anyone? Many of you will be looking forward to these occasions, yet for others, these are the sort of situations that cause stress as they start fretting about what they’re going to talk about. It is often said that communication is an...

Public speaking is becoming an increasing part of our day to day lives even outside of the work place. Inevitably, you must have attended presentations where the speaker mumbled, went over time, fidgeted or simply was not able to captivate the audience. Bad presentations are a waste of time, cost money and can damage reputations. So, if this is what you are aiming for here is the perfect guide for you. Follow...

Whatever the nature of your business, chances are you have to interact with clients at some stage. Whether you are selling a product or service you will need to establish trust with customers in order to do business. There are however, simple harmless words that can damage this trust. Minimal changes in your deliberate choice of words can have a huge impact on your results. If we use a backwards approach and...

Difficult conversations are typically those that we know we should have yet keep putting off. They range from having to remind your best friend about the money they owe you, or telling your other half that you don’t want to have dinner with their family every weekend or trying to tell your colleague that they have bad breath. Why do we put these conversations off? We dread the reaction, we don’t...

Following on from my previous blog on How to Talk to Anyone and Start a Conversation, I thought it would be relevant to discuss the Power of Silence. Silence is very much like the ugly sister in the house of communication, misunderstood and underrated. Many people are uncomfortable with silence and view it as hostile and unpleasant. In the words of Charles de Gaulle “silence is the ultimate weapon of power”...

When you think about having to speak in public or delivering presentations how do you feel? If you are one of those lucky people who loves it and will take every opportunity to address an audience and hear the sound of your own voice consider yourself lucky. For most this is something to be avoided at all costs and the mere thought of it can cause sweaty palms, a dry throat, heart palpitations and sleepless...