Blog - Cool Communicator

How Much Should You Rehearse for a Presentation? Examples from Theater, Politics and TED Talks (videos)

Practice and rehearsal is essential for giving a great presentation. But occasionally clients or students ask me exactly how much they should practice. Of course the correct answer varies for each person. But the short answer is that you should practice again and again until you know the entire pres...

How Elizabeth Holmes Created a Billion-Dollar Scam on Investors by Exploiting a Loophole in Human Psychology (video)

Elizabeth Holmes was charged last month with an “elaborate, years-long fraud” by the SEC. At its peak, her company Theranos (founded in 2003) was valued at $9 billion. Holmes was recognized as a genius innovator, the female Steve Jobs, an example for young women everywhere. She was celeb...

February 17, 2018
Persuasion , Psychology
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Lessons From Professional Party Crashers: Persuasion and Social Psychology (video)

I discovered a group of guys on YouTube called Yes Theory. Among many fun and hilarious antics they get into, they have a special preference for crashing exclusive Hollywood events. We can actually learn some key insights on psychology and persuasion from them. I’ve personally seen these work ...

December 14, 2017
Communication Skills , Persuasion , Sales
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“I Like You… If You Buy From Me.” Why We Hate Sales People, Network Marketers, and Other Hustle Artists

Living in New York City, you get lots of experiences. And you meet all kinds of characters, the good, the bad and the ugly. One classic character, of course, is the dreaded sales person. It’s one thing to be approached by a salesperson in a store you’ve walked into of your own volition. ...

Speaking Slowly Will Transform Your Communication – See How in this TEDx Talk (video)

One of the most frequent changes I make with my clients is to force them to slow down when they speak. This seemingly simple adjustment almost always creates a huge change in how they sound. But they sometimes ask: “If I slow down, will I be able to say everything I need to?” Well, watch...

December 3, 2017
Communication Skills , Leadership , Persuasion , Public Speaking
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3 Practical Ways to Gain More Social Presence

Social Presence seems like an elusive concept. We can definitely recognize it when others have it, but it’s tough to replicate. These are practical steps you can take to build your social presence immediately. 1. Say things that are slightly risky Key word being slightly. You want to push the ...

November 25, 2017
Leadership
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What Spider-Man Could Have Taught Harvey Weinstein

With great power comes great responsibility. This famous quote, spoken by Uncle Ben to a young Peter Parker (who would eventually become Spider-Man), has become a classic from the superhero world. The same idea had been expressed years before Stan Lee originally wrote it, by people like Winston Chur...

November 16, 2017
Leadership , Mindset , Persuasion
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What a Natural Alpha Really Looks Like

(Listen or read the post below) The alpha is the big dog. The boss. The leader. The concept of the “alpha” was derived from observations of wolf packs in captivity in the mid 20th century. Since then, the alpha idea was applied in the spheres of personal development, business, leadership...

November 15, 2017
Communication Skills , Mindset , Psychology
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When Acting Less Powerful is The Right Move

(Listen or read the post below) Some people think they have to act powerfully in every situation. Their goal is to “win” every battle. Always have the cleverer comeback. Always interrupt people more than they interrupt you. Have others laugh at your jokes, but don’t laugh at theirs...

November 14, 2017
Communication Skills , Leadership , Mindset , Networking , Psychology
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Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face

(Listen or read the post below) “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face” –Mike Tyson This is one of my favorite quotes of the moment. Practice and experience are essential if you want to build a skill set. Whether that skill is leadership, communication, sales, or ...