Business Communication Tips: Find Your Mindset
Forget tips or tricks. The most important shift to become a better communicator is in the way you think about communication. For example: imagine that a team sets out to pitch a solution for a vexing business problem to their boss. They construct a solid presentation, succinctly outlining their idea and why it is the […]
Message Crafting: Breaking Down Blocks
We’ve all experienced it: the blank page, the empty slide deck, the moment before you have to pick up the phone or start a virtual meeting. Any time we need to create something from nothing—whether it is an email, a presentation, a proposal, or a pitch—the potential for a block looms. What if the words […]
Client Case Study: Competitive Advantage Through Communication
The relationships we have with our clients and their organizations are our most precious assets… and the things we are most proud of. This week we hear from Scott Singer. Scott has been a longtime client and friend of The Latimer Group (Parent Company of LatimerNext), originally while at United Technologies, and subsequently as Head of […]
When Following is a Strength: 4 Keys To Adding Value to the Team
Leadership gets a lot of attention in the corporate world. Training and coaching often focuses on it, and no one wants to tell their boss, “I just want to be the best follower I can be.” “To get ahead, you must aspire to lead.” That’s the conventional wisdom we all hear. But the majority of the workforce […]
6 Simple Rules for Presenting Well
Presenting well—in a way that captures attention and helps your team achieve its business goals—can be hard. It can be especially hard for new or junior team members who are put on the spot. Fortunately, the keys to success are pretty simple: Choose outcomes beforehand — An intended outcome is the North Star guiding presenters through every […]
Improving Team Comms Skills? EASY does it.
At LatimerNext, we believe in breaking down good communication into specific skills that can be practiced and improved: clear messaging, effective visuals or slides, powerful presence and delivery, channeling an “executive voice.” But here’s the big picture. The reason your team needs to practice each of these skills and get better at them is very simple. It’s so that they […]
Your Communication Superpower: Empathy
In our hyper-saturated media environment, where we are conditioned to make snap judgements, empathy isn’t often invoked as a skill worth cultivating. But as you begin to make your way through meetings and presentations, empathy is one of the most important tools you can hone, both as a speaker and as an audience member. After […]
Making A Professional Impression, Virtually
Hybrid or remote work is now an established reality for many, if not most, organizations. And for new professionals, working, meeting, and presenting online is not a new skill, since so much of life, from school to internships to personal gatherings, happened through screens during the pandemic. But making a strong professional impression in a […]
Lessons: Presentation Slide Templates Are a Tool, Not a Plan
Putting together a presentation, especially if you have not done so frequently before, can be intimidating. Templates, whether one you chose, or one dictated by your organization, can give you a quick place to start and the reassurance that you’ll have a consistent look and feel. And for many organizations, requiring specific templates can go […]
How Quickly Should You Get to the Point? It Depends!
My colleagues and I always talk about the importance of getting to the point quickly. So don’t worry… I am not about to contradict twenty years of Latimer teaching. But my colleagues and I also believe in the importance of audience and situational awareness, and that we should always try to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. We […]