For six months I couldn’t attract business as a communication consultant. I was teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and I wanted to take my specialized knowledge into the workplace to help professionals improve their ability to get things done.
When I spoke to prospects, the result was the same. They’d listen to my presentation, thank me for my time, and send me on my way.
It was at one of these sessions that I came upon a strategy that would change my life. I finished my talk and I could see the manager trying to figure out a polite way to get me to leave when I challenged him with the following question:
“If you can identify a problem you have in the workplace that is not the result of a failure of communication . . . I’ll work for free.”
His mouth fell open and his eyes darted around the room. He had several false starts as he struggled to find a problem that wasn’t the result of failed communication. He couldn’t. To my surprise, he relaxed in his chair and we began to discuss how I could help his sales staff to be more effective. He became my first paying client.
It doesn’t matter if you manage a business or a family, if you sell products or services, or if you just want to be better understood by those around you. This blog is for you.
I’m going to share the lessons I’ve learned in over 20 years of teaching at a major university and 25 years as a conference speaker and consultant.
My area of expertise is nonverbal communication – body language – but I package it within the larger field of interpersonal communication. There are two key points: Principles and Practices. Sometimes I’ll present ideas to improve your effectiveness. Sometimes I’ll provide a visual assessment of someone’s body language. Brief. Insightful. Interesting. That’s the goal.
Bill Acheson
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