January 2021

New Podcast Episode: Business, Marketing, Authenticity, and Relationships with Franco and Wendy Salerno

By

In this episode, my guests are Franco and Wendy Salerno, a husband-and-wife team who built and run a successful business, Darianna Bridal and Tuxedo, here in my home county of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I wanted you to hear about their business because they’ve done an exceptional job marketing it. In fact, they’ve done a better job communicating with their prospects and customers than just about any other local business I’ve seen. Equally impressive is the level of service they provide to their customers.

What’s their secret? They generously share a lot of their strategy in this episode.

In our conversation we also talk about how even in a tough year, both personally and professionally, they let their creativity, integrity, honesty, and authenticity guide the way — building strong relationships and adding to their network of raving fans as a result.

Listen here on my website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor.fm or anywhere you subscribe to podcasts.

Visit the Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo Website: https://www.dariannabridal.com
Check out this episode’s sponsor, Lacona Supply: https://laconasupply.com

New Podcast Episode: Business, Marketing, Authenticity, and Relationships with Franco and Wendy Salerno Read More »

Know Your Audience

Know Your Audience

By

I teach and coach people about a variety of communication and leadership topics. No matter which topic we’re discussing, we almost always come back to discussing their audience. In fact, I always tell people that the first rule of good communication is to know your audience — really understand who they are. Whether you’re leading a team or building your own business, if you haven’t spent the time to consider the true needs of your stakeholders, you’re in trouble.

And by audience I mean real humans. Not just some demographics on a piece of paper. People want to do business with people and brands that they like, and who understand them. People want to follow leaders who have a purpose and a vision they can support. 

To achieve any goal, whether it be to inspire a team, sell a product or service, or convince a panel of experts to support you, you need to speak (verbally and nonverbally) in a way that connects with them. You can’t do that if you’ve only been thinking about your own needs and goals.

Always think first about your audience and consider what they need to hear from you. 

Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

Know Your Audience Read More »

Using Zoom for Rehearsing Presentations

Go Zoom Yourself

By

We all know that the more you prepare and rehearse, the more confident you’ll feel when giving a presentation or speech. Even if you’ve prepared and rehearsed a lot in your head, you still need to do it out loud. Trust me, you don’t want the first time you’re hearing your own words to be the same time your audience is hearing them!

Have a Dress Rehearsal

When you can, recruit a few people to give your presentation to. You can do this remotely over Zoom, or better yet in person once we are able to safely gather again. Your audience doesn’t have to be 100 percent representative of your final audience, although the more they think like them the better feedback you can get on the content of your talk.

Either way, ask them to evaluate you on:

  • Volume (too soft, too loud, just right)
  • Speed (too fast, too slow, perfect throughout)
  • Tone (appropriate for the topic, audience, and occasion)
  • Filler words (too many ums or uhs)
  • Gestures (appropriate amount, distracting amount, not enough)
  • Facial expressions (appropriate for the topic, audience, and occasion)
  • Slides or other visual aids (clear and easy to see and understand, supportive of you as a speaker and not distracting)

I could go on all day about things to watch out for, but the above list is a good start. 

No Audience? No Problem.

With every new presentation or talk, I use Zoom to record myself so I can experience my presentation with a critical eye. I can plan it all I want, but until I see how I am actually presenting it to others, I never fully understand where I need to make improvements or changes. For example, I’ll see when there’s something on a slide that is confusing or that doesn’t sync up with what I’m saying. I’ll also see when I’m not giving my audience enough eye contact. Most of all, I catch sections where I don’t have my thoughts together well enough and that I need to refine. It’s amazing the clarity I get from watching it back.

So, plan your presentation well, rehearse it a few times in your head and then at least once out loud. And then, fire up Zoom or any program that allows you to record yourself and your slides and visual aids, and hit the record button. Then watch it back.

I’m certain you’ll find it helpful.

Go Zoom Yourself Read More »

New Podcast Episode: Food, Events, Connection, and Love with Sharon DeFelices

By
Convey Podcast Michael Piperno Episode 2

Thanks to all of you who gave me positive feedback on my first podcast episode. Your encouragement means a lot.

For my second episode, my guest is food, nutrition, and wellness expert — and corporate event strategist — Sharon DeFelices. Sharon and I talk about how clear communication is critical in her line of work, which includes planning and running events that incorporate health and wellness into the experience. You’ll be amazed by what goes on behind the scenes to ensure people enjoy the food and beverages they are served at an event — as well as the role food and nutrition can play in a productive and successful meeting. We also touch on a lot of other topics including the connections we create through the food we make at home.

Sharon also shares the fascinating story of how she went from nutritionist to chef to owning a company dedicated to healthier meetings with happier and more productive attendees. It’s an inspirational story about finding your purpose, and pursuing it fiercely.

Listen to it here on my website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor.fm or anywhere you subscribe to podcasts.

New Podcast Episode: Food, Events, Connection, and Love with Sharon DeFelices Read More »

Scroll to Top