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Even a Geek Can Speak

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Ever wondered what it takes to auction off a priceless Picasso or a rare Egyptian artifact?  The key to success is one word: connection.

Great auctioneers "connect more spontaneously with bidders," says Jamie Krass, director of auctions at Christie’s in New York.

"You want to make everyone comfortable,”  he says.  “Build a relationship with me. Don't make me feel like a number." 

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If you’re using lots of foul language in the workplace, be careful.  A new poll indicates that two thirds of people are bothered by profanity.

The Associated Press-Ipsos poll also found that profanity is on the rise with two thirds of Americans believing that the use of bad words is more common today than 20 years ago.

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A client recently sent over a deck of slides for a big presentation on leadership.  The first slide was a quotation from Jack Welch, the former GE Chairman. 

“My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.”

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With baseball's opening day upon us, let's take a tip on public speaking from that great communicator and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.

“If you don't know where you're going," Berra said, "you'll wind up somewhere else.”

Berra could have been speaking about how to organize a presentation.  The best presentations give the audience a clear map of where the speaker is going, following a simple structure with a beginning, middle, and an end.

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"If you want to develop the skills you need to maintain great relationships with clients and grow your book of business, you should read this book every year."

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