This episode is part of a series called Presenting Made Simple. It’s designed for growth-minded leaders who want to make a lasting impact on their audiences without the cookie-cutter tactics taught in traditional public speaking courses.  Instead, you’ll learn practical and applicable techniques to present calm and assurance.  In this episode, you will learn how to craft a compelling story. Presenting Made Simple Video Course https://pswithalex.com/presenting-made-simple/   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

This episode is part of a series called Presenting Made Simple. It’s designed for growth-minded leaders who want to make a lasting impact on their audiences without the cookie-cutter tactics taught in traditional public speaking courses.  Instead, you’ll learn practical and applicable techniques to present calm and assurance.  This episode is about understanding your audience. Presenting Made Simple Video Course https://pswithalex.com/presenting-made-simple/   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

This episode is part of a series called Presenting Made Simple. It’s designed for growth-minded leaders who want to make a lasting impact on their audiences without the cookie-cutter tactics taught in traditional public speaking courses.  Instead, you’ll learn practical and applicable techniques to present calm and assurance.    This episode breaks down a conversational mindset versus a delivery mindset. Presenting Made Simple Video Course https://pswithalex.com/presenting-made-simple/   Connect with Alex Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.   This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.

In this episode: You’ll hear Alex tackle the question, “How do we become the best?”  Take a listen.    Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.   This episode was edited and produced by Jen Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.

In this episode: You’ll learn what it means to be assertive, why it matters, and 3 ways to start practicing assertiveness right now.  Take a listen.  This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

In this episode: You’ll learn 10 ways you might be communicating aggressively without knowing it.  Take a listen.  This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

In this episode: You’ll learn what aggressive communication is and why it matters at work and at home.  Take a listen. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.  This episode was edited and produced by Jen Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.

In this episode: You’ll learn eight techniques to help you overcome challenges with passive communication and become more assertive at work and at home. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.  This episode was edited and produced by Jen Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.

In this episode: You’ll learn what passive communication is and why it matters to you both at work and at home.  Take a listen.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.  This episode was edited and produced by Jen Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.

You’ll hear five steps to help you respond productively to passive aggressiveness and help the other person to communicate what's on their mind in a safe and effective way. Take a listen.  This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

Passive aggressive much?  You’re not alone.  In this episode, Alex gives you a crash course in passive aggressiveness, specifically how do you know whether you’re being passive aggressive?  You’ll learn what it means to be passive aggressive, why it’s causes us so much trouble at work and home and what to do if you if you’re struggling with passive aggressiveness.   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here. This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.

How to say no to requests for your time. Today’s question comes from my client and mentee Kiley. Kiley’s an entrepreneur and she runs a sales consulting business. She gets slammed with requests for her time to “meet up for coffee”, “catch up with each other” or “I just wanna chat and pick your brain”. These requests can from anyone, peers, colleagues, friends, co-workers, the random LinkedIn connection, someone she met at a networking event, etc.  The problems come, when she turns up at these meetings and she finds out that a.) the other person just wants to chat in the middle of a workday (ugh) b.) the other person wants free advice (double ugh) or c.) the other person could’ve asked for what they needed from her directly and both people could’ve saved time and energy. Kiley doesn’t want to be rude and she’s also has limited time and energy. Can you relate? I love this question because it’s super applicable and relatable to professionals, not just entrepreneurs. There’s a good chance that you’ve been on the receiving end of random requests to connect. And it’s hard. You’re a good person who genuinely wants to help and you don’t want to make someone else feel bad by saying no. I get it; I’ve been there and it’s still hard for me too. Before we can talk about how to say no, we’ve got to understand why saying no is so hard sometimes.   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here. This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at The Brassy Broadcasting Company.

Repetition gets a bad rap, because, in many instances, we don’t want to insult someone because it can come off as sounding condescending. And or we don’t want to repeat ourselves for fear that we will be boring or annoying.  These are completely valid feelings. We’ve suffered at the hands of boring, condescending, and annoying people.   However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Understanding why, when and how to use repetition will help both you and your audience move the learning process along faster.  Let’s start with when we use repetition. We use repetition when we want others to remember what we say. We want to use repetition frequently when we’re leading and teaching, especially in the early stages, when we’re trying to help someone master new concepts or skills.  Why is repetition so effective? Because it helps reinforce new info, making it more memorable. Remembering, storing information in short term memory, is key to learning. If we can’t remember it, we didn’t learn it. So, if you want people to remember what you said, you’re going to have to get comfy with repetition. Here's how it works in our brains…when we repeat, we are reinforcing the neural pathways in our brains responsible for that information.  Over time, these neural pathways become stronger and more efficient, just like if you walked a new path repeatedly, making it easier for use to recall. Ok now that we know why repetition is so important, let’s talk about how we can repeat without sounding boring, annoying, or condescending.  1.) Use synonyms.  Synonyms are words that mean the same (or close to the same thing).  For example, instead of saying “very good” you could say “excellent or “outstanding”. 2.) Change your sentence structure.  This will add contrast and keep your listeners listening. For example, “changing your sentence structure adds contrast while you’re repeating information” and “In order to sound less repetitive, change your sentence structure!”3.) Use transition phrases. These are phrases that connect one thought to the next. For example… “in addition to”, “on the other hand”, “however”4.) Use anecdotes, analogies, and metaphors. Anecdotes are short stories that relate to your topic, real examples that enhance meaning. Analogies compare to similar things… “toxic workplace is like a dysfunctional family.”, Metaphors are a type of analogy that make a comparison where there may not be one at it’s up to the listener to formulate one “e.g. boil the ocean” or “time is money.”  So, there you have it. We use repetition when we want others to remember what we say and when we’re teaching new concepts or skills. Why is it so effective? Because it helps us remember. How do we avoid sounding boring, annoying, or condescending? By using synonyms, changing our sentences, using transition phrases and anecdotes, analogies, and metaphors.  This episode was edited and produced by Jenn Edds, the head broad in charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

Merriam-Webster defines resiliency as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change. - comes from our ability to handle change, difficult tasks, setbacks, we work on building in by exposing ourselves to challenges not by avoiding them. We have choices when it comes to difficult takes, we freeze in fear, close our eyes in denial or we can move forward, one step at time, at our own pace, knowing that even a little bit of progress is better than no progress at all. 1.) What resilient people know      -we know hard things are a part of life      - to keep our focus on what we can change, not what we can’t 2.) Seek out challenges and work our way through them      -that resilience is dependent upon practice; we’re never finished building 3.) Resilient people use deliberate practice      -set a goal      -break it into small, manageable parts      -work on your weakness      -seek immediate feedback Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

Today I’m revisiting an episode that I did back in September where I talked about the lies, we tell ourselves. You can listen to the episode here. Don’t want to listen and just want to know the gist of it? Sometimes we don’t take credit for our work because we’re afraid of being view as arrogant. To combat, remember that arrogant people don’t worry about whether they’re arrogant and they don’t mind winning at the cost of other people. That’s likely not you. Sometimes we don’t share our great accomplishments because we’re worried other people will think we’re arrogant. To combat this ask yourself this question “Can I control what other people think?” The answer is no you can’t. You can only control yourself and your thoughts. Would you rather feel proud of your accomplishments or worried about what everyone else thinks? The choice is yours.   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

Today we’re talking about how to handle a complainer. There's nothing quite like the energy suck that comes from someone who constantly complains. It's awful to be around a complainer. They're unhappy with their work, colleagues, boss, friends, fitness, kids, partner, family, or life. And they want you to know about it. You're a good person; you've listened and tried to help them out. You've given suggestions, sent positive quotes, and pointed out the good. But they're still unhappy. Maybe they've gotten mad at you because you didn't "fix" things for them. I'm here to remind you that it's not your responsibility to fix a complainer's problems. You don't even have to listen to them. If you want to stop a complainer, ask them what they've done to solve their problems. If they answer and have good solutions, great. Give 'em a high five and tell them to keep on. If they answer and need some help, help them. If they don't answer, encourage them to think about what they could do and walk away. Give it a try. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex Schedule a time to talk with me here.

When someone comes to you with a problem, do you listen with the intent to help, or do you want to fix it? There's a difference. You are not a vending machine for answers, no matter how good that might feel to you. I want you to flip the situation and think about being the person who needs to be heard. Have you ever needed someone to listen and not fix? I have a colleague I enjoy talking with as long as we aren't discussing a problem I'm having. When I come to her with a problem, she wants to 'fix' it for me. At least, that's how I perceive it. Let me give you a few examples: If I say... "I'm not sure what I should do about xyz.", her first response is, "Well, I think you should..." followed by a list of to-dos.If I say, "I'm feeling icky about this problem.", she'll chime in with a story about how she had a similar problem with a similar feeling and how she handled it. If I'm struggling with a mistake and I need to process it, she'll immediately find the silver lining and tell me why I should focus on that instead of my feelings. Her responses leave me feeling, at best, unheard and, at worst like she's trying to one-up me with her struggles. Do you know someone like this? The truth is, I've been both the person with the problem and the non-helpful colleague. Providing solutions, sharing a story, or finding a silver lining can be helpful...sometimes. But often, what people need most is someone to listen and let them figure out what comes next. Listening with the intent to help means not offering unwanted advice, affirming vs. one-upping, or acknowledging hard feelings instead of painting a silver lining around a turd. There's a difference between listening to help and listening to fix. Be a helper, not a fixer. If you found today’s Crash Course helpful, please share it with your colleague. If you want more content and resources for communication, make sure to sign up for the email newsletter at pswithalex.com. If you’d like to learn more about using communication as your competitive advantage, schedule a time to talk with me here. Until next time, take care and keep talking! Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex

Your words shape your success, the ones you say aloud and those you don't. How do I know? Confirmation bias. Defined as "the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs." Britannica. In my words, what we think about, we bring about. My friend, how many times have you heard someone say... "This is never going to work." and then it doesn't? "Who's going to care anyway?" and no one does. "Why bother?" and no one bothers. Their words confirm their beliefs, their beliefs shape their behaviors, and the results are what they predicted. Now, think about someone you know who says... "I am doing this!" and they do. "I care." and others do too. "I am investing in this." and they do. Their words confirm their beliefs, their beliefs shape their behaviors, and the results are what they predicted. Your words shape your success, and success starts in your mind. Whatever you do today, make sure what you're saying to yourself matches what you're working for. Make sure the words you say to yourself empower, inspire and motivate you. What you think about you bring about. Make sure you bring out your best. If you found today’s Crash Course helpful, please share it with your colleagues and friends and hit the subscribe button, so you don’t miss an episode. If you want more content and resources for communication, make sure to sign up for the email newsletter at pswithalex.com where you’ll get weekly communication resources delivered right to your inbox. Make sure to connect with me on LinkedIn so we can chat, and if you’ve got a question, you’d like for me to answer here on the show write me a note in the comment section or email me at alex@pswithalex.com. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex

Have you ever wondered how you're "supposed" to respond to a compliment? Do you have to give one back? What if you don't know what to say? It's OK to wonder, and I'm here to help. Saying thank you is always OK when it comes to compliments. Acknowledging a compliment is polite and shows that you appreciate the gesture. If you feel like saying thank you is boring or repetitive, try these phrases for a change;-I appreciate that. -That means a lot coming from you. -You made my day, thank you. -I receive your compliment. Thank you. You can return with a compliment if you want, but you don't have to. People generally give compliments because they mean them and want you to feel good. Not because they're expecting anything in return. If you found today’s Crash Course helpful, please share it with your colleagues and friends and hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode. If you want more content and resources for communication, make sure to sign up for the email newsletter at pswithalex.com where you’ll get weekly communication resources delivered right to your inbox. Make sure to connect with me on LinkedIn so we can chat and if you’ve got a question you’d like for me to answer here on the show, write me a note in the comment section or email me at alex@pswithalex.com. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex

Today we’re talking about a question that will help you make better decisions and build resiliency.  I’m guessing you're a bit like me, I think. You're interested in personal development, on a perpetual quest to be better, and love to learn. Am I right?  You might also be like me in that you've run up against a lot of challenges in your life. Life hasn't always gone your way. You haven't gotten everything you've wanted, or maybe, you've been tested beyond what you thought you could handle.  You've had to be resilient, even when you didn't want to be. Maybe you need to be resilient right now.   This week I watched Lucy Horne's TEDx Talk 3 Secrets of Resilient People, and it's the inspiration for this podcast. I won't share all the secrets. But because you enjoy communication content, I'll share with you the question she asks herself to boost her resiliency, and it's this... "Will this help or hurt me?"  Its simplicity is brilliant and drives right to the heart of where we need to go when making decisions.  I don't know about you, but I find it too easy sometimes to make decisions on autopilot, like putting off a call or a project, because the reward of doing something else may be immediate. Sometimes it's easy to dwell on what's past instead of moving forward because moving forward means accepting that I can't change what's happened.  But when I ask myself, "Will this help or hurt me?" it creates much-needed space for better decision-making. When you ask yourself and answer honestly, the right decision becomes clear.  Resilient leaders make decisions that help themselves and others.  Remember that as you decide your way through today.  If you found today’s Crash Course helpful, please share it with your colleagues and friends and hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode. If you want more content and resources for communication, make sure to sign up for the email newsletter at pswithalex.com where you’ll get weekly communication resources delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here.  Connect with me on  LinkedIn Alex Perry  Instagram @pswithalex