Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Part 1 Getting Down To Basics 1
1 Making Introductions 3
Pleased to Meet You 3
Introducing Others 4
Introducing Yourself 7
Introducing a Guest Speaker 8
The Golden Handshake 9
2 Engaging in Masterful Conversations 11
Rating Yourself as a Conversationalist 11
Conversation Starters 12
Keeping Conversations Going 14
Ending Conversations Gracefully 17
Gender Differences 18
3 Interpreting Body Language 21
Keeping the Fashion Police at Bay 22
Interpreting Gestures 25
Being Attuned to Cultural Differences When Gesturing 29
The Language of “After Hours” 31
4 Developing Listening Skills 33
Checking to See If You're a Good Listener 34
Developing Active Listening Skills 36
Tips for Managers 39
Tips for Parents 41
Tips for Teachers to Teach Children 43
Tips for College Students 43
5 Making Proper Word Choices 45
Words for Impact 45
Punctuation 56
Common Grammatical Faux Pas 57
6 Using Politically Neutral Terms 64
Using Neutral Terms 64
In the Workplace 67
Communicating with People with Disabilities 69
Dispelling Fears of Potential Employers 76
Part 2 Getting Down To Specifics 79
7 Using the Telephone Effectively 81
Inbound Calls 82
Outbound Calls 85
Managing Telephone Time Efficiently 87
Telemarketers 88
Voice Mail 89
Cold Calling 91
Cell Phone Etiquette 96
Call Centers/Customer Service 99
8 Developing Professional Networks 101
Elevator Pitch 102
Tag Line 105
Verbal Branding 105
Business Cards 108
Name Badge 110
Work a Room 111
Referrals 116
Trade Shows and Conventions 119
Social Networking 121
9 Speaking in Public 122
Planning Your Talk 122
Developing Your Text 129
Delivering Your Talk 138
Resources 143
10 Interviewing and Being Interviewed 146
Get Ready, Get Dressed, Go! 146
Typical Interviewer Questions 147
Typical Interviewee Questions 151
Dealing with Difficult Issues 152
Checking References 157
Older Workers Interviewing Gen Xers and Gen Yers 159
Types of Interviews 160
11 Conducting and Participating in Business Meetings 168
The Proof Is in the Planning 168
Put on Your Meeting Strategist's Hat 169
Selecting the Ideal Speaker 175
Virtual Meetings 176
Multilingual Meetings 180
Multigenerational Considerations 180
12 Communicating Cross-Culturally 184
Creating an Inclusive Business Environment 185
Traveling Abroad 187
13 Harnessing the Power of Today's Multigenerational Workforce 200
Understanding What Makes Each Generation Tick 201
Common to All Generations 206
Younger Workers Reporting to Older Generations 208
Older Workers Reporting to Younger Generations 210
14 Employing Appreciative Inquiry 215
Who Uses AI and Why 216
Four Stages of AI 217
Turning Negatives into Positives 219
15 Speaking in General 221
Asking for a Raise 221
Exit Interview 224
Press Interview 225
Office Gossip 227
Getting Along with Coworkers 229
Dealing with a Toxic Boss 232
Saying No to Your Boss 235
Dealing with Outsourced Providers 237
Effective Feedback 239
Performance Appraisals 240
Giving and Accepting Compliments 242
Giving and Accepting Gifts 243
Wining and Dining 245
Index 249
About the Author 257
More Praise for Speaking Your Way to Success 258
