The Monthly Memo.

Business books don't always make for the most fascinating reading, but I've come across an exception that I think you may enjoy. Written by New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer, "Setting the Table" is a great look at the importance of "service," and how to keep that...

Are you part of a team that puts together presentations? Do you have to be part of a competitive bidding process where several groups or individuals make presentations? If so, when do you prefer to speak? Are you a "let's go first and get it over with" kind of person...

It's not often one can say a person they've known for 20 years might be the next President of the United States, but in the case of John McCain, I can say it. First, two points of clarification. I don't really know John McCain, but I've covered him as a reporter and...

Fall is in the air -- footballs are flying at the local parks -- and charges are flying between candidates. Also, there are the arguments over the ballot propositions. If you pick up a newspaper or turn on a TV, you see it unfold right before your eyes and ears. Let's...

No, this is not a yoga exercise. We won't be getting together to practice deep breathing drills. Being able to "focus your energy" will be a terrific tool you can use right away. When you see a great communicator, you know there is something that sets them apart....

I love that story because it captures the situation in most homes. Kids are asked what their parents do for a living and they don't have a clue. Parents describe their adult children's jobs by saying things like, "She does something with computers, I think. "The rule...

Much has been written, in this column and other places, about the importance of speaking in the communication equation. Good, important information, but let me point the discussion in a completely different direction. Let's zero in on listening as a key for any great...

Did you ever feel the discussion getting away from you? It's easy for it happen as a conversation moves quickly from point to point. Whether you are in a job interview, a media interview or in front of a meeting making a presentation, the train can go off the tracks....

Perhaps there have been some bumps in the road lately ... a few negative articles in the paper, some poor earnings reports or a messy firing. Whatever the scenario, it is usually at this exact time that one of the bosses can shout, "Smithers, get me some good PR,...

Not necessarily ... and stop calling me Surely! This "Ask the Expert" column appears in the latest edition of "Maricopa Lawyer," the official publication of the Bar Association in the Phoenix area. I thought you'd enjoy it. Cary Pfeffer offers a blunt talk about the...

Not all of us are blessed with a voice like James Earl Jones or Catherine Zeta-Jones. In fact, almost none of us can match their unique vocal gifts ... and that's why voice quality need not be nearly as great a concern as many of us fear. It's really good news. When...

You have a great story to tell, but you can't seem to get your local newspaper or television station to pay attention. Or the Wall Street Journal won't return your calls even though this is a great national story! The trick may be in correctly matching your story idea...

Now that we're in the heart of football season, any fan can tell you the details of their favorite team's uniform. But, you have a uniform as well, even though you may not think of it that way. For Bill Gates, it's the blue open-collar business shirt and dress pants,...

Congress wants answers, or at least something close. When it came time to ask questions about Hurricane Katrina, former FEMA Director Mike Brown was front and center this week. The point for all of us to understand is this: Whenever you are asked to explain your...

My son's Sophomore English teacher started the school year going from student to student in each class, shaking hands with every person. It lasted just a few days and kind of freaked out the already edgy 15-year-olds, but it got me thinking! How DO people break...

"It's the economy, stupid." "I'm a compassionate conservative." "Ask not what your country can do for you." "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" These are some famous quotes from the last 50 years, but what does it take for a group of words to really stand out to...

How many times have you stood in front of an audience and wondered, "What should I do with my hands?" It is the single most-often asked question when I speak with clients about presentation skills. No one wants to appear to be a wild, out-of-control windmill behind...

As strange as it sounds, an outright mistake in the media is the easier problem to deal with. The more difficult challenge is when an article or story on TV has taken a "tone" you disagree with, or the impression some people get from the piece is a problem. Then what?...

From outright goof-ups to slight oversights, reporting is a human endeavor and mistakes occur everyday. How you handle them can lead to a successful experience for everyone involved -- or it can be a disaster. Here are some thoughts from someone who has been on all...

Let's see a show of hands. Who here has watched, eyes glazed over, as someone stands at the front of the room going from one slide to the next on "the endless PowerPoint?" It was a topic I recently discussed with Robert McDowell, Vice President at Microsoft...

Randy Johnson is one of the most celebrated baseball players currently in the game. When the New York Yankees once again came up short in their quest for the World Series last season, they put one person at the top of their wish list: Randy Johnson. But there are some...

You can feel the whole group cringe. The tough question comes zinging in from someone in the crowd and now the person with the microphone is on the spot. What do you do if you are the one who has been tossed the hot potato? How about just smiling and saying, "Next...

In more than 25 years as a reporter, I went from the 30-second soundbite, to the 15-second soundbite to the 11-second to the 7-second and, well, you get the idea. These days if you can say it in 4.5 seconds you stand a chance! The advertising world has understood this...

Sit down with "Swim with the Sharks" author Harvey MacKay for 10 minutes and he'll rattle off at least 10 stories. It seems he's never forgotten one, and the more than 10 million books he's sold around the world back that up. But there's more. He's a sought-after...

For the purposes of this exercise, look at the race for the White House as a laboratory for you to learn about communication and message strategy. The Presidential debates are some of the greatest forums to do just that and, despite all the stage managing and limits...