Lauren Sergy, Author at Lauren Sergy

Making cold calls red hot

ConnectingBy Lauren Sergy February 14, 2014 Leave a comment

The term ‘cold calling’ strikes fear into the hearts of many a professional. Heaven’s knows it does to me. Cold calling, though, has its place. Actually, it can be a very useful activity for both the caller and the receiver. It can save time and energy, create new connections and opportunity, and grow your network.…

Honey and vinegar: preferred consumer advocacy tactics

ArguingBy Lauren Sergy January 29, 2014 1 Comment

(Forgive me a moment while I brush the dust off my keyboard) I’m a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde when it comes to how I gear up for a bit of advocacy. When I’m around my friends or family and telling them about the Thing That Annoyed Me, and how I will be standing up for…

Don’t say sorry

ConfidenceBy Lauren Sergy November 6, 2013 2 Comments

“Sorry” is quite possibly one of the most pernicious words I hear in regular conversation. When used in its truest sense, a sincere sorry is lovely – both strong and vulnerable in the way in admits and accepts responsibility, or empathetic in the way it expresses understanding. These uses, however, are heard with woeful infrequency.…

Valuable lesson: How to make stress your friend

Performance, UncategorizedBy Lauren Sergy October 16, 2013 Leave a comment

In my talks on communication and public speaking, I commonly address the flight-or-fight response that difficult speaking situations trigger. While I do train people on how to physically manage their distress symptoms (such as shallow breathing, elevated blood pressure, and the like), the way you perceive the stress response matters hugely. As McGonigal points out,…

Wisdom from Stella Adler

UncategorizedBy Lauren Sergy October 9, 2013 Leave a comment

Stella Adler was speaking about actors. Her words apply to you, too. Actor, speaker, dancer, activist, employee, manager, whatever you are – this is the key to stepping up and letting your voice ring out with power and sincerity.

Off the Introspective Cuff

ConnectingBy Lauren Sergy September 27, 2013 Leave a comment

One of the keys to being able to ramble out a good, solid off-the-cuff or spontaneous speech is introspection – and lots of it. The purpose behind this introspection isn’t to indulge in endless navel-gazing. That’s what Facebook and Instagram are for. This self-reflection is to develop an acute awareness of your values, your personal drivers,…

Interest

CharismaBy Lauren Sergy September 18, 2013 Leave a comment

If you want to be interesting, you must be interested. Be interested in everything; be interested in current events, in culture, in daily life. Be interested in new ways of doing things, in activities you’ve never tried, in subjects you don’t know much about. Definitely be interested in the people you are talking to. The…

Precious time

Getting the message acrossBy Lauren Sergy August 27, 2013 Leave a comment

Time is important. We all know this. We lead busy lives. Our days fly by. Time is valuable. Time is precious. Time is money. We bill hourly and count down minutes. The premium on time is what makes it so powerful. Time is a gift. It is respect. It is consideration. You need to give…

How-to: Writing Recommendations for LinkedIn Contacts

ConnectingBy Lauren Sergy August 25, 2013 Leave a comment

Lately, I have been brushing up my LinkedIn profile. If you don’t use LinkedIn, I strongly recommend that you create a profile. It really is a great way to keep in touch with professional and business contacts and build your professional network. LinkedIn has a couple of different tools you can use to vet the…

Conference Terror #2: Searching for your stage

PresentingBy Lauren Sergy July 22, 2013 1 Comment

There is a very obvious barrier to presenting at a conference, and it is the one that is usually thrown in my face when I first suggest getting on the conference circuit: I don’t know what conferences I could present at. This statement is usually butted up against it corollary: I’m not qualified/good enough/experienced enough…

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