What Are Your Clients Saying about You?

Throughout our communications courses and coaching sessions, Ty Boyd's faculty solicits feedback through conversations to ensure that they are making an impact with our clients. At the end of each course, we ask our clients to fill out a written evaluation form to help us ascertain our success and to determine whether or not there are any unmet needs. And we continue our customer conversations via Facebook, Twitter, and our blog.

 
For over 30 years, this feedback has provided us with constructive suggestions and opportunities to see things from a variety of perspectives. The questions we ask focus on the entire Ty Boyd experience and the answers we receive have helped us tailor our services to meet our clients' demands.  

At Ty Boyd, our customers are our partners and we believe in nurturing those relationships. We are in the communications business and we strive to practice what we preach:

• we ask our customers what is important to them
• we find out why our customers do business with us
• we determine what a customer's expectations are

On our feedback forms, we leave plenty of space for comments because if you ask the right questions, you just might be lucky enough to discover factors that you'd never even considered. It's all about communicating.

What are your clients saying about you? Let the communication experts at Ty Boyd help you foster the relationship between your organization and your customers.

Watch an Old Movie

According to the Book of Lists, public speaking ranks number one in the category of what we fear. For the majority of people, above the fear of death, comes the fear of standing in front of an audience. Until, that is, they are at the beach. Queue the Jaws music. (It's amazing how two notes played on a tuba can elevate fear.)

I first saw Jaws when I was 11 years old. For years, I was terrified of getting into water of any kind - rivers, lakes, swimming pools, bathtubs - for fear that a Great White shark would pull me under and snack on my right leg. And, yes, I knew it wasn't possible for sharks to survive in fresh water, but my fear knows no logic. Steven Spielberg's timeless classic about a killer shark might be irrational fear, but it gets me every time. Thirty-eight years later I still cannot go into the ocean without trepidation.

But, while a shark attack is undoubtedly a very scary thing, it is incredibly rare. Did you know that you are more likely to die falling out of bed? That's right - you are actually safer in the open water than you are in your own bed. Every year in the United States alone, about 450 people die falling out of bed. But how many times have I worried about my bed killing me? Never. Not once. Shouldn't I be more afraid of things that can actually happen? Why is it that we as humans have a tendency to fear worst case scenarios - things that usually do not happen?

Let's take the fear of public speaking: what is it that people actually fear about speaking in front of a crowd? Worst case scenario: being laughed off the stage, being booed, being bombarded with rotten eggs and tomatoes. But does that really ever happen? Outside of the movies? If you can make peace with the worst case scenario, you will take much of the fear out of the fear of public speaking.

Here's the truth about fear:

• Fear only controls you when you give into it
• The simple task of walking through your fear - doing what you fear, then doing it again - transforms your fear into courage
• Fear is a habit. You can establish a new habit by faking it until you make it
• Your fear rarely shows. And when it does show, it shows less than you think
• Fear is rooted in perfectionism - accept that you are human and remember that vulnerability is an asset in effective communication.
• Fear is normal
• Fear can be transformed into one of your greatest tools...

At Ty Boyd, Inc., we help our clients disarm their fear and make it work for them. You can survive even your worst-case scenario; preparation and practice will see you through it. Give us a call, we'd love to help.

Read a Good Book

Susan Cain author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

If you haven't read Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking you need to add it to your summer reading list. We are a nation of extroverts, at least, that's how we perceive ourselves, but depending on which study you consult, one-third to one-half of Americans are introverts. As Susan Cain describes it, they are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, who are not comfortable with self-promotion and who prefer working on their own, over working in teams.

In Quiet, Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the extrovert ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts - from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves. - Amazon.com

Cain admits to having a complicated relationship with public speaking. Back when she was in law school, the mere thought of giving a lecture used to make her throw up. After writing her book about introverts, she wanted to share the ideas as passionately as she could - and that meant speaking at events and book signings. She was determined to become the best and bravest speaker that she could be. She likened it to an Olympic event except, "instead of protein shakes and weightlifting, I'll be getting all the public speaking practice and media training that I can."

Here's what Cain has to say about public speaking:

"It's OK to pretend a little when you're up on stage. Who cares if you're not a natural storyteller? You can craft your stories beforehand, practice them, and share them - for the brief moment that the spotlight is on you. Then you can step offstage and go right back to being yourself. But in the meantime, you had the chance to change a whole audience full of hearts and minds. And there's nothing more authentic than that."

Cain's record-smashing TED talk has been viewed more than 3 million times and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite TED talks and by the New Yorker magazine as one of the five key talks. Watching the video, you'd never guess that Susan Cain would prefer listening to speaking.

Meet Bill Whitley

Bill Whitley has been facilitating courses along side the coaches at Ty Boyd for years. His latest collaboration will be co-facilitating Ty Boyd's newest course, Sell With a Story: Powerful Sales Presentations that Captivate, Connect and Create Action. An accomplished sales and marketing expert, Bill has a gift of making complex topics simple, visual and easy to understand. Using a blend of humor and insightful stories, he teaches how to fully engage clients by developing long-term, high value relationships.

Whitley will tell you that it all begins with a story - a customer attraction story. It's one of the most elusive business skills, and yet, one of the most important. Being able to communicate your worth and persuade your clients and colleagues is one of the most sought after traits in the business world. In a typical organization, a lot of time and money is spent on marketing, branding and generating leads with the intent to open dialogue with prospects. And yet, not nearly as much is invested in teaching people how to communicate and engage in business relationships. If you understand the steps involved in a compelling customer attraction story, the rest will fall into place.

Here is an example of a customer attraction story told in Bill's own words....

I'll never forget my interview with Mike a top insurance agent who had been with a major carrier for over 25 years. I asked a simple, but difficult question, "Can you give me an example of a client that had a problem, where you were able to help with a brilliant solution and they got great results?"

Mike paused for a moment and then said, "Well, yes, one of my clients is a college professor. He's a nice guy. He's a smart guy. He was driving home from work one day and it started to rain. He pulled up to a stop light to make a right on red, looked left and saw that there was no oncoming traffic, and started making his right turn. At that time, a guy was running across the street to get out of the rain - my client didn't see him and hit him with his car." 

Then Mike paused and said, "$900,000 later, the last medical bill was paid. Fortunately, one year before the accident, my client bought a million dollar personal umbrella policy from me. Now every time I see this client, he stops to thank me for selling him that policy."

"Wow, that's a great example," I said. Then Mike added, "If he hadn't bought that personal umbrella policy, here's what would have happened. First, he would have exhausted all of his savings trying to pay off that guy's medical bills. I know how much he's got, and he doesn't have $900,000. Once he had exhausted all of his savings, he would have gone into debt, and then finally, when the debt burden became too great, he would have had to declare bankruptcy. But because he had that one policy, there was no financial impact at all."

Perfect example of a customer attraction story. In fact, Mike's story was so vivid that it moved me to action. My agent works for the same carrier as Mike. He has insured my home and cars for the last twenty years, but for the first time I realized the value of having a personal umbrella policy. The next day, I called him and bought a five million dollar personal umbrella policy.

Prior to the start of Sell With a Story, Bill will schedule a conference call to discuss your personal relevant story. Over the two day course, you will and master your story so that you can easily insert it into a conversation and use it to your benefit for those rare unplanned opportunities that could change the course of your career. 

The goal of an effective communicator is to make a meaningful contribution to an audience. Sell With a Story will help you achieve that goal.

Surviving and Thriving in Your Career

In today's workplace you are expected to stay on top of your game while working positively and productively with all types of personalities and communication styles. If you aren't learning new skills and acquiring new knowledge, you risk the chance of falling behind your peers. That's why you owe it to yourself to take charge of your professional development.


It's easy to be complacent about professional development when you are gainfully employed, especially if it isn't required by your company. But, making an effort to grow professionally not only helps you in your current role, it will help you in the future. Don't do it for your boss, do it for you.

Here are 5 ways to grow professionally - either with or without the help of your current employer:

• Take a course. Concentrate on developing soft skills that are relevant across a variety of industries and positions - they have the biggest bang for your buck. Today's economy puts a new premium on people skills and relationship building. Are you both verbally articulate and a good listener? Can you deliver your message and express yourself in a way that builds bridges with colleagues and clients? If you need help in this department, consider attending one of the courses at Ty Boyd. 

• Find a mentor or coach. Identify somebody who is willing to give you guidance and advice. An on-going relationship with a professional coach who can give honest feedback can be an invaluable investment.

•  Read. There are hundreds of books and blogs and articles on the Internet that can shine a new light on your industry. The more you know, the easier it is to position yourself as someone who is knowledgeable in your group - an industry expert. It also helps to read things outside of your realm of experience as you may be able to apply something to your business. Consider reading Ty Boyd's The Million Dollar Toolbox and let it be a blueprint for transforming your life and career with powerful communication skills.

• Get involved with an industry organization. And don't just attend - join a committee. And commit to commenting and speaking at the meetings. Challenge yourself to bring more awareness to your public speaking in every day interactions.

• Get LinkedIn with Ty Boyd. Update your profile, get in touch with people in your industry as well as old colleagues. Who knows - a great opportunity may be out there for the taking.

Why You Fear Public Speaking

For over 30 years we have worked with clients who have a fear of public speaking. In our experience, eliminating the fear is not possible. And, believe it or not, it isn't even desirable. What we give our clients is a way to change the way they think about, and therefore the way they react to fear. We help eliminate the voice in their head that says they can't do it, by coaching them to identify and develop the skills they already have to become master communicators. Our clients learn not to let fear control them, but rather how to control the fear. The process transforms people, their careers and their sense of self.

Along the way, the coaches at Ty Boyd Executive Communications & Coaching have become experts in identifying what it is that contributes to the anxiety associated with public speaking. Here is our list:

• The need to be perfect: If your benchmark is to be perfect, you'll probably fail every time. Doing your best is an attainable goal, being perfect is not. The goal of your presentation should be to connect with your audience, not the perfection of your speech. Being perfect is the number one contributor to emotionally crippling fear.

• Forgetting your speech: Your goal is to remember the key points of your presentation, not to memorize it word for word. You are the only one who knows what you are going to say and chances are the audience will not notice if you forget something. Practice. Practice in front of a mirror, practice in front of a friend, practice until you are confident that you know your material and then stop worrying about forgetting something.
• The need to be the smartest person in the room : Your goal as the presenter is to create a powerful presentation that captivates, connects and creates action with your audience. There may be people in the audience that may be more knowledgeable about the topic, but they will not have your perspective.
• Appearing nervous: You may feel your heart beating out of your chest, but if you don't tell your audience, they can't see it. Our perceptions about ourselves are not always accurate. We feel nervous, so we think we look it, but the truth is, most of us don't show our nerves. And confidence and nervousness are not mutually exclusive: you can feel nervous on the inside but still have confidence.
• Not knowing the answer to a question:You are not expected to know every answer to every question. Admitting that you don't know an answer is not a sign of failure. Practice by thinking of all the questions that you might be asked, but during your rehearsals also practice saying, "I don't know, but I will research the question and get back to you."

If you want to be the most effective communicator that you can be, you need to put your fear to work for you. A lot of energy is generated from fear and fear can actually become your ally. At Ty Boyd, we help you manage fear and turn it into your most powerful speaking tool.

The Yoga of Public Speaking

In a previous post, I wrote about what yoga and public speaking have in common. It turns out that some of my favorite public speakers are yoga instructors. The best of the best not only guide their class through a physical workout, they impart ideas and words of wisdom to their students. They are communicators in the truest sense of the word. Some use metaphors, others incorporate personal stories, some add humor and others communicate with silence - until the silence is broken with a meaningful take on life. A great yoga instructor, like a great public speaker, doesn't talk for the sake of talking, they make every word count.

When we coach our clients at Ty Boyd, we make sure they understand that speaking isn't about the speaker, it's about the audience. And when we say it's about the audience, we don't mean impressing the audience with polished communication skills, we mean providing a meaningful message that benefits the audience and inspires them to act. Effective communication is creating an experience and connecting with people. And of course, the best yoga instructors know this to be true.

In our Excellence in Speaking course we refer to filler words as non-words and blogged about their lack of effectiveness here. A compelling yoga instructor understands the importance of clear communication when giving cues on how to flow from one pose to the next. Phrases like, "now begin to," and "now go ahead and" are fillers that offer no help to yogis who are listening to their instructor for guidance and instruction. To be effective, yoga teachers concentrate on the tone and the tempo of their voice. They speak loud and clear and are aware that an energetic voice can inspire a student to release further into a pose. These same tools are what great public speakers rely on when addressing an audience.

Each instructor has a unique teaching style that draws on personal experiences and preferences and emphasizes different aspects of yoga. But there is one commonality that you will find in every great yoga instructor and that is the ability to communicate well.