In a recent nationally televised debate, a participant had what I call brain freeze. Unfortunately, this has damaged his credibility.

Many folks have commented that this is something that happens to everyone and I agree. It has happened to me and many seasoned speakers. When it happens, the key to limiting the damage is moving through it quickly.
 
However, when on big stage, one cannot afford to have brain freeze. Here are some key things you must to do to prevent it:

1. Prepare by reviewing key talking points at least three times.
2. Have note cards with the text written in 16 point font. Highlight critical words in yellow.
3. Repeat the question and then number the points (to give you time to remember the answer).
4. When faced with a potential brain freeze moment, breathe deep and relax. Do this and the moment will pass.

Practice these points and you will not have to worry about brain freeze, just your speech!

In less than two months 2011 will be ending. So, hpw can you end this year with a bang? Look at your list of resolutions that you wanted to accomplish in 2011. Pick one that will provide the most impact and generate feelings of accomplishment. Begin today by setting up a plan. Each week devote attention to this task. Here are some tips to keep you on track:

* Set up a chart you where you can check progress, if not daily, at least weekly.
* Allow 30 minutes a day to review the status of the goal.
* Share your task with a friend who can keep you on track to accomplish your plan.

Accomplishing one item that you started working on at the beginning of the year will help you end 2011 with a bang.

We can learn so much by watching politicians in the news on what not to do. A classic example in the last few days has been a certain controversy pertaining to a candidate running for president who is ignoring and/or denying his alleged actions regarding a very sensitive issue. The issue is not going away. In fact, it is becoming a daily topic of which is lowering his respect capital. So, learn from this example on what not to do.

Take these three actions and you will be able perform effective damage control.

• Address the issue immediately.
• Craft a statement with input from close advisors.
• Always be consistent with the statement.

If you use these three basic guidelines (and remain calm when dealing with highly sensitive issues), you will be able quiet the surrounding noise.

An October 13th article in the New York Times talks about a recent study where women were shown wearing different amounts of makeup. This study was paid for by Procter & Gamble and Boston University. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was responsible for the design and execution of the study. The results were that respondents considered the women wearing more makeup to be more competent.

Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Make-up, believes make-up helps build confidence. She feels the right color will create the perfect effect both professionally and personally. However too much make-up, especially in the wrong colors, will do the opposite. I recommend for those who do not like make-up to use the Bobbi Brown method. This means to wear at least a touch of blush and lipstick.

In the chaotic world of both our business and professional lives, it is important to have positive self-thoughts. Like most highly motivated and driven people we tend to be more self-critical rather than self-empathetic. As a good friend and highly respected psychologist suggested, when damaging toxic thoughts begin be kind to yourself and think of something that makes you feel good. It will help you feel better and allow greater enjoyment of life. In the long run positive self-talk will definitely help us be more effective.

Speaker phones are wonderful because you can have more than one person on a call. 

However, we all know that most folks use the speaker phone when speaking on a cell phone because the reception is sometimes dicey. 

It is acceptable to use the speaker phone when you are in secluded spot and no one else is around. It is not acceptable to use the speaker phone when you are having a private conversation with others around you and certainly not in a meeting with others unless they are a part of the conversation.

So, remember the purpose of speaker phone is being able to have more than two people involved in the conversation. Remember this rule and you will always be socially correct.

Facebook and Twitter are social media vehicles designed to help us communicate with others. They allow us to easily share information. However, what is posted is never lost plus it can have a tremendous reach to even millions of people.
 
So are these tools our friends or enemies? 

For example, take a recent court ruling reported in the Chicago Tribune by Ameet Sachev on October 1st “Judge backs car dealer that fired employee over Facebook post.”
 
For another example, see the Tribune story on October 9th which discussed that as many recruiters rely on Social Media tools  as they do “word of mouth” in candidate searches. 

Social Media can be a wonderful tool to promote yourself and your brand but it is definitely a balancing act. 

So be sure Social Media promotes your brand and rather than tarnishing it.

Dresses are becoming very popular for women today because they are one piece. So, the question becomes is a dress appropriate in the C-Suite? Jan Fields, the president of McDonald’s, wore a simple navy dress with cap sleeves for her interview on CNN.
The dress was fine for the interview because the segment was targeted to healthy eating and the audience consisted of folks interested in the healthy aspects of food.  A dress can be acceptable in other professional settings. However, you want to be careful if you are hoping to be in the C-Suite.

Elements of a C-Suite dress:
• Classic style
• Solid colors  and the darker shades carry much more authority
• Always wear with sleeves – never sleeveless unless it is a business social function
• A companion jacket with the dress (you can always put it on or take it off)
• Skirt length above the knee

Keep these critical elements in mind when choosing a dress and you will be style elegant and C-Suite ready.

In today’s work environment most of us are working longer hours and spending a great deal of time at our desks. It would be great if each of us had our own office. However, in most cases we have a desk next to someone else or are separated by just a thin wall.

To insure you are the person folks will sit next to please follow these simple rules:

Don’t

Eat food that emits odors which will permeate throughout the floor (That means no hot dogs, pizza or Chinese food to name a few.).
Floss your teeth at our desk (The bathroom is perfect for this exercise.).
Talk or laugh loudly so the whole office can hear you.
Make personal calls at your desk where others can eavesdrop.

Follow these simple guidelines and you will be considered a model citizen at your office.

Paralanguage refers to non-verbal aspects of speech– specifically, tempo, intensity and pitch—because those characteristics dominate speaking performances.  A recent article in the Chicago Tribune talked about the presidential candidates and how their body language spoke volumes. Cited in the article were sociologists William Kalkhoff and Stan Gregory of Kent State University in Ohio who are studying paralanguage.
 
Our audiences, whether in front of a crowd or in an interview, remember us not only by what we say but how we say it.  As Kalkhoff said in the article, “There is a lot going on in these debates that’s occurring on a non-conscious level. The negotiation of power of and status in the “paraverbal” range is just a part of it.”

So, remember, your body language speaks louder than your words!