http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog en mike@mikeconsol.com Copyright 2012 Mike Consol 2012-02-01T19:26:31+00:00
http://www.mikeconsol.com/img/logo_mc_hdr.gif http://www.mikeconsol.com/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/to-write-a-general-or-microcosm-profile-that-is-the-question/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/to-write-a-general-or-microcosm-profile-that-is-the-question/#When:19:26:31Z Last week we discussed “The 3 keys to writing 3-dimensional profiles” as a means to producing fully-developed characters in our writing.  There’s another choice that needs to be made when writing profiles: Are we better served by writing the “general profile” or the “microcosm profile?” Let’s understand the basic differences by taking a look at examples of both… Interviewing, Writing 2012-02-01T19:26:31+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/the-3-keys-to-writing-3-dimensional-profiles/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/the-3-keys-to-writing-3-dimensional-profiles/#When:17:08:20Z One of the chief criticisms of badly written novels and newspaper profiles is poor character development. Undeveloped characters are one-dimensional and lie flat on the page. Well-developed characters are rendered in three dimensions and leap off the page fully formed. But how do we create 3-D characters that really work? There is a formula. Here it is… Blogging, Interviewing, Writing 2012-01-27T17:08:20+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/5-actions-that-will-give-you-a-commanding-stage-presence/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/5-actions-that-will-give-you-a-commanding-stage-presence/#When:23:37:39Z Business people often talk about the value of bringing a commanding presence into the room or onto the stage. Some people have been given special genetic advantages in this area, having been blessed with a dashing physique, or a voice as rich and deep as Hollywood actor Sam Elliott. That doesn’t mean the rest of us are out of luck. There are things we have control over that can make us more commanding figures in the boardroom and on the dais. They include… Presentations, Verbal communication 2012-01-24T23:37:39+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/presenting-with-credibility-and-assertion-rather-than-explanation/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/presenting-with-credibility-and-assertion-rather-than-explanation/#When:22:44:49Z For presentation coaches, the conversational dynamics of persuasion and salesmanship teach powerful lessons. I was reminded of that recently by a close friend who works for one of nation’s fastest growing wealth-management firms. She compared the sales styles of the two partners who manage the office that employs her. One basically TELLS his clients what to do. The other EXPLAINS what they should do. Guess which partner is more successful? Click on the above headline and find out who and why… 2012-01-22T22:44:49+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/the-sentences-two-positions-of-power/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/the-sentences-two-positions-of-power/#When:04:26:34Z Thoughtful writers understand that the sentence offers us two primary positions of power. This statement puts me at odds with many writing coaches who preach that sentences should start with the SUBJECT or MAIN POINT. In other words, they consider the start of the sentence the true position of power. I say that’s great advice for the beginning writer. But for those who have advanced beyond the nascent stage of the craft, we need to broaden our horizons and add more options and versatility. Otherwise, a person’s writing could take on a sameness that diminishes his or her potential. Now, about those two positions of power… Writing 2012-01-19T04:26:34+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/10-simple-structures-for-your-presentation/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/10-simple-structures-for-your-presentation/#When:22:22:11Z Last week I wrote about the importance of using a simple presentation structure. I ended that article by pointing out that the remaining question was this: What are some of the simple structures or blueprints we can follow when drafting our presentation? As promised, this week’s blog post tackles that question. There are many simple presentation structures we can employ in putting together a presentation that will serve us and our audiences well. Here is a score of those structural options… Marketing, Presentations, Verbal communication, Writing 2012-01-16T22:22:11+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/six-unforgettable-words-from-ernest-hemingway/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/six-unforgettable-words-from-ernest-hemingway/#When:18:03:36Z Economical and spare writing is a skill Ernest Hemingway made famous. He taught us two valuable lessons when he wrote a famous six-word story. It’s one of the shortest and most poignant stories ever told – and contained within those six words are two important lessons for every writer. Lesson one is… Writing 2012-01-13T18:03:36+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/the-importance-of-using-a-simple-presentation-structure/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/the-importance-of-using-a-simple-presentation-structure/#When:16:30:20Z To our adulation and trepidation, we’ve been invited to a prestigious event to make a presentation about our area of expertise. Naturally, we accept the invitation and are immediately gripped by that most basic professional desire – to impress others with the breadth and depth of our knowledge. How best to accomplish this? Like many inexperienced or untrained public speakers, we determine we must shower our audience with a mother lode of data to illustrate how vast our reservoir of knowledge. Now we’re in trouble, and so is our audience. The winning formula is to change course and decide instead to present a narrowly focused package of information that shows a tightly-knit relationship between the various concepts and assertions being presented. Here is how that is accomplished… Marketing, Presentations, Verbal communication 2012-01-09T16:30:20+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/stephen-king-and-getting-reckless-with-the-written-word/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/stephen-king-and-getting-reckless-with-the-written-word/#When:17:21:42Z The most oppressive fact of life is that we must proceed with caution. To misbehave or conduct oneself recklessly is to put one’s career, relationships, even one’s life in peril. Then there is the written word, the one place we can misbehave or be outright reckless with absolute impunity (provided it’s NOT our final draft). Alas, most of us never do. Instead, we proceed with caution, which is why writing so often lacks the excitement and creativity we aspire to. It’s why Stephen King is quoted as saying… Writing 2012-01-05T17:21:42+00:00 http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/communication-breakdown-the-10-worst-talkers-of-2011/ http://www.mikeconsol.com/index.php/blog/communication-breakdown-the-10-worst-talkers-of-2011/#When:16:52:37Z We all misspeak on occasion. Then there are those among us who misspeak as a matter of policy or habit. Others misspeak rarely but in such big ways they warrant a lot of attention. The year 2011 had more than its share of public speaking (and not-so-public-speaking) gone awry. Some individuals stood out in bigger ways than others. For this year-ending blog post we take a look at the 10 people whose verbal transgressions were especially repugnant…  Presentations, Verbal communication 2011-12-27T16:52:37+00:00