Words of Wisdom
Short rants and other interesting stuff from our very own experts. Read about issues we are always banging on about to our delegates.
Knowledge is Power - Adapted Behaviours and Personal Impact
Human beings are pretty resourceful but will our various behaviours always be as useful to us?
A Conspiracy to Keep Everyone Small - Assertiveness and Personal Impact
A brilliant colleague of mine, sadly now deceased, used to say that there seemed to be a conspiracy to keep everyone small. Ray thought, as I do, that people ought to be as big as their real self wants to be.
A Shaggy Dog Story - Motivation and Team Building
It's worth finding out what really motivates us and our teams and whether the obstacles in our way are perceived or real. Do we know the reasons why we believe and behave the way we do – or is it simply the way it has always been?
Assertiveness and Personal Impact
Your personal energy speaks volumes about you before you even open your mouth. So who are you? What do people see when you walk into a room?
Assertiveness and Personal Impact - This is Who I am, This is What I do
Changing what we do can be difficult indeed; changing people's perception of what we do is a whole lot easier.
Balloons- Communication and Assertiveness
When we make a conscious decision to alter our status according to who we are interacting with, then we have an invaluable tool for effective communication and people management.
Scroll down for more Words of Wisdom from our trainers
Body Language - Cluster of Behaviours
Words only make up a small amount of the meaning of your message; non-verbal communication plays a huge role in our reading of what you are saying.
Body Language - Proxemics
What is Proxemics I hear you cry - It is the study of a set-measurable distance between people as they interact with each other
Body Language - The power of eye contact
When you are talking to people it's really important to include everyone in your eye contact...
Brainstorming - Two Heads
It's part of our practise here at Impact Factory to have two trainers in the room. Why? Because we firmly believe that two heads are better than one.
Business Networking - Business Cards are Boring
The problem with Business Cards is that they are supposed to be some sort of, "aide memoire" a means by which you remember someone, a convenient way to have a record of someone you've met with their details but business cards are boring.
Business Networking Headstuff - The Man with Albino Pig
Head stuff rarely helps, the more you put your attention on other people the less you will be gripped by unhelpful thoughts and you can network smoothly and effortlessly.
Change Management - The right road
I'm retiring next week, I've been in this department man and boy for 44 years.
Chit Chat and the environment (sounds like a good name for a 70's band) – Sales Presentation and Building Business Relationships
Sounds like a good name for a 70's band! One of the things Graham Bennett IF Senior Partner bangs on about is that the feeling of new business meetings with existing or potential clients can be strongly influenced by the environment in which they take place.
Coaching - What We're Not
Discover what Coaching is really all about. We are not... the answer, but we will listen, steer and offer up ways to make life at work a little easier!
Conflict Management and Change Management - The Dog
When it comes to managing conflict, the idea of the Third Element is something that's been on my mind for many years. It's about looking for a third thing that connects two opposite parties.
Creating the Impact You Choose - Personal Impact
There's no right or wrong in communication... just 'cause and effect'. The skill is in consciously creating that 'cause' to achieve the impact you choose.
Customer Service Complaint
How can you distance yourself personally from the 'attack' and hold a sense of the issue or challenge sitting between you both?
Damned if I do, damned if I dont - Assertiveness and Conflict Management
A recent story of Assertiveness in South Africa
Follow my Leader - Leadership
If we have make an active choice to lead or follow, then we are leading because we can choose to dominate or choose to empower.
Great Presentation Skills
The world's most fascinating thinkers and doers - where to watch the most inspiring presentations on the web
Guinea Pigs and Eagles - Presentation Skills and Interview Skills
It's easy to feel like a guinea pig when what we seem to be facing is a bunch of hungry eagles. It looks like lunchtime and we are the hors d'oeuvres.
Influencing Skills - The Acronym
There's a model for influencing others based on work by Robert Cialdini, an Italian expert on such things.
Influencing Skills and Business and Networking - All of a Twitter
The idea of modelling excellence already exists in many fora, the idea being that you break down the thinking into little bits.
Leadership?
Ask yourself these five simple questions
Most People Hate Official Reports - Effective Report Writing and Creative Business Writing
Whether you have to write them or read them - most people would prefer not to. Own up!
On being right - Train The Trainer
I am right about stuff. It's true, there are some things which I just know about, have experience of and understand, alright?
Presentation Skills - Making effective Presentations
Read more to find out about the three key steps to making effective presentations.
Presentation Skills - The Power of Eye Contact
There's an exercise we do which helps to demonstrate the power the listener has in any face to face conversation.
Sales Training and Personal Branding - What It Says On The Can
When I sold my last house it went pretty quickly. Actually it went within half an hour.
Team Work and the Individual - Team Building
The phrase "there is no 'I' in teamwork" plays to the worst sort of idea that everybody is going to pull together and a collective effort will win through.
To blag or not to blag - Sales Presentation and Building Business Relationships
Another thing I bang on about is that I think it best never to "blag" in a professional setting – particularly in a presentation, or a meeting – because you'll always be found out.
Writing and Presenting to Influence - Creative Business Writing and Presentation Skills
Creative Business Writing and Compelling Presentations - I wonder what our communications would be like if we always held their purpose to the fore?
