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The Communication Guys Podcast: Communication Excellence | Professional and Personal Success

Your ultimate level of success depends on your ability to express yourself in a creative, confident, and compelling way. Whether you speak, teach, or write, the same underlying principles of communication will guarantee excellence in whatever you do. The Communication Guys podcast teaches those timeless, universal principles and applies them to all forms of communication: spoken and written, personal and public, platform and small group. Tim Downs is a professional speaker, communication trainer, novelist, and cartoonist whose work has appeared in newspapers from the New York Post to the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Tom Barrett is an internationally recognized expert in the psychology of success who specializes in teaching communication skills, emotional intelligence, and business development to entrepreneurs and business leaders.
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The Communication Guys Podcast: Communication Excellence | Professional and Personal Success
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Now displaying: 2018
Jul 9, 2018

Do you know what to do to connect with an audience in a powerful and compelling way? Do you know the five things that a communicator should NEVER do? In today’s Communication Guys podcast the Guys describe 5 common and seemingly innocent mistakes communicators make that can sabotage your ability to connect with a listener.

Jul 2, 2018

A powerful quotation has the power to lift your spirits, give you new insight, and even change your whole outlook on life. It’s like a “thought bomb” that goes off inside your head and sends shock waves throughout your mind and heart. In Episode 95 of The Communication Guys podcast The Guys present some of their favorite quotations to set off some mental fireworks and get you thinking about what it really means to “connect with your world.”

Jun 25, 2018

What does Manhattan divorce attorney James Sexton mean when he advises clients to “Make the holes you dig shallow?” What does he mean when he says, “You can be right, or you can be happy?” And why does he tell people, “If I were designing an infidelity-generating machine, it would be Facebook?” Episode 94 of The Communication Guys podcast is “A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together,” the second- of a fascinating two-part interview with bestselling author James Sexton about his new book, “If You’re In My Office, It’s Already Too Late.”

Jun 18, 2018

James Sexton is a high-powered Manhattan divorce attorney who has facilitated the demise of more than a thousand marriages. Over the years he has cataloged the problems that most commonly drive couples apart—and he can tell you how to keep them from happening to you. Episode 93 of The Communication Guys podcast is “A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together,” where the Guys interview bestselling author James Sexton about his new book, “If You’re In My Office, It’s Already Too Late.”

Jun 11, 2018

Do you ever get the feeling that people are ignoring you? Does it seem like people often “talk over” you in conversations? Do you find yourself wondering if your listeners are really paying attention? They may not be ignoring you; they might not be able to hear you. Episode 92 of The Communication Guys podcast is “Why Can't People Hear Me?,” where The Guys respond to a listener’s question by describing six common voice problems that can hinder your ability to connect with your world.

Jun 4, 2018

A busy executive doesn’t have the time or patience to endure reports that are vague, disorganized, or irrelevant to her needs. If you report to an executive, your job may depend on your ability to deliver the information she wants exactly the way she wants it. Episode 91 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Brief an Executive,” where the Guys describe what busy executives need most and explain how to make sure your next report is exactly what the boss desires.

May 28, 2018

How do you bring up a problem at work or a concern at home without sounding like you’re just complaining? And when the problem has to be brought up more than once, how can you avoid being labeled as a “whiner?” Episode 90 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Complain Without Whining,” where the Guys give five practical tips for voicing those concerns in a positive and constructive way.

May 21, 2018

Did you hear about the woman who visited a marina intending to buy a pontoon boat, but left with a yacht instead? We heard the story from Steve Hedrick—the man who sold it to her. Episode 89 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Discover What your Customer Really Wants,” where master salesman Steve Hedrick explains how to find out what your customer really desires without sounding pushy, prying, or manipulative.

May 14, 2018

We live in a time where celebrities and public figures seem to offer public apologies on a weekly basis—and sometimes those apologies sound less-than-convincing. What makes a good apology? It’s a crucial question for both businesses and relationships alike. Episode 88 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Apologize,” where the Guys describe the five crucial elements of every thorough, genuine, and satisfying apology.

May 7, 2018

Are meetings the bane of your business? Do poorly-planned conference room gatherings steal your time and challenge the limits of your endurance? What can you do to get more from a meeting when you’re not the one who’s running it? Episode 87 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Keep Meetings from Wasting your Time,” where the Guys describe specific things you can do before, during, and after a meeting to make it more productive.

Apr 30, 2018

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of an argument and wonder how it could have been avoided? Do your casual conversations have a habit of escalating into heated debates? Episode 86 of The Communication Guys podcast is “10 Ways to Not Start an Argument,” where the Guys give ten practical tips to help you bite your tongue, avoid the fray, and make sure that friendly conversation remains on friendly terms.

Apr 23, 2018

Why is the world so polarized today? Why does it seem harder to connect with your world than ever before? How did we get that way, and what can we do about it? Today’s Communication Guys podcast is “Try to See it My Way,” where the Guys interview communication scholar Dr. Tim Muehlhoff about a critical first-step in connecting with others: trying to see the world through their eyes.

Apr 16, 2018

How do you offer badly-needed criticism to a co-worker who might not take it well? It’s for his own good, it’s for the company, it’s for the team—but how are you supposed to make your suggestion without setting off a nuclear counterattack? Episode 84 of The Communication Guys podcast is “This is For Your Own Good,” where the Guys suggest five techniques for offering criticism in a way that gets your point across but also keeps the peace.

Apr 9, 2018

Think your product or company could use a little more sizzle? Meet Hollywood editor Marc Elmer, who helped turn the topic of alligator trappers in the Louisiana bayou into the internationally successful TV show “Swamp People.” Episode 83 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Make a Boring Topic Fascinating,” where Marc explains to the Guys the techniques that Hollywood professionals use to develop a rabid fan base for even the most unexpected topics.

Apr 2, 2018

Learning to connect with your world is a serious business—but there’s a lighter side to it too. Episode 82 of The Communication Guys podcast is “The April Fools Episode,” where the Guys lean back, share some laughs, and recall stories from their 35 years of professional speaking experience when things didn’t go quite the way they planned.

Mar 26, 2018

When most people think of Sales, they focus on the sales presentation itself. But the success of your presentation just might depend on what you do before and after the sale. Episode 81 of The Communication Guys podcast is “Before and After the Sale,” where master salesman Doug Traxler explains to the Guys the often overlooked parts of the sales process that every salesperson needs to remember.

Mar 19, 2018

This week marks the first day of Spring in the northern hemisphere, a time to clean out those dust bunnies and cobwebs that have accumulated over the winter. It’s a good time to clean out some bad communication habits too. Episode 80 of The Communication Guys podcast is “Spring Cleaning for Communicators,” where the Guys describe five ways to eliminate those old bad habits and identify your most promising areas for growth and improvement.

Mar 12, 2018

Sometimes our desire to tell a great story tempts us to embellish it a little—or as the Irish would say, to allow a “wee bit o’ blarney” to creep in. But if those embellishments turn out to be untrue, your credibility suffers. Episode 79 of The Communication Guys podcast is “How to Keep Blarney Out of Your Communication,” where the Guys describe five ways to remain ethical and compelling at the same time.

Mar 5, 2018

Every chef knows that it helps to have all the ingredients at hand before you start a creative new recipe, and preparing a great presentation is no different. Episode 78 is “Recipe for a Great Presentation,” where the Guys describe eight essential ingredients to make sure you gather before you write that next presentation.

Feb 26, 2018

What can you do when a conversation starts to turn angry or offensive? Today’s Communication Guys podcast is Part 2 of “Crucial Conversations,” where the Guys continue their interview with master trainer Justin Hale from VitalSmarts. In this episode, Justin gives 4 questions to ask yourself that can turn the tide whenever a conversation begins to go bad.

Feb 19, 2018

Have you ever had a discussion where the stakes were high, opinions varied, and emotions were running strong? In today’s Communication Guys podcast the Guys interview master trainer Justin Hale from VitalSmarts, the organization responsible for the best-selling book, “Crucial Conversations.” In this two-part interview, Justin explains how you can have a productive discussion even when passions are high.

Feb 12, 2018

Who is the most fascinating person you ever met? The world is filled with interesting people with fascinating stories to tell, if we would only take the time to ask and listen. Episode 75 of The Communication Guys podcast is “Everybody Has a Story,” where the Guys give 5 tips for expanding your world by becoming a master story listener.

Feb 5, 2018

Would you rather take a stand or take a seat? Your answer to that question reveals a lot about you as a communicator. Episode 74 of The Communication Guys podcast is “Take a Stand or Take a Seat,” where the Guys compare two fundamentally different approaches to communication—and strongly recommend the one our world needs most.

Jan 29, 2018

Where were you on 9/11? Colonel Mark Bontrager was in the Pentagon. The next day, his job was to coordinate the different armed services as they began planning the global war on terror. Episode 73 of The Communication Guys podcast is Part 2 of “High-Risk Communication,” where Mark explains how to communicate effectively when the pressure is on.

Jan 22, 2018

How would you communicate if the safety of your entire nation depended on it? It’s not a theoretical question. Meet Mark Bontrager, whose job as a young Air Force lieutenant was to monitor every missile launched anywhere on Earth. Episode 72 of The Communication Guys interview is “High-Risk Communication,” where the Guys explore how to communicate when everything depends on it.

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