Communication and Beyond

Communication

Archana Parmar

How to say ‘No’ when you don’t want to say ‘Yes’

Assertiveness is an excellent leadership characteristic. In order to efficiently manage people and run a firm, business executives must be forthright, straightforward, and able to distribute duties. The capacity to be forceful in your professional life might put you on the fast road to a leadership position. What is Assertive communication? When you boldly convey your demands and opinions in a fair, honest, and calm manner while taking into account the needs and perspectives of others, you are engaging in assertive communication. It is critical for anyone’s career to learn how to be assertive at work. Assertiveness aids in earning the respect of your peers and ensuring that your viewpoint is heard. It’s a vital stress-relieving technique because it helps you to: Take action to protect yourself. Feel free to say “no” without feeling guilty. Make your wants, needs, and opinions known. Practicing self-control is essential. Assess the circumstances and be assertive only when it is appropriate. Why to be assertive? Some people are born with the ability to assert themselves, while others do not. However, if you work on it, you can develop assertiveness. Assertiveness lies somewhere between passive and aggressive. You might come across as submissive if you don’t speak up when you have anything to say. And if you’re adamant about your point of view, you might come out as unfriendly or, worse, a dictator. You can express yourself without being passive or confrontational if you learn to be assertive, and you’ll have a better chance of receiving what you want. When you’re assertive, you balance your wants and needs with the rights and needs of others. How to be Assertive? Use “I” statements. Make it a habit to use phrases like “I believe…” or “I feel…” Never use abrasive words or phrases such as “You never…” or “You always…” Your audience is irritated by these statements, and communication is halted as a result. You can be confident and assertive without alienating or excluding others by using “I” expressions. Learn to say “no.”  People are sometimes hesitant to say “no” to others in order to please them, even if saying “yes” causes them inconvenience. Helping others helps individuals feel good, whether it’s taking on a colleague’s extra work or watching a friend’s pet. However, you must know when your life must take precedence over assisting someone. Simply say no if you already have a lot on your plate and are unable to take on more at this time. It’s a liberating sensation, and you may offer assistance when it’s convenient for you. Tips on assertive communication: Make sure you express your feelings to the other person. Listen respectfully and empathize with the other person. Respectfully receive both positive and negative feedback. Speak at a volume and pace that is appropriate for a typical conversation. Make a firm but not harsh tone. Maintain eye contact with the other person. Use “I” statements to make your points clear, such as “I want.” Exaggerated words like “always” and “never” should be avoided. Instead of saying, “You always give me your work,” say, “This is the third time this week you’ve delegated your work to me.” Instead of saying “You’ve done a bad job again,” say “This report has information about Xyz missing.” Be comfortable in saying ‘no’ to others, that’s how you say ‘yes’ to yourself. I’ve got your back.  Write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com Order your copy of my book ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’ – kindle or paperback

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Archana Parmar

How to learn business writing? Keep it simple!

Clarity, simplicity, and good approaches are more important in business writing than fancy or long phrases. Tell me what you want me to know or accomplish in a concise manner—and make it appealing to the eye! It is as simple as that. When you utilize Plain English strategies, especially those that focus on the audience: use everyday English whenever feasible, your reader will understand your message clearly. Use simple sentence structures—two lines should plenty. Use headings and lists to draw the reader’s attention and guide them through the text. The source document Use tables—a picture is worth a thousand words. If required, define technical terms. Use the active voice—rather than saying, “It was done by us,” say, “We did it.” Use direct speech—rather than saying, “The organisation shall,” say, “We will.” Use a lot of white space in your document—the document’s body language. Are short and sweet Are upbeat—’when you send us the paperwork, we’ll…’ not ‘we are unable to’ Until you return the form, I’ll be able to assist you. How to check of you are using simple structure? Read something aloud, and then ask yourself this question: “If the person was sitting opposite me, would I say this to them?” If the answer is “No”—then don’t write it! What causes all the confusion in writing efficiently at work? During our formal study, we have been taught specific types of writing which are not the best ways of writing business letters, memos, reports or even emails. Remember, you were always asked to elaborate/explain/describe the topic/picture in 200/300/500/1000 words. Let’s look at the four broad types of writing and each of them requires different skills from us:  Academic: to demonstrate knowledge, skills in analysis and reasoning Evidentiary: to tell the exact story as I experienced it—what I saw, heard, smelled Literary: Shakespeare, Milton, Dan Brown, Bryce Courtney, Tara Moss Workplace: to get things done You learn to use the first three all these years and when you move to corporate world, you are expected to use the fourth one. Resulting, during your appraisals you were told to work on your communication skills. Workplace Writing requires different techniques… You don’t believe me? Read further. The given two images will explain the difference between the academic writing and business writing- So you see, what you do in your academic writing, is no more relevant in your business writing. The workplace writing requires you to reverse the triangle. Therefore, in order to turn your written communication into a fluent, effective and satisfying process. You need to understand how to: Reverse the triangle Brainstorm all the ideas that you want to communicate Structure your thoughts in a logical manner Be clear about what you want your reader to know or do (clear call to action). Write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com to know more how you can master your business writing. or Schedule your discover call with me.

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Archana Parmar

How to structure your business emails?

What are some ways that compelling emails can help you to be more productive?  Simple: choosing the correct words to communicate will persuade people to respond to your emails. You will obtain the result you’re looking for more accurately and faster, and you’ll save a great deal of time. If you want to improve your business emails and make your business writing more impactful, you’ve come to the right place.  What you write and how you write will have an impact on how people see you & your firm, whether you’re communicating with business clients or coworkers, managers or subordinates. Not only that, but your writing could mean the difference between a stalled project and a completed one. Always ensure that your email has a clear and logical structure, regardless of the topic, purpose, or receiver.  Include all of the following components in your business emails for optimum effectiveness:  introduction + details + action + closing. INTRODUCTION  Begin by addressing the receiver as “Dear Name.”  The most prevalent ones in today’s corporate sector, from more formal to less formal, are “Hello Name” or “Hi Name.” Introduce yourself by email. Begin with a cheerful and friendly tone, including some basic background information, the main reason for your letter (explain them what’s going on right away), and a brief summary of the following steps. Example: Hello Lata Michael has asked me to send you an email to confirm that I will be able to come to  New Delhi in September to conduct a product training course with your IT staff.  I’m available any time throughout the first two weeks of the month. DETAILS Do they require any other information or background? If that’s the case, you’ll want to mention it in this section. Short paragraphs should be used to break up your email (no longer than 4 or 5 lines each).  Bullet points assist in organising your thoughts, also the material will appear clearer to the reader, be more visually appealing, & be easier to scan. Here’s a rough estimate of the costs: • Fee for a trainer: INR 9000 per day (this will probably be a two-day course) • The cost of a flight is roughly INR 4000. • The cost of a night’s stay is approximately INR 3000. ACTION What’s the next logical step?  Tell them exactly what they need to accomplish (agree on meeting schedule, approve the budget, or proofread a document, for example).  Let them know if they don’t need to do anything after receiving your email. Kindly let us know whether you can manage these fees.  I’ll arrange flights and make hotel reservations once I receive your confirmation.  We can save costs if we book weeks in advance. CLOSING Always (always) say thank you if they have to do something.  Before signing, you can say “Have a wonderful day” or “All the best.” Thank you for your support, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns concerning this training course. Have a wonderful day, Archana Note: You want people to read and act on your emails. Ready? Let’s get the ball rolling!

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Archana Parmar

Speaking is controlled breathing. Did you know?

Breathe in- Breathe out Rather I should be saying stomach in- stomach out. That’s how we were designed to breathe by default. The rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall, scientists have discovered for the first time. These effects on behavior depend critically on whether you inhale or exhale and whether you breathe through the nose or mouth.—study results (Northwestern University). Why am I talking about respiratory system today? Well, we all have seen, heard, experienced the benefits of deep-breathing ever since this pandemic happened. It might seem a common thing to discuss. But today, I am discussing this with reference to leadership communication. Yes, you read it right. Breathe Well You’ve been breathing since birth; it’s just that a majority of us breathe from lungs, including me, till a few years ago when I came to know of lungs’s functioning. The only thing that stuck with me – lungs- the main respiratory organs, I forgot the diaphragm’s contribution. The diaphragm is a thin skeletal muscle that sits at the base of the chest and separates the abdomen from the chest. It contracts and flattens when you inhale. This creates a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the air is pushed out of lungs. –www.healthline.com My involvement with communication studies got me notice the role our posture, voice, and breath plays to make it effective. While working with my clients, I realized most people are completely unaware of what they’re doing with their breathing system, again because, they never cared just as we don’t pay attention to our feet while walking, or our teeth while chewing or even our heart while it is pumping. Breathing is so much more than just an auto programmed feature of our bodies. So if you want to sound inspired and inspiring, read on, and be ready to boost your influence. Speaking is controlled breathing Every time you speak your exhale. Hold your hand next to your mouth and speak- did you feel the warmth of your breath? Now, try to speak something as you inhale from your nostrils- see! Breathing well is the first step of speaking well. It means you need enough air in your lungs to breathe out words and sentences. This means that you need to breathe in adequately before you speak. It also helps you in producing a good and confident voice- we will be talking more on voice quality later. Check your breathing There is a very simple way to check your breathing pattern for yourself. Stand straight, place one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Watch yourself in the mirror. Breathe naturally and calmly, and notice which part of your body moves the most. If you breathe well you should find that most of the movement is in your belly. As you breathe in, your belly should expand outwards. Stomach out As you breathe out, your belly should retract. Stomach in That’s how the babies breathe. If you find a great deal of movement in your chest rather than your belly, or if your shoulders rise and fall as you breathe, this means you are not breathing effectively and indirectly it is preventing you from using your voice properly. How to breathe? Lie down on your back, knees bent up. Place one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Breathe out all the air from your lungs and close your mouth. Do not breathe in again until your body tells you to. Feel the vaccum. Now, let your body to breathe in for you, it will happen automatically. With this breath, you should start to feel your belly rising up and you may find that the breath you take is somewhat deeper. Breathe it all out again immediately and notice how your belly drops back to its original position. Wait for the next in-breath. Practise technique for about 10 minutes, and observe the sense of release and freedom in your belly as you breathe. You should start to feel calmer and more relaxed. Gradually you will practice this breathing pattern when you are sitting, then standing and then 24*7. Belly-breathing or diaphragmatic breathing gives you a skill, essential for successful and authoritative speaking. Breathe in- Breathe out Stomach in- stomach out Did you get your copy of my book- ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’? Available versions- kindle and paperback.

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Archana Parmar

3-step formula to become an effective communicator

If you’re like most people who lack confidence to communicate, or the ones who don’t find suitable words to express themselves, then you’re always looking for a better way to conduct yourself. But it seems like a never ending practice. Good news: now you too can gain the confidence to communicate effectively by following a 3- step proven method below.  These steps include: Step 1: Build your vocabulary – you need not learn the whole dictionary by heart, instead focus on topic specific vocabulary. Step 2: Polish your oral communication- identify the fears that stop you from performing well. Deal with them one by one. Step 3: Business Writing- what are the written tasks that you are supposed to perform on a daily basis?  Let’s take a look at each of these steps in a little more detail… Step 1: Build your vocabularyThis first step is pretty simple. What you need to do is identify your routine job and make a list of tasks that you perform on a daily basis. For example, follow-up with your sales team. Now a lot of people tend to end up confused as to how to remember all the word. Usually you can avoid that by switching the most frequently words by their synonyms. For example, use essential instead of important. Once you’ve completed this first step, then move onto the next step… Step 2: Polish your oral communicationFor this step you’ll need to make a list of the activities that requires you to speak- presentations? daily meetings?   .  What you’ll do is structure your talks before hand by adding an introduction, body, supporting statement or example, and conclusion. Let me share with you three tips for making this step go more smoothly… Tip 1: [Introduction]. [Tell them what you are going to tell them] Tip 2: [Deliver]. [Tell them what you have to tell them along with some examples/anecdotes] Tip 3: [Conclusion]. [Tell them what you just told them by summarizing it] Once you’ve completed this step, then move onto the next one…Step 3: Business WritingFor this step, you need to identify different tasks that you are required to write. See if there is any pattern in them? Can these be templatized? One word of warning: people prefer a cut/copy paste approach for these things, remember- customization is the key in making an impact. ConclusionSo there you have it – a quick and easy 3-step process for becoming an effective communicator.  Let’s recap the steps: Step 1: Build your vocabulary – you need not learn the whole dictionary by heart, instead focus on topic specific vocabulary.  Step 2: Polish your oral communication- identify the fears that stop you from performing well. Deal with them one by one.  Step 3: Business Writing- what are the written tasks that you are supposed to perform on a daily basis? ​​Now there’s just one thing left for you to do – take action!  So go ahead and give yourself the permission to be a better communicator. And do it today, because the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll reach your destination.​ I’ve got your back.  Write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com Order your copy of my book ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’ – kindle or paperback

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Archana Parmar

How to Explain Facts Without Data Dumping

 How to explain facts without Data Dumping You have spent sleepless nights and prepared your speech and presentation, next day very excitedly you deliver it, and instead of applause, you receive a tiring or questioning glare from the audience. This was a data-dump talk. Data dump has many formats, sometimes in a collection of slides and sometimes in just one. I have never seen an info dump that improved a speech; instead, it thwarts the conversation; instead, it introduces a topic in a shallow manner that the audience will be clueless about the work’s conceptual concerns. The worst kind of data dump is when you provide a quantity of data that can’t be absorbed in a short time. Yes, information is essential but knowing how much to provide is the skill you must learn. Ditch the habit of bombarding with stats and figures without adequately explaining it to educate, inspire and connect with your audience. Remember, you are the performer, not your data. The Art and Science of telling your data The human brain has its way of functioning. The left and right halves of the brain home different kinds of reasoning, according to scientists. The left side associates with structure, sequence, form, and order and operates linearly. The right side is responsible for creativity and surrounds concepts and connections that cannot be defined logically. Often people present the facts and data applying the left-brain approach when needed is a right-brain process. Most presenters bring logic, structure, and form when the right brain yet rebounds around the right brain. Why?  Business people are result oriented instead of process-oriented unless it is about long-time strategy making, product designing, and problem-solving. For a process like a presentation, you have to reduce the time frame and deliver the message. Let your right brain complete the conscious cycle’s operation first, and then use your left brain’s structure. Focus, prepare, and then let the information flow. The entire thing is about timing and how to be creative and logical at the same time. A presentation or a speech starts with the creative process. Remember, people who reject data absorb information. How you do it is the skill that can set you apart from your competition. How to explain your data? Without proper understanding or analysis of your data, you will end up trash dumping. So, what you can do is find the nuggets and profit from them. For instance, suppose you have to give a presentation about a product, instead of listing the features, tell a story. Find a customer usage case and discuss that: How the product changed the customer’s life for the better? Ipod was introduced as your travelling companion with 1000 songs in your pocket so you need not bother about forgetting your favourite CD or Cassette (oh yes, these things existed). Steve Jobs didn’t do the data-dumping. Or create a story with the product in its climax. Or discuss the customer’s personality who may buy and use the product.  Or talk about how the product will change the audience’s life. Form the story structure, talk about the trouble and the solution.  People can relate and help them understand better. Engage your audience; that’s the purpose. That’s the way it has to be done. Tell stories to create a difference between forgettable boring speeches and conversations that people remember. Just the way Steve Jobs first showed the world the iPhone. Winding Up Address information as a raw ingredient that has to be processed with your creativity and produce your speech, which the audience would love to receive. When you rely more on the type of content, you take a longer time to deliver, and you make your audience see through many boring slides (which they can’t remember) and your back towards the most crucial element present there: your audience. Avoid info-dumping, or you will lose your audience and your ability to connect, inspire and convince.

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Archana Parmar

How to close your emails like a pro

 Making an impact through your written communication can be a difficult task for non-native speakers; here I am sharing sample closing lines for your formal as well as informal emails. Closing lines for (big) requests Thank you (in advance). Any help you can offer me with this would be greatly appreciated. Any feedback you can give me on this would be gratefully accepted. Any assistance you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance (in this matter). Closing lines when you need a reply I look forward to hearing from you (soon). Looking forward to hearing from you (soon). Please let me know if that’s okay/ if that is acceptable with you/ if that sounds okay/ if you can/ if you can help/ if you need an extension/ if you need to reschedule/ if… Look forward to hearing what you think/ getting your input/… We look forward to receiving your documents/ application/ permission/… Closing lines when you offer more communication/ more help (if needed) If you need any more information, please contact me. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me (at any time). If you have any questions, please let me know. (In the meantime) if you need any more information, please feel free to email me. Please let me know if there’s anything (else) that I can do to help. If anything about that isn’t clear, please drop me a line. Other closing lines to mention the next contact between you I’m looking forward to seeing you then. I look forward to meeting you then. See you on Monday/ next week/ on…/ next…/ then. Hope we have the chance to meet again soon. I look forward to doing business with you again soon. Can’t wait to see you again! Keep in touch! Write soon! Closing lines for instructions/ commands/ orders           Thank you for your cooperation. I appreciate your support/kind guidance. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Closing lines with apologies/ Closing lines when responding to complaints Hope that is okay (with you). Once again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused/ for the inconvenience caused/ for the delay/ for… Thanks for your patience./ Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding. Sorry about the complications. Sorry this is taking so long to sort out.  Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines Have a good evening/ day/ weekend/ break/… Hope you have a good vacation/ journey home/… Good luck with…. All the best with…  Useful closing greetings for emails Best regards Sincerely yours Sincerely Yours Best wishes Regards All the best Bye for now Take care Kind regards Join my 3 day email writing course for FREE here.

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Archana Parmar

Did you know avoiding eye contact kills your speech?

Body language is very important when delivering a speech. Have you ever seen our great leaders fidget or make unnecessary movements while addressing the nation? Since you are the center of attention while making the presentation, you should mind every move that you make so as not to bore or distract the people listening to your speech. So you already have a speech prepared, you know the topic well and you are now standing in front of the audience. They are in for a treat because you have prepared a great presentation, yet you also know that they have a very short attention span. How would you keep them interested with what you are saying? The answer is to maintain eye contact. This is one public speaking technique that great speakers use whenaddressing a large group of people. Here are some tips on how you can use this “trick” to keep your audience interested while delivering a speech: Once you have already started speaking and have delivered yourintroduction, take a look at your audience. Do not be nervous if you see one or two people frowning as you are not sure of exactly what they are thinking. Instead of looking out for unfriendly or blank faces, search for the people who are smiling and nodding their heads. Try to focus on this person for a couple of minutes and look him or her in the eye. This way, you would have an immediate “friend” in the audience to whom you can look at and gain confidence from. This will not just increase your confidence but also relax you in the course of your speech. Gaze steadily at your audience, moving from one part of the room toanother. This way, you would immediately grasp their attention. Never read your speech. Just make an outline of the important points that you can expand on. If you have visuals, do not read the bullet points word for word as this might imply that your audience cannot read that themselves. With this, you are instantly creating a “bond” with your audience as aspeaker since you do not have to keep on looking at your notes through the course of your speech. The key to delivering a great speech is to just breathe, relax and make eye to eye contact with your audience. Thus, you are not just making a physical connection with them but you are also ensured that you come out as a sincere speaker who wants to inform and interact with the audience through your speech. I hope these tips will help you communicate more confidently from now. It’s just about consciously avoiding these mistakes. Connect with me on Linkedin for everyday posts on skill development. You can also get on a call with me at a time convenient to you. Just click here and choose your slot.

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Archana Parmar Leadership Communication

Overcome your fear of public speaking

In a survey done by Dr. Laurie Rozakis, author of Idiots Guide to Public Speaking, it was found that many people are scared to speak before a group. It is the number one fear among Americans, “–and the number 6 is fear of death,” according to Dr. Rozakis. Even the most experienced speaker gets anxious when speaking in public. However, this fear can be controlled so that you can put your fear to your advantage. This topic teaches us why people are nervous when speaking in front of a crowd and how you can conquer your fear. FEAR OF THE AUDIENCE People are afraid of rejection by their audience. Thus, many are terrified of speaking in public for fear of being criticized by the crowd for how they look or how they deliver their speech. On the contrary, audiences are very understanding about the speaker’s problem with stage fright. You become more nervous when your fear of the audience increases. Below are some strategies that can help you overcome your fear of the audience. > Choose a topic that you like and you are familiar with. The more comfortable you are about your chosen topic, the more confident you are in facing your audience. > Concentrate on your topic. Focus on your topic and not on yourself. When you start to think of your subject matter and not yourself, your fear of speaking will likely decrease. > Say to yourself: “I am the BOSS.” Trust in your capability of delivering your speech. Showing that you are in charge decreases your fear and increases your confidence in facing the situation. > Don’t think of your audience as a threat. Bridge the gap between your audience and yourself. Analyze carefully to establish rapport. You should consider age, gender and their level of expertise. Remember to analyze your audience. FEAR OF FAILURE There are two ways to win over your fear of failure. > Picture yourself succeeding. If you think that you will stutter in front of many people, chances are you will stutter. But if you visualize yourself delivering your speech well, then, you will. > Face your fear. You cannot overcome your fear unless you show it and admit that you are afraid of it. FEAR THAT YOUR SPEECH IS A BAD SPEECH > Write well. Take time to write your speech. Review it and rewrite if necessary. If you are confident with your speech, the less terrified you will be about speaking in public. > Practice and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your speech. Ask a friend of relative to act as your audience. Once you have delivered your topic, ask for their feedback. Don’t be afraid to hear about what they will say. Their feedback can give you insight on what is good or bad in your speech. The best tool that can help you prepare is your mobile phone. Record your practice sessions and review your own performance. Learning takes time, effort and lots of practice so we shouldn’t let negative emotional responses stop us from achieving our learning goals. Learning and practice give familiarity which leads to confidence. Drop me a message at archana@archanaparmar.com or connect with me here .

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Archana Parmar Leadership Communication

How To Win your audience with your personal style

An effective public speaker should be able to utilize devices that will be able to capture the attention of the audience. One effective means for them to give you that much needed interest is this: get them to go on stage. Make them participate. When someone is on stage and he or she happens to be a member of the audience, the rest will almost always stay attentive. Why? Because they would like to see what you will be doing to one of them. Also, because they are thinking they could be up there themselves and so to save their precious egos from embarrassment they at least need to know what is going on. No matter how good or excellent you are as a presenter or as a public speaker, nothing beats the excitement of getting someone to be on stage who really should not be there in the first place. What is going through their minds at that moment when you pull an unsuspecting someone from their complacency is that, Oh my god, what if the speaker selects me to go up there next? What am I going to do? Then later, I need to pay attention to this. A little bit later as you go through your presentation, the audience will then most probably think, What point is he/she making? And then as you take your point across, the audience will then get to think, Now I get it. Because you made them pay attention, you have forced them to listen and respond to your statement in the privacy of their minds. However, there are those extremely shy and very sensitive members of the audience who might withdraw from going through the rest of your presentation if they hear you will be calling on them up on the stage. The objective is to gain an audience and not to lose any of them. Make it clear prior to your asking someone to come up on stage with you that you are asking for a volunteer and that no one will be forced if they do not want to. Notice that if the majority of your audience are shy, once you finally get someone to be on stage, all of them will almost always heave a sigh of relief that you would actually feel a breeze pass you by, really. Another way to get the audience to participate as well as pay attention is by giving them due recognition. Try to acknowledge a single member of the audience for a specific achievement or a moment of a good performance, or also acknowledge a group of the audience. To take it further you can get on a call with me at a time convenient to you. Just click here and choose your slot.

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