Your company’s online presence is multifunctional: it can serve as a first impression for new or prospective clients; in addition, it keeps your existing partners, clients, shareholders, and any other relevant contacts connected to your business and updated on your current work. And if you want your company’s name known on the web, a website alone is not enough to make a mark. Using several social media platforms for professional promotion will allow you to share more information with a larger and more diverse audience. It will also enable you to actively engage with your users, more so than a website that does not accommodate feedback or posts from readers. Below are a few platforms you can use to maximize your company’s social media presence – with added tips for respectful conduct and content on the web.
Posted on February 1st, 2012 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Techno-Communication | No Comments »
We send and receive dozens of work-related emails every day. Messages – often ones that are internal communications – crowd our inboxes and our time. But how many of those incoming emails are truly necessary and important? When does the amount of spent reading and responding to colleagues’ emails become counter-productive? These questions have surfaced as companies have begun to explore new ways to improve efficiency and to relieve their employees from daily floods of redundant messages. In this post I will discuss one CEO’s sweeping change to internal communication in his company – plus a few small ways that you can improve email techniques among your own colleagues.
Posted on January 25th, 2012 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Techno-Communication | No Comments »
The job search can be daunting, whether you have just entered the market for the first time or you are seeking a change after years of employment. Finding a new job requires not only persistence and determination, but also a sound set of tools, including your resume, cover letter, interview skills and plan of action. At Corporate Class Inc. we also teach that a well-developed professional image and an understanding of business etiquette contribute significantly to your growth as a professional and to your success in the job market. Because these tools and skills combined are all vital when searching for jobs, we would like to recommend a useful resource that addresses all these components and outlines the process in a comprehensive guide: Narinder K. Mehta’s recently published Five Steps to Your Next Job: A Powerful Manual for Job Search and Career Development.
Posted on October 25th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Communication, Image | No Comments »
Leadership is a skill that is not reserved solely for managers, directors, VPs, or anyone else who is the head of a department or a company. It is a crucial quality that any valuable employee should demonstrate in some form or another in the workplace. The term “leadership” can encompass a wide variety of actions and attitudes; it does not necessarily apply only to a single leader of a group. Leadership can manifest in small actions that can ultimately result in change – and as such, it is an essential part of the progress both of a company and of your individual growth as a professional.
Posted on October 19th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Communication, Image, Presentation Skills | No Comments »
A captivating new phenomenon in business communication recently has emerged: office-wide social networking sites. Reading an article in The Globe and Mail last week detailing the pros and cons of this rapidly growing form of internal communication, I was struck by the possibilities for valuable discussion between all levels of employees that this casual forum enables. And yet I couldn’t help but wonder: what new questions or problems for communication etiquette could these sites invite? As I learned more about the sites and their benefits, I kept this question in mind.
Posted on October 3rd, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Communication, Image, Techno-Communication | No Comments »
Want to learn how to give amazing keynote speeches?
Barry Kuntz, the Executive Director of the Black Isle Group sits with Diane Craig of Corporate Class in studio at ThatChannel.com, to discuss his unique training program that can take the most novice speaker and help them look like a seasoned professional in weeks…
Posted on September 25th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Presentation Skills | No Comments »
Life is filled with meeting and greeting new people. Even though we’re reminded repeatedly; “Never judge a book by its cover,” we do. We’re constantly making snap judgments about the people we meet and greet. Curiously, it turns out, our first impressions tend to be quite accurate:
“We have long known that people jump to conclusions about others on the basis of very little information but what’s striking about these findings is how many of the impressions have a kernel of truth to them.”
– Psychologist Sam Gosling, The University of Texas at Austin.
In other words, we make assumptions, or jump to conclusions, with very little information and generally, we’re right!
Appearance, body language, intonation and interaction all work together to create a first impression. When they work in harmony, the result is positive. Let’s examine the four keys:
Posted on August 24th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Body Language, Communication, Dress, Etiquette, Image | No Comments »
I often ask myself, what about the etiquette for speech and language? Is it long gone or just forgotten? Am I out of step with the culture of today’s youth, the way they speak, their communication innuendos or their idiosyncratic verbal style?
Why does speech etiquette matter to me? It grates against my ear to hear speech that is littered with filler words that have no meaning and clutter the message. I hear questions when none are intended. I identify muffled speech and words that say one thing and mean something else. I call them SLEFs – Speech & Language Etiquette Faux Pas.
I know I’m not the only one who notices them. The boss, the client, the customer, the friend or family member is aware of them too. What effect do they have on the listener? I believe the listener responds negatively to these mannerisms, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Posted on August 1st, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Presentation Skills | No Comments »
YES!!! I did it, a two “weekend intensive” course at the world-renowned SecondCity. And, no I don’t aspire to become a stand-up comic. My friend and colleague, Deborah Nixon, suggested we did this together. I thought it was a great idea and that it would be helpful for us as presenters and co-facilitators. In the spirit to continue learning and improving, I registered. I cannot speak for Deborah, but I certainly got a lot of out of this, in fact, much more than I anticipated.
I was going to write a blog about it, but one of our classmates, Marguerite Orane beat me to it. I can only echo what she has written.
Posted on June 27th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Presentation Skills | 2 Comments »
As a person who talks for a living, I love precise language; I admire people who can say volumes in a few words. It’s an art to be able to laser in on the meat of an issue, cast aside the fluff and lay bare the essence of your thoughts, in brief. It’s especially wonderful to have a conversation with someone with those skills. An artful communicator is easy to trust.
Posted on May 15th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Communication, Presentation Skills | No Comments »
