CK Online - Communicate to Connect !

Devilish Retort

2011-11-05T13:52:00.000+05:30

I had used this quip as an MC at a convention earlier this year - Definition of the Indian way of greeting -NAMASTE - the Divine in me respects the Divine in you !

Abhilash Annadurai, a Facebook friend's rejoinder - " I like the definition. However, in the case of politicians, it is 'the devil in me eyes the idiot in you !"

Speech Openers specific to Insurance Professionals

2011-10-31T18:01:00.000+05:30

I recently spoke to a group of Insurance sales professionals in Dubai. All high performing achievers. And strangers except their Head, who had invited me. It was important to connect and build that crucial rapport.

I opened with " I have great respect for Insurance professionals because you are the most persuasive and persistent lot. I used to spurn life insurance salesmen.However, my friend Murali came in and said ' I don't want to put pressure on you. Here is a brochure on life insurance. Read this and go to sleep. And, IF you wake up tomorrow, give me a call ! Needless to add, I signed up right away !

The hearty laughter ensured I had bridged the gap between an otherwise suspicious audience and went on with my pitch to "Unleash your Humor Quotient".

To paraphrase Toastmaster and humorist Jerry Starke, the more specific your speech opener, the more terrific it is !

Yet another Speech Opener

2011-07-04T19:23:00.000+05:30

Last Friday I was the Emcee at my Toastmasters club and opened with these lines.
"When our President Jindow Joseph asked me to be the MC, I asked him 'why me?'and he said 'you are a natural CK!' I was elated. And then he came out with a definition -'an emcee has to be so infernally dull that succeeding speakers appear brighter by comparison.You don't have to make an effort to be dull. You are a natural !"

This got a good response. While it is not mandatory to open with a joke, when an anecdote or a one-liner is well crafted,it DOES make an impact !

I first heard this quip many years ago when fellow Bangalore TM John Bosco Abraham used it in a Demo meet.

HUMOR - Resources

2011-06-26T21:03:00.001+05:30

Google "humor resources" and you will be besieged with a barrage of books, tapes, links and the like. In this post, I will only talk about four books that have helped me refine my way of using humor.All the books do not merely list quips and quotes but provide extremely useful and practical tips on how to use them with relevance.

Podium Humor by James Humes

James Humes, author and speechwriter to five American Presidents has extensive chapters on how to weave humor into the subject and provides ample anecdotes with a footnote about the context and how to link it with the subject.

The Light Touch by Malcolm Kushner.
This book is a godsend for speakers who wish to use humor in business. His website www.museumofhumor.com has many links to resources on humor. I found many links broken but the ones that work are worth the browse.

A Funny thing happened on the way to the Podium... by Herbert V Prochnow.

I suggest you grab any book authored by Prochnow. Epigrams,anecodtes,one-liners,categorised huomor... it's a humor omnibus !

Mitch Murray's book devoted to one-liners, emcee lines,comeback lines, roasts, daft definitions .... phew ! this is one ready reckoner for an emcee !

If you want a comprehensive listing of various types of humor and a long list of resources, make sure to read an excellent article by Anthony Audrieth on "The Art of using Humor in Public Speaking"

These books have helped me approach humor in a structured way. I hope some of you will the info useful and help spread cheer around.

Pre-lunch speech opener !

2011-04-04T12:07:00.000+05:30

I recently spoke to an audience at 12.45pm. Lunch buffet was being laid out in the adjacent room and with with spicy aroma wafting into the room, I HAD to do something to hook them and opened with this quip " I promise to be brief. I am an ardent devotee of the Elizabeth Taylor school of Public Speaking - like she told many of her husbands -"I won't keep you long !"

Got an animated response for this opener and managed to divert their attention for a while !

My Talk on 'Unleash your Humor Quotient" at TEDx Dubai

2011-02-08T20:39:00.000+05:30

I spoke on "Unleash your Humor Quotient" at TEDx Dubai as the last speaker.
Here is the video link http://vimeo.com/19594461

I welcome your feedback.

Doc Blakely's Speech Opener !

2011-01-16T19:17:00.000+05:30

Doc Blakely, a Toastmaster and celebrity humorist gave a rousing start to his speech with " a professional speaker should have three looks

Grey hair for that distinguished look
A paunch for that prosperous look
And tight underwear for that look of concern

With that opener he brought the house down and having built that crucial rapport, went on to conduct a great session on humor.

Humor in Public Speaking - The Power of Three

2011-01-15T06:49:00.001+05:30

There seems to be some sanctity attached to the number three - I came,I saw, I conquered ; Liberty,Equality,Fraternity;Brahma,Vishnu,Maheshwara;Father,Son and the Holy Ghost;- the list is endless.Public Speakers have used the "power of three'to drill down a concept and humorists "build and burst" using the triad.

I used this anecdote to illustrate the 'the power of three' in using humor in my talk at Great Lakes Management School, Chennai recently.

Three French Professors were preparing a lexicon and to illustrate the word 'sangfroid" which means "coolness and composure, especially in trying circumstances" and one of them said " a salesman goes home, finds his wife in bed with a stranger. He tips his hat and says "excuse me". He has sangfroid.

Another Professor says " not quite. A salesman, goes home, finds his wife in bed with a stranger, tips his hat and says"excuse me, please continue". Now,he has sangfroid.

The third professor says" No. A salesman goes home, finds his wife in bed with a stranger, tips his hat and says, excuse me, please continue. And if he CAN CONTINUE, he has sangfroid ! (I have adapted this anecdote from "Podium Humor" by James Humes)

This is also called as 'build and burst". Here the burst or the punch line better be good. otherwise the build up will end in a whimper.

Storytellers and humorists use the power of three effectively to create suspense and then derail the audience with a powerful punchline.

Like three friends talking:
Friend 1: Yesterday, I had a fight with my wife and she threw me out of the bed!
Friend 2: Yesterday,I had a fight with my wife and she threw me out of the house!
Friend 3: Yesterday, I had a fight with my wife and she came to me crawling on her knees !
Friend 1 and 2 (enviously and admiringly): Really ! and what did she say ?
Friend 3: How long will you hide under the cot,come out you coward !

Devastating !

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Humor in Public Speaking - Point - Humor - Point

2011-01-14T20:59:00.001+05:30

People resist humor when it is imposed.When it is used to highlight or reinforce a point, it is more palatable and accepted.

Here is an example of Point-Humor-Point or P-H-P, which I use often in my speeches.

Being frank always is not the best policy.In business, you need to have tact and diplomacy. Otherwise, you will end up like the salesman in a garments store. A lady picks up a gown and after giving an admiring glance says " I like the design and pattern but not the color". The salesman assures, "don't worry ma'am, after the first wash, the color will vanish". Too frank, resulting in a loss of sale and perhaps his job !

We must learn to be like the Pediatrician who examines a three month old baby boy
and tells the parents "what a beautiful baby !". The father says,"oh ! you must be telling this to every parent doc !". "No, I say this only to the parents of cute babies" replies the doctor. "And what do you tell the others?". The doc says with a smile " he looks just like you !"

In both the cases, humor was weaved into the script to illustrate a point. Needless to add, your audience is likely to remember the point "being frank always is not the best policy" better because of these examples. That is the power of relevant, situational humor.

I heard the garment salesman joke from Mr U K Sharma, a senior Toastmaster and picked up the Pediatrician anecdote from an old issue of Reader's Digest.

I seek your FRANK FEEDBACK !

My Speech Videos on YouTube

2010-12-25T12:59:00.001+05:30

I managed to upload two of my speech videos on YouTube !

The link that I posted earlier doesn't seem to work. Please type T Chendil Kumar on Youtube and you will get all my videos ! thanks to Baiju for pointing it out !

1.My talk at TEDx Chennai - Stand up, Speak up and Shut up !

2.My Humor workshop for Toastmasters organised by Dreams Toastmasters Dubai - "Unleash your Humor Quotient !"

Watching yourself on video can be a revealing and humbling experience !You are basking in the spotlight of audience adulation and then to your horror, you notice your annoying crutch words and phrases, grammatical blunders,oblique facial expressions and the like..

I think it is worth investing in at least a flip video camera to consistently monitor your speeches !

I welcome your critical feedback !

My latest speech opener !

2010-11-21T23:22:00.001+05:30

Yesterday,I spoke on "winning humorous speech contests" at Dreams Toastmasters Dubai. I was speaking for the third time to the same audience (almost..)and on the same topic- Humor! I was the third and last speaker. Two stalwarts DTM Col.Mohammed Murad and DTM Royston Fernandes had swayed the audience with their erudition. My challenge was to excite, link and involve an audience which was all set to go home.

I was reminded of DTM Karl Writer who said, "a humorous speaker must get the audience to smile, giggle or guffaw within the first 90 secs..".

And I began with this quip - " I was skeptical when your President Vinod asked me to talk to you today on humor for the third time and asked him 'don't you know that familiarity breeds contempt?' and Vinod replied,'as far as I know, familiarity breeds children !'. I didn't know how to respond to this and decided to speak here anyway !"

This opener was received very well, it set the tone for my session and I was able to cruise comfortably with my talk.

T ChendilKumar at TEDx Chennai

2010-11-20T01:30:00.000+05:30

T ChendilKumar at TEDx Chennai

"Stand up, Speak up and Shut up" - Video link of my talk at TEDx Chennai

2010-11-20T00:32:00.000+05:30

I spoke at TEDx Chennai on "Stand up, Speak up and Shut up" (The art of using humor in presentations) on October 10 at IIT Chennai.

Here's the video link

http://tedxchennai.com/blog/t-chendilkumar-at-tedx-chennai

How to sleep during a boring speech !

2010-11-08T21:54:00.000+05:30

Lancet, a British medical journal,gives this advice on how to sleep during speeches at public dinners:

"The head should rest on a tripod formed of the trunk and of the arms firmly placed on the table.The head should be placed in the hands in a slightly flexed position to allow the tongue to fall forward and prevent stertorous breathing. The fingers should be outstretched over the face and eyes,pressing the skin of the forehead upwards to wrinkle it. This gives an appearance of deep concentration".

Communication is not easy !

2010-11-08T13:51:00.001+05:30

"I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received." - Antonio Porchia

We say or write with certain assumptions and hope the other person will also understand the message as intended. Often, it does not happen that way and the result is a communication disaster.

Take the case of Bill Jones who called in a plumber to fix a faucet on the first floor of his apartment. As he and his wife were coming downstairs they met the plumber coming up.

Bill said:"Before I go downstairs I would like to acquaint you with the cause of the trouble."

The plumber politely removed his hat and murmured:"Pleased to meet you ma'am."

What YOU HAVE RECEIVED is much more important in communication !

Mark Twain - A Public Speaker's Treasure Chest !

2010-08-08T21:11:00.005+05:30

To be precise, MY treasure chest !

While looking around for sources of inspiring quotes to sparkle my speeches , I found a formidable trio in George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain. A Public Speaker can safely attribute any interesting quote to any of these three and get away with it !

I regularly dip into these masters for inspiration and realise I use Mark Twain the most. On the 100th death anniversary of this prolific author, playwright,wit and humorist, here is my thank you note.

You Google Samuel Clemens or Mark Twain and can spend the rest of your life poring over the amazing variety of his offerings. Here, I list my favourite quotes and how I've used them for the past twenty five years.

I start my Presentation Skills session with " How many of you feel nervous before making a speech in public ?" Normally, most of them put up their hands. I then compliment them with " Great ! You have excellent company ! As Mark Twain said - there are only two types of speakers in this world. those that are nervous and those that are liars !". After the laughter dies down, I assure them it is normal to be nervous and proceed. I've noticed that this demystifies the topic and prepares the audience for a fun filled learning experience.

The next question I ask is 'what prevents you from standing up to speak in public ?" and the answer is " what if i make a fool of myself ?" Again, I call Twain to help with " I guess all of you believe that "it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder whether you are a fool rather than open it and remove all doubt !"

To highlight the importance of preparation, I use " It usually takes me three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech !"

Whenever my Toastmaster friends complain that they find it very difficult to come up with a good response in Table Topics or Impromptu speaking session, who else but Mark Twain comes to my help with " Repartee is something that we think of twenty four hours too late !"

In my 'Communication"workshop, I stress the importance of ACCURACY with this gem - "the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug !"

And for Brevity " No sinner is ever saved after the first twenty minutes of a sermon !" This is one of my favourite quips !

I frequently get introduced as Uncle or Grandfather in an obviously oblique reference to my age and I respond with "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. "

While handling cross cultural negotiations, I caution my audience not to excessively depend on books but talk to their superiors and colleagues who may give practical insights
and use this analogy- "be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint !"

When people ask me about my job as a trainer being stressful, I reply " Not really as I am not asked to practise what I preach and quote the master "To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble !"

In sessions on leadership skills, some recurring themes are - self esteem and appreciation and I use "A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." to get the participants to like themselves and focus on their strengths.

Most associates in a workplace long for appreciation more than financial incentives and I urge managers to offer genuine praise as a great motivator and this quote illustrates it so well !
"I can live for three months on a sincere compliment" .

And this is one of the most inspiring quotes that I've ever used -
"Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."

I am sure his writings will continue to be relevant for many more centuries !

Thank you for making my Speaking sessions so meaningful !

Ketti Campsite - My father's dream comes true after 30 years !

2010-07-31T13:03:00.020+05:30

Thirty years ago, my father Mr K Thangavelu, then a senior officer with the Southern Railways visited Ooty, a renowned hill station with his colleagues. He noticed an enchanting spot behind Ketti Railway station and thought it would be a great idea to develop it into a camp site for the Southern Railway Bharat Scouts and Guides. He was active in the Scouts movement as well.

And then, with limpet like tenacity, he pursued with the establishment until his retirement in 1987. Nothing moved. He continued to pester them for some years and then gave up. He passed away early this year.

And, last month, my sister Bharathi, a President Girl Guide winner herself got a call from Mr Carmelius, AGM Southern Railway and Chief Commissioner SRBSG inviting her for the inauguration of a permanent camp site at Ketti. Yes, the Railway Board had FINALLY sanctioned the project.
He also informed her that a log cabin would be named after my father !

Some of the officers who had worked with my father recalled how people oriented he was as a boss and spoke fondly about the passion with which he went about doing his work

The General Manager,Mr Deepak Krishan, in his speech mentioned that although he had never met my father, he was moved to know that an officer was still being remembered 20 years AFTER retirement !

Thank you officers of the Southern Railway !Especially Mr Carmelius and Anbanna ! It may be a small gesture for you but it means so much to us ! We will remember this forever ! More Power to you !

Some more pics !

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An Evening with Boman Irani in Dubai !

2010-07-25T21:05:00.007+05:30

Boman Irani Live in Dubai ! It was too good to resist and I landed at the Palladium to learn about using humor from a beloved and accomplished artiste !

Refreshing !Not a string of one liners but a delightful tale peppered with personal anecdotes ! Humor was well knit in the script and not imposed.

Humorists say you should be able to get your audience to smile, giggle or guffaw in the first 90 secs with a good opener ! Not that Boman needed an opener anyway ! His mere presence sent the audience into a tizzy and the mood was such that even if Boman had recited his laundry list, we would have lapped it up eagerly !

Still, he had a powerful opener which set the tone for the evening's fare. After the customary pleasantries, he said, 'as soon as I was born, my mother whispered in my ears -' beta, remember always to thank the sponsors !" and he named each sponsor of the program thanking them profusely ! And he started cozying up to the front rows with a gag "let me take care of the expensive seats first !". When there was a tepid response, he tickled us with 'Indians are known for their polite clapping !" We got the hint and responded with a roar !

Next, his preparation and audience analysis !- " I know you guys in Dubai have your priorities cut out ! You have a media CITY, an internet CITY and a knowledge VILLAGE !" It took some time for the audience to settle down !!

The next one was again aimed at Dubaiites " I hear you have a vending machine dispensing gold in Dubai. You insert 1000 dirhams and you get a gold coin, 10000 dirhams, a gold biscuit, a million dirhams and Bappi Lahiri pops out !

Throughout the evening Boman used self deprecating humor, the most difficult and highest form of humor (in my opinion). He took potshots at himself, his family and of course Parsees ! Although there were many barbs directed at his charming wife Zenobia (who was graciously smiling at all his antics), not once did he demean her in any way ! Many times, we see spouses being the butt of crass humor !

The Parsee baiting was done in a way that only a Parsee can do. "Everybody says Save Tigers.I say Save Parsees!". "We have a wafer shop in Mumbai and an old uncle managing it.. so old... just two years younger than God ! He did not forget to remind the audience about the stellar contribution the Parsees have made to this nation.

His next question was "Who's is India's No 1 Porn star and he pointed out to Kunal Vijaykar of FOODIE fame seated in the audience."This man doesn't love food but he lusts after it ! If you hear the swooning and moaning when he sees a butter chicken, it is more like watching a porn movie ! And Kunal wants to get arrested It seems they serve great Biriyani in Dubai jails!" And all the the cameras were focusing on a gleeful Kunal enjoying every bit of it !

He teamed up with Shankar Mahadevan to present a song "We are the world " !

Ultimately,I was bowled over by his sincerity and humility. There was not a hint of arrogance but an honest attempt to spread cheer. He had rehearsed hard with a group of school children singing "Give me some sunshine" from the movie "3 Idiots" whose director Raju Hirani was there in the audience rooting for his friend ! We could not see them perform live but a video was beamed.

Thank you Boman for a lovely evening ! Here's wishing your son Danesh all the best in his business venture !

Recent Speech Openers

2009-11-03T09:29:00.003+05:30

Last Sunday, I spoke on "How to make your message stick' at the Division E Conference of Toastmasters in Bangalore.

I was introduced by two young girls and they compared me to a Post it note and this is how I responded

"Thank you beautiful and charming ladies for your kind words. Well, if you'd like to know, a beautiful woman is the one I notice and a charming woman is the one who notices me !.
I've been compared to many things before but this is the first time I've been compared to a Post it note. Much better than the time when I was introduced as a "Rolls Royce of a speaker".I was highly elated until my son reminded me that a Rolls Royce car has two distinct features- it is inaudible and goes on and on. I hope I am audible and I'd like to assure you I am a devotee of the Elizabeth Taylor school of Public Speaking- like she told her husbands "I won't keep you long !"

I felt this was well received and set the right note for me to talk about how to make your message stick.

Sugarcane Juice- Persuade by changing a perception

2009-09-09T18:23:00.027+05:30

Josh Gordon, in his highly readable "Presentations that change minds" lists "Top 15 persuasion strategies" and "changing a perception' ranks high in this list.
I found a text book case of changing a perception to persuade customers in the way sugar cane juice is being marketed in Bangalore.

Sugar cane juice ! Conjures up visions of a street side vendor with a sturdy contraption in which the cane is "shoved" by one and pulled out by another until the last drop is out ! Swarming with flies and insects, some of which get crushed with the cane, perhaps giving it a heady flavor... in one word UNHYGIENIC !

Real Cane, an outlet on Sampige Road Malleswaram, Bangalore decided to change this perception and started peddling sugarcane juice like ice cream with inviting interiors, clean environs, attractive packaging and a steal at Rupees Ten for a wholesome mug ! When a cup of coffee costs eight rupees in neighbouring "Darshinis", ten bucks is a piffle !
The pioneer of this concept is a 51 year old, first generation entrepreneur, Srinivas whose Cane-O-la Foods was awarded the hottest start up of the year by TATA NEN in 2006 !
So, you don't always need an earth shattering idea to persuade or get into business but loads of observation and acting upon them ! As they say, there's a banquet out there and most of us are starving !
Go and, as my friend Ram from Malaysia would say, " have a Cane la !"

Real Cane - a photo essay

Neat,ice cream parlourish, attractive ambience ! Two wall mounted fans whirring away to thwart unwanted visitors ! Vigilant boys waiting to wipe out a drop of moisture ! It would take an enormously brave fly to dart inside !

Sugarcane is stored in transparent refrigerated containers- reassuring customers of Six Sigma standards !

Smart, polite and petite sales boys - Pizza Hut like- cap et al...

Different Flavors !

DISCLAIMER: I or my dependents do not have a stake or a business interest in Real Cane nor is its owner a country cousin of mine ! I teach Persuasion and Entrepreneurship and found this to be an excellent "swadeshi" example ! Amen !

Topical Humor !

2009-08-28T12:34:00.005+05:30

MIT Manipal. Late 70s. We brought out a rag UG, which took an irreverent,frivolous and absurd view of campus life.
The movie Kramer vs Kramer, starring Dustin Hoffman had just been released and our semester exams were approaching.

We brought out this ad " Running to packed houses in the college library !
CRAMMER vs CRAMMER
Starring Rankies and Gold Medalists from all branches !Limited release !

This was a huge hit !What's heartening, my juniors still recall this ad,after about 30 years ! I learnt a valubale lesson - topical humor,if used well works wonders !

A classic example is the iconic Amul Butter ads
I marvel at their consistent brilliance ! I mean, coming out with a wisecrack once in a way is no big deal but to be able to churn out such hilarious winners for decades !! Last December I met Bharat Dabholkar, part of the team that created the utterly butterly girl and his energy was infectious !
They have a fan page on Facebook

I also remember Bobby Kooka, who created Air India's Maharajah campaign and made some catchy billboard slogans for the staid public sector airline !

Spontaneous Speech Openers

2009-08-27T23:34:00.007+05:30

A celebrity speaker,wading his way through entangled wires to the podium,slips and falls flat. Lying down,he speaks through his lapel microphone "for the first time in my 20 years of speaking career, I've reached the level of my audience !"

Another speaker who tripped and fell said " I am now ready to take questions from the floor !"

I am not sure what their topics were but I feel the audience would have lapped up anything they said after the remarkable way in which they opened their speeches by converting their problems into opportunities...

I find this to be the toughest form of humor- recovering from a crisis/setback. Malcolm Kushner uses the term "reframing" to describe such quick thinking. While lesser speakers would have floundered at the fall, both the speakers instantly reframed their misery into a mirthful, self deprecating dig !

Earlier posts :Speech Openers Still more Speech Openers Some more Speech Openers

"Selling with NLP" workshop in Bangalore this weekend

2009-08-26T19:32:00.002+05:30

My good friend and master NLP trainer Dan Pacheko is offering a two day certification workshop "Selling with NLP" in Bangalore on August 28/29

Ideal for sales professionals

Great value for money !

To know more, please call Roshni +91 80 25553656/ 25553657
+91 97409 02624

Warren Buffet's advice on writing : Be simple, clear and conversational

2009-08-20T16:44:00.003+05:30

Warren Buffet wrote a preface to "A Plain English Handbook" published by the SEC some years ago as a helpful guide to companies filing disclosure documents.
He wrote

"One unoriginal but useful tip: Write with a specific person in mind.When writing Berkshire Hathaway's annual report, I pretend that I am talking to my sisters.I have no trouble picturing them.Though highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance.They will understand plain English but jargon may puzzle them.My goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed.To succeed, I don't need to be Shakespeare;
I must,though,have a sincere desire to inform.

No siblings to write to ? Borrow mine.Just begin with "Dear Dorris and Berrie."'

-excerpted from "The Corporate Blogging Book" by Debbie Weil

2009-07-09T09:32:00.001+05:30

Put it before them BRIEFLY so they will read it, CLEARLY so they will appreciate it, PICTURESQUELY so they will remember it and, above all, ACCURATELY so they will be guided by its light - Joseph Pulitzer

CK Online - Communicate to Connect !

Devilish Retort

Speech Openers specific to Insurance Professionals

Yet another Speech Opener

HUMOR - Resources

Pre-lunch speech opener !

My Talk on 'Unleash your Humor Quotient" at TEDx Dubai

Doc Blakely's Speech Opener !

Humor in Public Speaking - The Power of Three

Humor in Public Speaking - Point - Humor - Point

My Speech Videos on YouTube

My latest speech opener !

T ChendilKumar at TEDx Chennai

"Stand up, Speak up and Shut up" - Video link of my talk at TEDx Chennai

How to sleep during a boring speech !

Communication is not easy !

Mark Twain - A Public Speaker's Treasure Chest !

Related articles by Zemanta

Ketti Campsite - My father's dream comes true after 30 years !

An Evening with Boman Irani in Dubai !

Recent Speech Openers

Sugarcane Juice- Persuade by changing a perception

Topical Humor !

Spontaneous Speech Openers

"Selling with NLP" workshop in Bangalore this weekend

Warren Buffet's advice on writing : Be simple, clear and conversational