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Rick Saldan is an excellent
inspirational speaker who tailored the seminar to the needs of the
individual students being instructed. This office thanks the Mayors Office
of Information Services for having such a vendor.
Timothy K. Lynch
Office of Fleet Management
City of Philadelphia
Rick has a magical approach that provides a clear and
concise message specifically designed to the needs of his
audience. Rick will provide all the motivational magic you
will ever need, propelling your organization to the next
level of greater success.
Thomas Mulhern
Frontier Communications
Rick Saldan is a compelling and absorbing motivational speaker and
magician.I have been to five of his
Motivational Magic presentations and it is amazing how he keeps our
college audiences on the edge of their seats.
A highly entertaining performer with great comedy flair. Rich content to
increase students' productivity, peak performance and motivation. If you
need an outstanding motivational speaker for colleges, Rick is definitely
one of the world's greatest speakers and magicians!
Dr. Rob Gilbert, Sport Psychologist,
Montclair State University
Rick Saldan has the wit, wisdom and sorcery of a wizard. He
has a dynamic personality, and all will enjoy his
captivating stories, comedy and magic!
Dennis Slaughter
Credit Suisse First Boston
Rick Saldan delivers a first-class show! A pro in every
sense of the word. Funny, unique, entertaining and polished.
Brian Letscher, Actor
Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, Cold Case, Law & Order and The Mentalist.
Rick Saldan is a wonderful combination of master magician, comic
improviser and first class speaker. The audience loved his program, which
was music to our ears. If you love celebrity motivational speakers such as
Tom Hopkins, Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar, then you'll love Rick!
Dottie Burman, President
Burtley Productions, Inc.
Rick Saldan
is an incredibly talented performer and motivational speaker with great insight. He shares many powerful
motivational messages that will enhance your life for the better!
Jack Murray, President
Dream Illusions
Rick is one of the best inspirational speakers on
the scene today. Funny, fun loving and highly energetic. If you want to
make your next event into an extraordinary one, then invite professional
speaker Rick Saldan and his amazing Motivational Magic.
Andres Lara, President
Inspiration Times Magazine
Shhh! Listen, Don’t Just Hear Author: Lillian D. Bjorseth, SP
Once when my oldest son wasn’t paying attention to an assignment in elementary school, his teacher asked him if he had trouble hearing. "No ma’am," he answered, "I have trouble listening."
My son was only 7 years old, and he didn’t realize he had zeroed in on one of the business world’s biggest challenges:
Almost all of us hear okay: however, almost all of us don’t listen well.
The irony is that listening is the most used communication skill and the least taught. It is, by far, the most valuable communication skill for management and employees alike.
Hearing is the first in a six-step hierarchical listening process i.e., all six must be done for the message to be received the way the sender wants it to be. "Hearing" means only that your ears are absorbing sound waves.
Listening, on the other hand, also involves interpreting, evaluating, understanding, responding and remembering!
That’s a lot to keep in mind when irate customers are loudly telling you what went wrong, you’re participating in yet another meeting (when you would rather be returning phone calls) , or you’re listening to a boring - to you - speaker. The following suggestions can help you listen better:
* Control your urge to speak. Remember the old folk saying:God gave us two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we talk.
Zig Ziglar put it another way when he said that when you talk, you say something you already know, and when you listen, you find out what someone else knows. I add to that "what someone else needs and wants." How can we possibly make a sale or provide top-quality customer service when we don’t know what the customer wants and needs?
* Be receptive. Be objective and willing to hear what someone else has to say. Guard against preconceived notions based on race, sex, age or accent. Our mind and a parachute have something in common:they only work when open.
* Empathize. Strive to understand, as though you were in the person’s shoes. Listen to what people are actually saying, not to what you think they should be saying. Listen to the words and the vocal tone and watch the body language, if you are having a face-to-face conversation. To be an effective listener, you have to see the world through another’s eyes, to take the time to think how they are thinking.
* Take notes. Write down what people are saying as they are saying it to make sure you capture the right words. This is especially helpful if you are a visual learner and need notes to reinforce your memory. Also, record the speaker’s tone and body language to refine your interpretation as you review your notes.
* Eliminate distractions. Very few people - if any - can effectively do two things at one time. While on the phone or talking to an employee, don’t read materials on your desk, daydream or think about what is going on outside your window. Put on blinders and concentrate on the task at hand!
Have you "listened" to what you read or did you just "hear" it?
You may wish to ponder the advice my bartender friend gives new hires: Listen to your customers. Listen. It’s the quickest way to establish loyalty. They want you to know more about them then they want to know about you. That’s why they come here.
What do your employees or customers want you to know about them? You have the answers ... if you listened!
Lillian D. Bjorseth is a rapport builder who helps Fortune 100 and entrepreneurs maximize interpersonal relations. She is president of Duoforce Enterprises, Inc., a speaking and training company, and its division, Better Business Contacts, a business leads organization with almost 20 chapters in the Chicago area. Before successfully starting her own two businesses, Lillian coached AT&T top executives in communication and media relations skills. She is the author of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last book and audio tape series and the Nothing Happens Until We Communicate audio tape and workbook series. She can be reached at 630-983-5308, lillian@duoforce.com or www.duoforce.com
