Why You Must Wear Confidence!

Date: February 27, 2012

Author: Rita

Here’s a 2.5 minute audio that shows the power and importance of “wearing” self-confidence!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rita Rocker is a national inspirational and educational speaker, communications and image specialist, and a career and virtual presentations coach with Transformation Academy, LLC. She is the author of “A Guide to Marketing Yourself for Success”, and a contributing author to “The Unstoppable Woman’s Guide to Emotional Well Being -The Total Woman in Leadership and Success Guide for the Unstoppable Entrepreneur.” She has appeared on national television and radio talk shows on self-esteem and communication. A former Mrs. Nebraska and active in numerous professional organizations, Rita is on the Board of the Small Business Association of the Midlands and co-director of greater Omaha’s Affiliated Women International. Rita provides life and career-transforming programs to mature teens and adults. Contact Rita at rita@transformationacademy.com.

You Had Me At Hello: Phone Skills That Keep Them Coming Back

Date: February 15, 2012

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

Ever heard a cranky, indiferent voice on the other end of the line? Whoa! “Excuse me for calling! I was seeking a new service provider but it looks like you are not it!” How many times does that happen? Relationships and business are lost every day due to poor phone manners, because the receiver of the call may be tired, frustrated, too busy, or just plain doesn’t care at the moment. There is power in the phone! Lots of it! We will be exploring telephone skills in the new few posts.

Business Meals: A Perfect Venue for Success

Date: February 8, 2012

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

Most executives have not had the luxury of attending finishing school; however, they are expected to handle business in the dining room as well as they handle it in the boardroom!

Many business transactions take place during meals, whether at a formal dinner, a power lunch or breakfast. Think about the following tips on modern table manners during the next business meal:

Personal Charisma Says “Confident Expert”

Date: January 26, 2012

Author: Rita

Categories: Products and Tools

Personal charisma, just like technical skills, can play a large role in showing that we are the confident “expert.” This can be developed over time and with practice. Most important, however, is that we:

Thoroughly “know our stuff” and share it with enthusiasm.
Demonstrate a high energy level, which is infectious and makes people want to be around us.
Exhibit a professional appearance. If we “appear” organized and well groomed, they will usually assume that our business is also organized and handled with care.
Be well spoken. Check speech patterns, tone of voice, enthusiasm, and strength of delivery with every message. Ask a couple of close friends or associates for suggestions on how to improve.
Accept compliments and kudos graciously. When we turn away a compliment, we are essentially saying that the person giving the compliment is mistaken and that we don’t deserve it.
Smile with a confident demeanor and erect posture that says we are someone people can feel comfortable doing business with.
Know good standard English. Say it. Write it.

For more extensive information, tips, exercises and strategies for marketing yourself for success, see our Products page for the newly released book, “Guide to Marketing Yourself for Success.”

Silent Conversations: Are Your Body and Mouth on the Same Page?

Date: January 10, 2012

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

Every day we present our thoughts and ideas to business prospects, teachers, organizations, coworkers and family. Whether you are giving a sales presentation to a large number of individuals or casually sitting across from two people at a table, use the following tips to ensure your non-verbal signals bring the success you want. The more positive and confident your interactions, the greater your success in building a relationship that will last for many years.

Giving Engaging Presentations: How to Read Your Audience

Date: January 5, 2012

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

In Part 1, “Is that really ME giving that confident presentation?”, I covered some of the more physical and emotional characteristics for giving a confident presentation. Let’s talk about those silent, yet very loud, signals from your audience. These are indicators that tell you if they are present in mind or in body only. Whether the audience consists of one person listening to your sales presentation, or a room of 500 people from your industry, following these tips will help you present a more engaging session and help build your reputation as a confident, credible speaker.

Passive rejection: When someone in the boardroom or the event ballroom is showing signs of passive rejection, they become evasive by trying to create some distance. Eyes wander and bodies turn away, fidget or transmit other signals that say they have mentally left the room. Without saying a word, these individuals have told you they are no longer listening. If this happens, ask a specific question (one that requires a specific answer where they do not have the opportunity to get on their soap box). Showing a brief interest in them may get them re-engaged. Interject some humor if appropriate. Walk over to them and smile!
Read More…

Is That Really ME Giving a Confident Presentation?

Date: December 28, 2011

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

Are there actually more people in the world who are afraid of speaking in front of others than in dying? Yes, 54% of adults are more afraid of public speaking than death! What are we afraid of? Messing up? Being rejected? Feeling foolish? Unsure if our audience will think we don’t know what we are talking about? Have your normally dry palms become so sweaty you couldn’t even hold onto a football? When you speak, does that upper lip suddenly get stuck to your front teeth? Do you feel like you just swallowed a large walnut? We will be exploring the mental and physical aspects of speaking in front of others in the next few blogs.

Read More…

Our Image Influences Our Success

Date: December 19, 2011

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

In a perfect world, success would have nothing to do with image. We all would be judged and promoted solely on the basis of performance, skills, talent, experience, creativity and willingness to work hard. There would be a tooth fairy too.

Like it or not, the image we present greatly influences our chances for success in the workplace. If we look and act like someone who belongs on the lowest rung of the corporate ladder, that’s just where we’re likely to stay.

If you aren’t getting ahead as quickly as your abilities, ambitions and hard work suggest you should, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you own a full-length mirror? If not, invest in one. Check yourself in the mirror every day before going to work. Take a close look at your appearance. It’s the only way to be sure that the look you’ve achieved is the one you want to project.
Do your clothes reflect your personality and your commitment to doing a good job? Are your clothes simple, tailored and attractive without being distracting?
Is your hairstyle sleek, smooth and easy to maintain? It’s hard to take a person seriously if their hair looks as if they just got out of bed.
If you wear jewelry, is it understated and chic (not flashy, clanking, sparkling) or more appropriate for a date than for the workplace? How is your voice? If you don’t know, record it for a day or two. Then listen to yourself. Does your voice come from your diaphragm or from your nose? Does it have a deep, rich quality or sound high-pitched, thin and reedy? Would you like to listen to this voice? If the answer is no, practice controlling your voice until the answer is yes.
Do you have an adequate vocabulary? No one needs $40 words in an ordinary work situation. But if you use words like “neat,” “great” or “interesting” frequently, there is no reason why you can’t learn three new words a week.
Do you express yourself in authoritative, self-confident terms? Do you end your sentences with a period or a question mark? If you end most of your sentences with “Don’t you think?” or “Isn’t that so?” you may sound too timid and in need of approval to be trusted with more responsibility.
Do you take credit for what you do right? False modesty isn’t a particularly attractive quality in any setting. At work, it sabotages chances for recognition to success.
Are you interesting to talk to when you aren’t talking about work? Do you read a daily newspaper, watch the evening news, and somehow keep up with current events? Do you have at least one outside-of-work interest?

Fair or not, it is important to be able to socialize comfortably with coworkers, clients and superiors if you seek advancement. One of the keys to being an interesting conversationalist is to have lots of interests.

Rita Rocker Selected As a “Top-Idea Maven” by The Woman’s Advantage

Date: October 31, 2011

Author: Rita

Categories: In The News

Rita Rocker, National Inspirational Educator, Communications, Career and Image Coach with Transformation Academy, LLC, was selected from over 5,000 submissions to be featured in The 2012 Woman’s Advantage Shared Wisdom Calendar. The calendar provides advice for women business owners from influential women leaders across the US and Canada.

“Rita Rocker’s quote was selected because it was powerful yet easy to understand. Her idea is relevant to almost every woman in business today.” says Cantando. “Women business owners and those who dream of starting a business will learn so much from the advice provided by Rita and the other successful women quoted in the calendar.”

The Woman’s Advantage 2012 Calendar provides sound bites of advice on key business issues including: organization, promotion, sales, and human resources.

Rita Rocker is a national inspirational and educational speaker, Communications and Image Specialist, and career coach with Transformation Academy, LLC and a Virtual Presentations Coach with the international coaching company, presentation gym. She is the author of The Power of YOU…Marketing Yourself for Success!! and a contributing author of The Unstoppable Woman’s Guide to Emotional Well Being. She has appeared on national television and radio talk shows on self-esteem and communication. Rita is a former Mrs. Nebraska and Mrs. America contestant. She is active in numerous professional organizations, on the Board of the Small Business Association of the Midlands and a member of Phi Theta Kappa international Honor Society.

Keep Customers Coming Back With These 5 Tips!

Date: October 28, 2011

Author: Rita

Categories: Rita's Column

1. If possible, use your customers’ services and buy their products. Reciprocal customers can be loyal customers for years.

2. Send handwritten thank-you cards, even if you don’t think you have the time. Business guru Peter Drucker hand wrote 12 thank-you cards every day.