If you’re like me, you love to receive a pat on the back. In my case, it probably goes back to the sense of accomplishment I felt as a child whenever I received a gold star or a good grade.

Praise is important in business and in life, and praising in a meaningful way can result in a sense of accomplishment for the individual you are praising, and untold benefits to you as well. 

Here are five ways to offer meaningful praise.

Many women tell me that they have a difficult time creating articles to promote themselves or their businesses. This has never been a problem of mine—as evidenced by this weekly newsletter—because I follow these five steps with every article I write. 

There are so many ways to communicate these days. How can you stand out from the crowd with clients, prospects and even former clients? Consider touching your clients and prospects in the five ways listed below. You can either do one of these each day, or do all five on the same day. If you do all five every week the results may be startling.  

There’s not much worse than attending a session with a boring presenter. It doesn’t take long before folks start tap dancing on their smartphones or even get up and walk out. Here are five ways you can avoid becoming that dreaded “boring presenter.”

The correct use of email can save you time, money and effort. However, using it incorrectly can have exactly the opposite effect. Here are five ways to use email effectively.

I recently read that the English language has over 600 words that have 10 different meanings. No wonder our messages are misinterpreted!  

To ensure that everyone—from your toddler to the guy who works in the stockroom—understands  important messages and directions, here is a five-step process to be sure your messages are interpreted correctly.       

One of my favorite lines comes from a James Taylor ballad that advises you to, “Shower the people you love with love.” And, of course, what better day to do that then today!

Here are five quick ways you might not have considered to shower special people with your love.

Last week we discussed how to develop a great presentation. But even a great speech can fall flat with the wrong delivery. Think about the worst presentation you’ve experienced, I bet you felt uncomfortable the entire time. Why? Because an audience always wants a speaker to be successful and when she is not, everybody feels embarrassed.

Here are my five key steps to delivering a spectacular presentation. 

I’m honored to receive standing ovations almost every time I speak. Women often ask me how I’ve become such a great speaker. The secret is really no secret at all: it all starts with crafting a great presentation focused on the needs of your audience. . 

Here are my five key steps to developing a presentation that will win you a standing ovation. 

It’s often hard to ask for things that you really need, whether for yourself, someone else, or for your business. But to gain real success in life, you must be able to ask those hard questions. 

Here’s an outline that will allow you to ask for anything.