Look Good, Sound Good, and Be Good on Video Calls!

 

Help your audience better understand you and what you're saying.

Have you been on a video call when a speaker talked so fast that you couldn't understand what they were saying? Or, when they spoke so quietly, you couldn't hear them, even after turning up your volume up to the max?

It soon became apparent. The speaker was rattled! 

Their gestures were frenetic. They stared wistfully at some distant planet as their voice grew shaky! Soon 'ums, you know's, and, as I said before's' were salted between meaningful content.  

Canadian Election 2021 Leaders TV Debates Media Interviews - What Did Their Bodies Say?

What does body language tell you about what a politician is really saying? Quite a lot, actually. 

Through the years I've been asked many times by various media to analyze the body language of federal or provincial Canadian party leaders as they debated each other on TV, radio, or online.

They are thrown into a boiling cauldron where every facial expression, every blink, every gesture, every turn, and every nuance is magnified by a forest of cameras.

Go to Page 2 to click and listen to each interview.

Political Theatre

Debates are live which means anything can go wrong at any time and usually does. A political debate is a high form of theatre for political junkies.

That is why leaders are coached, rehearsed, and then coached again. In Canada, the process is elevated because the leaders must participate in two debates, one in French and the other in English.

In every debate, one or more of the leaders rise above the rest. The greatest fear is saying something boneheaded, assuming a weak physical position or making an odd gesture that could win or lose the election.

When I am asked by the media to analyze body language, I note subtle - or not so subtle - signals that could make the difference in shaping people's impressions in Election 2021. I try to be unbiased.

While the purpose of a debate is to focus on ideas, they also provide great content for 24 hr news cycles and social media. The goal of each leader's PR team is to capture that one clip that will rocket their candidate to the front of the line.

Interviews Page 2

11 Power Reads Just for You. Top Brandit Posts for 2020/2021! +BONUS

11 great summer reads for summer relaxation.

I love helping people! In fact, I can truly say that helping others is one reason I get up in the morning.

There is no doubt the world of COVID turned lives upside down. Our family was forced to separate geographically due to dramatic changes in the economy.

I know company owners whose businesses thrived during COVID. They were able to pivot quickly to making PPE early into the lockdown.

But, as time progressed, they lost employees due to the disease and were hit by severe raw product shortages. So, if you weren't negatively impacted in some way, you were fortunate.

A Time for Learning

Many used COVID time as growing time. The forced quarantine was a time to learn. I am grateful that more people have read my Brandit posts and engaged with my content on Twitter and LinkedIn than ever before.

Top 11 Posts

Below are the most-read Brandit posts of 2020-2021 for you to enjoy once again. If you enjoy reading them, please comment.

While the numbers are gratifying, I appreciate most the telephone calls, emails, or blog comments from readers like you.

I've also received personal comments during social occasions, which is so cool. The conversation usually gravitates to blogging in general and analytics in particular. Below are the basics.

Yahoo! Tips to Help You Survive the Post COVID Calgary Stampede Networking Marathon

Networking happens everywhere at the Calgary Stampede!

Written by Robyn T. Braley 

First impressions are everything. But so are last impressions. Make sure both are the best that they can be! Don't be known as, "That cowboy, cowgirl or buckeroo who ..."

Throwing up on the boss’s spouse during an awkward attempt to hit on him or her is not how you want to be remembered after the companies Stampede barbecue. It's just not!

Stampede is hard to describe to people who have never been there. The Calgary Stampede is more of an all-encompassing, fully engaged experience, than an event confined to a single geographic location. Stampede is close to being spiritual, in a cowboy sort of way. 

For decades the Calgary Stampede was billed as the greatest outdoor show on earth. This year, not so much. 

We don't know what to expect as far as attendance in 2021. There will be thousands, just not many, many thousands for this year's scaled-down version.  

Harsh Realities

Lower attendance and a scaled-down Stampede are not due to a lack of interest. It is because of travel restrictions and the inability for visitors to plan ahead due to the unknowns of COVID that the total attendance will be limited. 

15 Reasons Why I am Proud to Be a Canadian

Written by Robyn T. Braley

I can't believe another Canada Day is here. For many, July 1st is also the official launch of summer. They book off several days and celebrate with friends and family in the mountains, at the lake, in local parks, or in their backyards.

July 1st, 2021 takes on special significance as most provinces have targeted this day to seriously lift COVID restrictions. It's a great Canada Day, eh?

Some reading this are Canadians living in other parts of the world. Wherever you are, Happy Canada Day!

Others reading this are not Canadians, although you live here. Many of you are reading this as citizens of other countries. 

You may have observed that Canadian's aren't usually pushy or loud about being Canadian. However, we feel our patriotism deeply. We just don't always talk about it.

We love our nation and are proud to be Canadians. What moves me the most is listening to the stories of new Canadians – either recent or from decades ago - explaining what it means to be a citizen. It is easy to take for granted the many benefits and blessings offered by our country.