If a hotel can become famous for leading ducks across their lobby at 11:00 then certainly your business can become more well-known for some simple ritual that customers like to photograph and tell others about and reporters love to cover. In fact it’s surprising that so few businesses and other organizations see the power of memory-making rituals that we keep talking about the few that do.

Sometimes in conversation I wonder what are they really thinking. So, perhaps, have you. At such times I instinctively ask questions. Research shows that most of us do. That doesn’t help. Instead try this. To get a glimpse of what most concerns that person, be warm yet brief. That’s most likely to evoke a question from them.

When things go wrong, we tend to blind ourselves to other’s feelings. We are more likely to fall into a destructive behavioral trap. Sadly, when we do, we cannot be empathic. We weaken that human bond that’s vital to re-grouping and resilience. These blinding mindsets make us feel dumb, powerless … and alone. (Of course you don’t make any of these mistakes yet someone you know might, so it may be worth reading on.)

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself," wrote Leo Tolstoy. What habit do you want to drop or pick up? From body fat to a bright new job we obsess about but often block our own change. Here are some steps that have proved helpful to me.

Got stress? Anyone who says they don’t feel fearful sometimes in the face of this uncertain economy is in deep denial. One symptom, research shows, is that it is literally harder to hear when we’re stressed. That’s a signal to savvy, caring business owners to listen deeper and longer. Only then can we discover which problem keeps our customers awake nights. Solving that one is the thoughtful and successful way to sell.

In today's time-starved, relationship-diminished world, audiences:
Crave attention and connection with each other,
Want ready-to-use ideas,
AND still expect to be entertained.

These goals are often at odds when preparing a presentation that will make people rave about one's program long afterwards. Consequently, successful presenters need gut instincts-based behavioral insights into how to grab and hold their audiences attention.