RecomMONDAYtions ~ 2026.03.30

Recommended Reading

💡How to Communicate with Humans (by John Carlton)

The secret weapon of elite salespeople — and the thing most people completely lack — is empathy. Not sympathy (feeling bad for someone), but true empathy: the ability to intellectually step into someone else’s shoes and understand what’s going on in their head while you’re talking to them.

So says legendary copywriter John Carlton in a post that argues most people are trapped in their own echo chamber of beliefs, reactions, and assumptions. They half-communicate, cause misunderstandings, and wonder why nobody “gets” them.

A sales transaction at its most basic is an inherently hostile act — both sides want the best possible deal. But a world-class salesman never gets into a head-butting duel when empathy can reveal opportunities to smooth things over and enrich the relationship.

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Here’s the description from the author’s site:

In The Most Powerful Sentence of All Time, find out how one simple sentence can transform sales presentations and attract customers.

Meet Barbara, a struggling CEO who can’t seem to get traction around her company’s new offer. But everything changes when she meets an unlikely guide who teaches her a mysterious persuasion technique: a single, powerful sentence that captivates anyone who hears it.

Whether you run a small business, are looking to attract others to a mission, or are seeking more premiere public speaking gigs, this engaging fable will help you:

Craft a powerful message that gives people chills

Integrate your message into pitches

Find clarity for your most complex ideas

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Podcast (The Story Power Marketing Show)

📡 How to Talk So People Listen (with Laura Sicola)

Her mission is to transform executives into confident, inspiring leaders.

A cognitive linguist by background, she has trained and coached executives at Fortune 500 companies and non-profit leaders from around the world. Laura’s TEDx talk, “Want to Sound Like a Leader? Start by Saying Your Name Right,” has nearly 7 million views.

In this episode, Sicola explains that experts often “sound like a human spreadsheet,” overwhelming others with details so they only seem smart but aren’t understood or followed. She recommends simplifying without dumbing down and using storytelling elements—metaphors, analogies, vocal tonality, and brief case-study style narratives—to make messages more memorable, engaging, and actionable.

She and I discuss how stories are recalled better than statistics, and define “voice” as both literal delivery and figurative point of view.

If you’re tech oriented but want to learn methods for communicating clearly and engaging emotionally, you’ll want to tune in.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

01:57 Stop Being a Human Spreadsheet

03:57 Storytelling For Techies

06:05 Why Stories Stick

07:43 Simple Stories Work

09:36 Case Studies Sell

10:38 Emotion Drives Decisions

11:57 Master Your Voice

13:55 Sounding Authoritative

15:40 Record And Review

16:55 GPS For Conversations

21:25 Where To Find Laura

22:53 Final Advice – Don’t Be Boring

24:36 Wrap Up And Resources

FULL EPISODE VIDEO: vimeo.com/1176496899

CONNECT WITH JIM

Listen on…

Apple| Spotify| Amazon

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Recommended Video

📽️ Want to sound like a leader? Start by saying your name right

This is that Laura Sicola TEDx talk I mentioned above…

Most people think leadership communication is about choosing the right words.

This talk flips that idea on its head.

It shows how your voice—your tone, rhythm, and delivery—often matters more than what you actually say. In fact, we tend to judge credibility less by words and more by how they’re delivered.

There’s a simple example in here about how to say your own name so people actually remember it… and once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it.

Worth watching if you speak, present, or lead in any way.

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Words to Ponder

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

– Charles R. Swindoll