Leil Lowndes's Blog

Talking on the phone is time consuming. I get it. Talking on the phone often creates uncomfortable silences. I get it. Talking on the phone makes me a prisoner to their timing, not mine. I get it. Talking on the phone makes me respond immediately without planning what I want to say. I get it. Compared to texts, I DM, IM, email, tweets, posts and an ever-growing selection of social media...

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In 1888 a baby boy was born to a poor farmer and his wife in Maryville, Missouri. Growing up with only cows and sheep to communicate with, he didn’t have much practice getting along with people and he developed an inferiority complex. The pain drove this young man to take a job where he would have more interaction with human beings. He went into sales—peddling bacon, soap and lard for a Chicago...

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His love for her was so intense that he could hardly bear to be away from her for more than a few hours. She accompanied him wherever he went—on long trips and short walks, to big parties and family gatherings, to the movies, to the gym, even to weddings and funerals. He never wanted her further than an arms distance away. He was extremely proud of her and loved showing her off to his friends.

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As the Chinese say, “ren hou lian, shu hou pi.” Umm, for the rest of us 85% of the world who don’t speak Chinese, that means “Trees can’t live without bark. Men can’t live without face.” In our culture, it’s a little different. Here two young guys can start a friendly conversation with, “Hey fartface, how ya doin? Pretty good shithead, how about you?” Or telling a girlfriend she’s too sensitive...

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This tip is for my wonderful non-American friends around the world. Today I received two special “Happy Thanksgiving” messages. What made them exceptional? Because one was from Bahrain and the other from Canada, neither of which celebrates Thanksgiving today. Cool Communicating Tip: If you are from another country which doesn’t either, send your American friends a Thanksgiving greeting.

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Thanksgiving dinner with the family on Thursday? I hope it’s as magnificent as such merriment is cracked up to be. But watch out! It ain’t like dining with friends you choose because, unfortunately, you have to consider even more carefully what you say. No matter how much you love your family members (well, most of them) realize that they all—mom, dad, grandma, siblings, kids, uncles, aunts...

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At a company meeting last week, an employee named. Noah cited a statistic that seemed too exaggerated to be accurate. A colleague, confused by his numbers, somewhat rudely challenged asking, “Where did you hear that?” Noah pointed to a woman named Sarah several rows back and said “She told me.” By the barely audible moan from the group, I could tell one of the three lost a lot of face with the...

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We all know that it's not just what you say, it's how you say it. But there is a third factor that has an insidious impact on your friendship. I call it "the hidden insult" and it's more common than you may think. What is the hidden insult? It's how whatever you say inadvertently affects your listener's EGO. This factor has the potency to make someone like you more–or a lot less. Here's an example.

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This tip is for anyone who deals with the public, especially retail and customer service folks. Yesterday I was at a draperies store talking with a sales associate about purchasing some window shades. She was knowledgeable, had good eye contact, and listened to what I had I had to say. She then nodded and smiled. So far, so good. Then, BOOM. The minute I’d finished placing my order...

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Today I ran into a neighbor at the deli that I hadn’t seen in two weeks. The last time we’d talked, it was the usual small talk – chatting about this and that and nothing. I do remember, however, discussing my dear departed cat, Louie, and told her I was thinking of getting another. Okay, two week past and rushing around this morning I spotted her on the street. I like her but considered crossing...

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