Meet Matt BoothThe Man Behind the Energy

Be Yourself, Improve YourselfThe Philosophy behind MATTITUDE

The Discomfort ZoneFacing Your Fears in Everyday Life

CommunityWare The Tools to Make Organizational Communication Work

Getting Maximum ROI from Your Meetings:The Cherry on the Cake?

Mattributes:10 Keys to Successful Communication

Matt speaks to employees of Dupaco Community Credit Unionthrough a closed circuit system across multiple cities in the Midwest.

BE YOURSELF,

IMPROVE YOURSELF.

Meet Matt 3by Mike Ironside

Be Yourself, Improve Yourself 3by Matt Booth

1% Improvement Tipsby Matt Booth

the Discomfort Zone 4by Matt Booth

Worry or Solutions 5by Matt Booth

CommunityWare 6by Brad ParksChairman, Community, Incorporated

Balance 7by Matt Booth

Blame Game 7by Matt Booth

A Highlight ofKeynote Presentations and Seminars available from Matt Booth 8

Dressing the Part 9by Ben Graham

Getting Maximum ROI from Your Meetings:The Cherry on the Cake? 8by Stacy Tetschner, CAE,Executive Vice President, N.S.A.

Classroom Sound Amplification 11by Lifeline Systems

Mattributes 12-1510 Keys to Successful Communicationby Matt Booth

Additional Information about MATTITUDE, LLC. 15

Presentation Skills Coaching I recently attended Matt Booth’s communication seminar, and wanted to share my excitement about his class. He’s an exceptional presenter and teacher, and has a ton of great information to share. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to improve presentation/communi-cation skills. He would benefit anyone’s professional devel-opment. Not only is he an exceptional communicator, he’s also very entertaining! - Megan Murray Aegon USA

Presentation Skills Coaching “Saying that Matt is a dynamic presenter is an under-statement of gigantic proportion. His signature seminar, Mattitude, takes personal productivity training to another level. Matt’s content is relevant and his style is compelling. His ability to connect with the audience is the hallmark of his sem-inars. Matt is open, friendly, authentic, and approaches every session with a motivating persona. As a fellow trainer, Matt has my unqualified professional endorsement and my deep personal respect. Mattitude is a must for any corporation in any industry.”

- Rick Griffin Griffin Consultants

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563.773.MATT – 3 – www.mattbooth.com

Matt Booth himself, on purposeAuthenticity. It is a value that peo-ple look for in everything from the music they listen to and the food they eat to the watch they wear. (Does anybody really click the link in the email advertising Rolex repli-cas?) But sometimes we forget to be true to ourselves and that, says nationally recognized speaker and trainer Matt Booth, is where we can get into trouble.

“Being yourself is not a nice-to-have quality; it’s imperative,” says Booth. Understanding that authenticity is a basic but often overlooked val-ue, Booth underlines its importance in his writing and seminars.

In fact, “Be Yourself” is rule number one on Booth’s list of “Mattributes” for success. “It’s the only way to be happy,” says Booth frankly, “It’s tiring and useless trying to be some-one else. It’s not effective or productive to try and be someone you are not. Free yourself from what others think and work on developing your-self.”

Through his work with individu-als and organizations of all sizes, Booth recognizes that improvement is contingent

upon honest self-reflection. As an in-dividual, a small business, or an em-ployee of a large corporation, be-ing authentic is the first step toward overall improvement, whether your goal is personal development or company profits. “Find your unique-ness and use it to serve others,” he explains, “Use your gifts to serve oth-ers and the world will make a place for you.”

Booth is making his own place in the world by following his own advice. A living example of “Mattitude” in ac-tion, he has capitalized on his natural abilities to entertain, educate, and communicate. With a masters de-gree in communication and his ex-perience as a small business owner and realtor, Booth has integrated his communication expertise with real-world experience to become an in-ternationally known speaker, trainer, and coach. Active in his community as a volunteer and a cofounder of community web portal Dubuque365.com, Booth has been recognized lo-cally as a Rising Star Award winner and at the state level as an Out-standing Young Iowan.

His achievements, while im-pressive, are second na-

ture for someone with a natural curiosity and a lifelong dedication to learning and self-im-provement. “Improve yourself like your life de-

pends on it,” Booth de-clares, “because it does.”

But he acknowledges that self-improvement is an incre-

Be Yourself: Improve Yourself.

MATTITUDE 1% Improvement TipsThroughout this paper, you will find many of my 1% Improvement Tips. Improving your life, even by 1 percent, can make all the difference. Re-member, not every tip will work for everyone. What tips do you use to improve your life, even just a little bit? Please take an active part in your community. If you have a useful tip, I encourage you to send it to me so others can benefit. Send tips to: tips@mattbooth.com.

1% Improvement Tip: Turn Off Your Cell…Cell phones are powerful tools for communication. Sadly, widespread misuse leaves people annoyed, interrupted, and even offended. Often, cell phones make it more difficult to communicate a clear message. This continual lack of cell phone etiquette can be used in your favor. The next time you have an important meeting or a hot date, try this little 1-percent improvement tip.

Rather than turning your phone on vibrate or silent before your meet-ing, deliberately and obviously open up your phone in front of the per-son you’re meeting and turn the power off. As your phone begins to sing its little goodbye song, you’ve already accomplished a few impressive objectives. Neither of you will be interrupted by the ringing or vibration of your phone. You will be able to completely focus your energy on the conversation. Additionally, when someone watches you turn off your cell phone, you send him or her a signal that he or she is important and for the duration of the meeting, have your sole attention. Try it. If it works, give me a call. If you get my voice mail, I’m in an important meeting or maybe even on a hot date. You know what to do at the tone.

What is leadership? That’s a com-plex question. The best definition of leadership I’ve found comes from Jim Rohn. He said, “Leader-ship is the challenge to be some-thing better than average.” If you want to be a leader, you must be better than average. There are two rules to be better than average: Be Yourself and Improve Yourself.

Rule number one, Be Yourself. To be better than average, you’re going to have to be your-self. There is no other way. It is impossible to be better than mediocre trying to be something you’re not. Your actions need to originate from who you are rather than a superficial place. Rediscover your passions and desires. What did you want to be as a kid? Is it even close to what you do for a living? Why not? Find your uniqueness and use it to serve others. Use your gifts to serve others, and the world will make a place for you. Be Yourself.

Rule number two, Improve Yourself. To stay above average, you must be in a continued state of self im-provement. Make it your mission to be the best you can. You can’t help others until you first help yourself. If you’re going to lift someone up, you

must be on higher ground. Being better than average is not about ego, it’s about helping. If you’re not better than average in your personal and professional life, you can’t help people. Be a better than average friend, spouse, parent, and business person. Find your unique-ness and constantly improve upon it. Great leaders love what they do and continue learning. Do what you love and Improve Yourself.

To be a leader, you must be better than average. Find your unique-ness, use it to serve others and improve. e.e. cummings put it like this: “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you every-body else means to fight the hard-est battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” To be better than average, Be Yourself and Improve Yourself.

Continued on page 4

563.773.MATT – 4 – www.mattbooth.com

mental process. We don’t become the person we want to be overnight. With his Mattitude 1% Improvement Tips, Booth might not give us all the answers for a successful life, but he does provide insights that could posi-tively impact our lives in a way that compounds daily. “If you want to be successful, you have to improve upon yourself,” he says, “Every day you have to improve just a little bit.”

A firm believer in the power of individ-ual improvement, Booth considers the success of companies and organiza-tions to be dependent upon the suc-cess of individuals as well. “Overall im-provement of an organization comes through the collective improvement of individuals,” he states. Equally im-portant in the equation for success is communication. “I have helped cli-ents realize that communication suc-cess is not a vague concept, but a controllable process, which can be

implemented for any organization or individual.” Booth explains, “It is criti-cal to understand that no matter how large the organization, the achieve-ment of success comes down to the individual performance.”

Booth stresses the importance of communication in his writing and seminars. “Success comes to peo-ple not because they are smarter or more talented, but because they can communicate their ideas clearly,” he says, “Virtually every facet of your personal and professional life hangs more on the ability to communicate than on any other learnable skill. It has never been more important than now to present a clear message.”

The good news is that Booth’s presen-tation “Communicate with Mattitude” provides an entertaining and informa-tional training experience that intro-duces new communication strategies which employees can begin using im-mediately to become more effective in their work. A communications ex-

1% Improvement Tip: 10 Minute TasksA 10-minute task is exactly that: a task you can finish in 10 minutes or less. You live in a fast-paced, information-overloaded, multitasking world. It’s almost impossible to find a chunk of time to concentrate on one project until it’s finished. You probably already break large projects into smaller pieces. Now, make a list of those activities you can accomplish in ten minutes or less. Your workday is full of 10-minute chunks of time: those precious moments spent waiting for a meeting to begin, before a confer-ence call or appointment, or being placed on hold. After10 minutes here and 10 minutes there, pretty soon you’ve lost your whole day. Utilize those 10 minutes completing a small task, and you’ll increase productivity and efficiency. Ten minutes is plenty of time to write a thank-you note, return a phone call, read an article or a couple of pages of that book that has been staring at you. Grab a pen right now and make a list of simple tasks that you can accomplish in ten minutes or less and start taking advan-tage of small blocks of time to keep your day from slipping away.

The Discomfort ZoneI’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “step outside of your comfort zone.” I never liked that phrase. Getting out of your comfort zone is like walking over to the pool and sticking your big toe in to test the temperature. If you want to im-prove, you’re going to have to do more than just stick your foot in the water. You have to run over to the pool and cannonball in. You can’t just step outside your comfort zone. You have to seek out and jump into the Discomfort Zone.

Discomfort Zones are areas of life you avoid. They’re easy to iden-tify but hard to face. Just thinking about them gives you an unpleas-ant feeling in your stomach. It’s uncomfortable to exercise, for ex-ample, but very comfortable to sit on the couch. It’s uncomfortable to apply for a new job, but com-fortable to stay in your current po-sition. It’s uncomfortable to forgive but comfortable to hold a grudge. It’s uncomfortable to be account-able but comfortable to blame someone else. It’s uncomfortable to tell the truth and often comfort-able to lie.

You’re comfortable where you feel safe, but understand that be-ing safe is a dangerous place. The pursuit of comfort is like a drug that continually tempts you to avoid

pain. Comfort leads to mediocre performance, poor relationships, and disappointment. Your comfort zone is boring and dulls your sens-es. Being comfortable sucks the life right out of you. It’s a natural law of nature that all things in the universe are either living or dying a little more each day. If you’re al-ways comfortable, you’re existing, not living.

If your comfort zone is dangerous, being uncomfortable must be safe. What? Isn’t the Discomfort Zone painful? Yes, and embarrassing,

frightening and traumatic. It is an emotional place full of sur-prises that keeps you edgy. You perform at high levels, increase creativity, resourcefulness and inspiration. Ask the most suc-cessful people you know and you’ll find that rather than avoid pain, they accept it. They’ll tell you that pain equals growth and the benefits far outweigh the discomfort.

If you just step outside your com-fort zone at the very moment

you feel pain, you go back to where you were. This is why people fail to improve themselves. They are unwill-ing to accept pain. Once you jump into a Discomfort Zone, there is no stepping back to safety. When you realize this concept, you become willing to do what others won’t. You become a Discomfort Zoner. You embrace discomfort until it becomes tolerable, soon the pain subsides, you enjoy the benefits, and the pain is forgotten.

Jumping into the Discomfort Zone is not a nuisance, but a necessity. To improve your life, you must jump in and stake your claim. If you don’t, you’re going to be stuck where you are, standing by the edge of the pool sticking your big toe in to test the temperature. Is that where you want to be?

Meet MattContinued from page 3

Matt teaches the benefits of having Purpose... Structure... and Action!

563.773.MATT – 5 – www.mattbooth.com

Leadership TrainingThank you so much for taking your time, energy and talents to motivate and help us learn this weekend at LPS. I appre-ciate your hard work over the last 4 days, and I look forward to the next year - growing the professionalism and image of the US Junior Chamber.

- Barbara Marcel Procter & Gamble

1% Improvement Tip: University on WheelsThere are studies that show you spend about the same amount of time in your car as it takes to get four PhDs. With the price of gas these days, it’d probably cost the same as four PhDs. I’m not sure what is in shorter supply and higher demand: Gas or time? This 1-percent Mattitude improvement tip won’t improve your fuel efficiency; it will improve your real-world ef-ficiency. Consider your car as a University on Wheels. While driving in your car, you have the time to learn a new language, become more motivat-ed, or develop skills and insight to become a better person, spouse, par-ent, employer or employee. Get some books on tape from your favorite speakers and authors and learn while driving. Could self-improvement be any easier? You don’t have to be obsessed with it, just keep in mind that it is very productive to turn your vehicle into a University on Wheels.

pert, Booth can help people with both verbal and non-verbal communica-tion, active listening skills, and public speaking strategies. Equipped with the tools of effective communication, individuals have the potential to be-come more efficient and productive employees, to strengthen both per-sonal and professional relationships, and to ultimately reach their goals sooner. With a variety of presentation topics from which to draw, Booth can

deliver a program customized to the needs of the client.

Fun, entertaining, educational, memorable, and above all, au-thentic, Matt Booth is a dynamic speaker and trainer who is happy being himself, on purpose.

(Mike Ironside is a writer for 365Ink, a cultural, civic, and entertainment magazine in Dubuque, Iowa.)

Worry or SolutionsThe modern world provides many op-portunities for worry. It’s not unusual to feel stressed out and overwhelmed. You worry about your family, your job, your health, your friends, and your commu-nity. Worry is a lasting preoccupation with past or future bad events. There isn’t one situation that is made better by worry. Worry serves only one pur-pose: It makes matters worse. If you constantly worry, you’ll never be able to focus on solutions.

Thinking through problems and chal-lenges is a healthy response to life pres-sures and helps you to find solutions. Often, instead of logically thinking through problems, you get caught up with unresolved concerns and begin to worry. If not managed, worry quickly becomes an obstacle and you obsess over situations you can only partly con-trol or are powerless to change. Worry will disrupt your life, hamper your abil-ity to focus, and keep you from falling asleep at night.

No one is without problems; they are a part of living. Worry is a bad habit. The good news is like any habit, it can be broken. Recognizing when you begin

to worry is the beginning. Most people are unaware when they’ve even started to worry. By being conscious of worry, you can switch it off before it has the opportunity to affect your emotions and thoughts. You can eliminate or re-duce worry by distracting your mind. Try thinking about something positive, going for a walk, splashing cold water on your face, calling a friend or listen-ing to your favorite music.

Stanley Allyn said, “There is no use wor-rying about things over which you have no control, and if you have control, you can do something about it instead of worrying.” Don’t get stressed out or overwhelmed. Worry solves nothing and only makes matters worse. If the cause of your worry is something you can change, then channel that worry into solutions. Don’t focus on worry; focus on solutions.

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by Brad Parks,CEO, 365

In early January of the year 2000, a small group of friends came togeth-er to find a better way to gain at-tendance at the community events they hosted. They worked hard to produce great events for their com-munity as they recognized that their hometown of Dubuque, Iowa, was in trouble when it came to keeping tal-ented young people in the commu-nity. Yes, they lived in the hometown of the Little Old Lady from Dubuque. Okay, full disclosure: “the friends” are really us, the 365 guys.

Anyway, we realized that our city needed to better identify and pro-mote its competitive advantages against other communities if we were to attract and retain more young people. While very simple in its scope, our “big idea” was that the easier it was for people to communicate the many opportunities that were avail-able in the community, the more like-ly the community would grow and prosper. Simple, right? More people in the community meant more peo-ple at our events.

We called this “big idea” 365, as we knew that to help people connect to more relationships, more social and job opportuni-ties, and a better day-to-day living experience we would need to make this effort an ev-eryday way of life.

Yes, we had “Mattitude” long before we even know what that meant. Back then we just had Matt, one of the origi-nal 365 guys. One of the key elements in the creation of 365Advantage came from the research involved in Matt

Booth’s master’s thesis on com-munity. Thus, one of the founding principles of 365Advantage is the idea that community exists not just in neighborhoods or towns but in a myriad of other forms such as be-tween our friends, employees and even customers. Many different groups of people make up the com-munities that surround us everyday. The basic theories, Web applications and corresponding training behind

365Advantage were created to help leaders of all of these unique commu-nities better compete for talent, sales and overall growth and productivity.

The 365Advantage program facilitates growth by letting dispersed commu-nities of people communicate easily and instantly using an attractive and simple to use internet platform. 365Advantage works 24 hours a day, rebuilding it-self with every page load. It lets a community’s most talented people drive the creation of their own mes-sage and frees the com-munity from the constraints of technology or the over-burden on their IT depart-ment. Using the power of the latest in Web and con-tent management 365Ad-vantage gives communities control over their story, con-nects their members, and

empowers them to maximize their information flow.

365Advantage’s greatest advan-tage may be that it allows all us-ers and administrators to upload, download and share information without having to have any spe-cial software knowledge or com-puter skills. It gives users the power to decide when and where infor-mation is posted to the system and lets the community of users focus on their core talents. It also frees up IT time to focus on their core skills like resolving network is-

sues and not on content oversight. In the end 365Advantage has grown into a unique tool that helps communi-ties of people communicate with un-precedented simplicity.

So with all these new tools just how did that group of friends do in help-ing their community grow?

Well, we did just fine, actually.

As a matter of fact, Matt Booth went with our community delegation in the summer of 2007 to Los Angles to compete for the “No-bel Prize of Constructive Citizen-ship,” and as a result Dubuque, Iowa, was named a 2007 All-America City by the National Civic League.

Yes, life in Dubuque is good and the Little Old Lady from Dubuque, fully empowered with “Matti-tude” to spare, is now a Web-surf-ing maniac whose weekly sched-ule with the grandkids is filled with art openings, alternative music shows and community festivals.

Not bad at all.

And our next big idea is…

Well, you’ll have to ask Matt.

563.773.MATT – 6 – www.mattbooth.com

1% Improvement TipImproving your life, even just by 1 percent, can make all the difference! Remember, not every tip will work for everyone. What tips do you use to improve your life? Even just a little bit.

Am I eligible for a Complimentary Upgrade today?When doing business with service companies (airlines, hotels, and car rentals), always ask for a complimentary upgrade. This 1 percent improve-ment tip can go a long way. You may find yourself in first class on a long flight, staying in the hot tub suite or driving down the strip with the top down on a convertible.

Some advice for getting free upgrades:• Always ask; never demand.

• Be respectful and tactful.

• Be polite. No one has to upgrade anyone for free.

• If you want excellent service, be an excellent customer.

• Dress well. A sloppy appearance will hurt your chances; wearing professional attire can put the odds in your favor.

Securing a complimentary upgrade is never a sure bet. It doesn’t cost any-thing to ask, and it is really cool when you’re sitting in first class sipping champagne and your friends are stuck in economy.

Blame GameWho did you blame today? Did you point your finger at your boss, co-workers, significant other, kids or parents? Someone else is surely to blame for whatever went wrong. The only thing better than blam-ing others by yourself is when you can get together with a group of like-minded blamers and agree on one thing -- its someone else’s fault. This victim mindset, finger-pointing, and lack of personal responsibility is widespread. The blame game kills opportunity for personal growth.

Everyone screws up. Unfortunately, it’s now the norm to deny all re-sponsibility and blame oth-ers. If I go out and drink a 12-pack of Bud Light and make a fool of my-self on the t o w n

p l a z a , w h o should I blame? I could put the blame on my

parents, an ex-girlfriend, my bud-dies, or maybe even the bartend-ers. Of all the beer I’ve drunk in my life, I can’t remember someone ever forcing one down my throat. Everything in my life is a result of the choices I make. Taking responsibil-ity for my screw-ups means I admit it. I apologize to everyone I’ve of-fended (that I can remember), try to learn something, forgive myself, and move on.

We all screw up and it’s very con-venient to deny responsibility and blame others. After all, it couldn’t possibly be my fault for missing an appointment. I know it’s not your

fault your job sucks or your house is a mess. I know you didn’t mean

to smoke that pack of cigarettes; besides, you only

smoke when you’re drinking. Being overweight is not your fault, either; you just don’t have time to exercise and you accidentally ate that box of Krispy Kremes. Taking responsibility for your screw ups (no matter how big or small) allows you to get over them, learn something, and move on. How we respond to our screw-ups determines how much we grow. The blame game kills the opportunity for growth. I know it’s not your fault.

563.773.MATT – 7 – www.mattbooth.com

Balance“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -- Albert Einstein

Balance in life is important. It has always been said that it’s tough to help others until you first help yourself. Only after finding bal-ance can you honestly contribute to your family, friends, and com-munity. According to Einstein, bal-ance is about moving. Moving is about progress … which always comes with the risk of falling. Falling is a risk that I believe is worth taking to find your own healthy balance, not using someone else’s vision of balance for you. If you’re happy, you’re balanced. After all, it’s your bicycle.

Think about a time when you felt really happy about life. I’ll bet it was a time when you were passionate and com-pletely involved in something. It could have been a career, your family, a spiritual quest or your community. You were do-ing what you wanted … may-be it was mastering a sport, losing weight or volunteering. Sure, you felt happy, but were you really balanced?

Life balance is essential, but be realistic about balance in the quest for progress. Progress first requires imbalance. When you’re passionate about something and pursue it, al-most by default, other areas of your life will get less attention, and may even be entirely neglected. A skill-ful artist, for example, is consumed by his/her craft and spends little time elsewhere. It’s unlikely that any remarkable piece of work was created while the artist pursued a state of balance.

Your main focus at any particu-lar point in time takes away from

your ability to pay attention to other areas of your life. No matter how hard you attempt to achieve “balance,” there will inevitably be competition between different ar-eas of your life. This competition keeps you moving.

Your life is dynamic, not static. As a unique person, the important areas of your life constantly change: you fall in love, get married, have chil-dren, you may get divorced, land a new job (or lose one), someone you love gets sick, or you might develop entirely new interests. At different stages in your life, differ-ent areas compete for your atten-tion, and it’s only natural to focus on what is most important at that moment; however, when you feel a tilt that might cause a fall, it’s time to check your balance.

It’s unreasonable to expect your life to be in perfect balance. In-stead of trying to balance all areas at any one time, acknowledge that progress requires imbalance. Don’t do enough to make others happy, do what it takes to bal-ance your bike. If you’re truly hap-py, then aren’t you balanced? It’s your bicycle; find your balance and keep moving. It’ll be the journey of your life.

Presentation Skills Coaching“During my 2005 mayoral campaign, Matt Booth was invalu-able in helping me to articulate and target my message to citizens. He listened to my vision for Dubuque and worked with me to get the message across…every time.”

- Mayor Roy D. Buol Dubuque, Iowa

1% Improvement Tip: Pre-TippingNext time you use any service where tips are customary, tip the amount you normally would at the end -- except do it at the beginning. You will receive exceptional service.

Try pre-tipping a bartender or waitress. Tip a housekeeper the first day of your stay rather than the last. You’ll receive prompt courteous service. All the details will be taken care of and don’t be surprised if you receive extras along the way. Remember, bartenders, waitresses, housekeeping and other service people depend on tips to supplement their incomes.

Give pre-tipping a try. If you feel the services warrants an extra tip, then you have the option to do so at the end. By pre-tipping, you’ll find more often than not, the service you receive will be exceptional.

Communication TrainingI taught a workshop yesterday on predatory lending to an audience of about 70 people. You would have been proud. I gave them three - and only three - main points to consider and I whittled-down my 75-minute-long PowerPoint(less) pre-sentation to 18 slides plus a video. It is certainly a step in the right direction. And when the other conference workshops were letting-out a few minutes early, my workshop attend-ees remained engaged, asked questions and bombarded me afterwards. It was nice - and many thanks to you for all of your great advice!! - Laura K. Sudduth Technical Assistance Administrator Homeownership Department, Kentucky

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563.773.MATT – 8 – www.mattbooth.com

Communication Training“I wanted to thank you again for what I feel was the most worth-while presentation for me at Friday’s Conference! The energy and enthusiasm you bring to your presentation made me want to get right to work on improving my communication skills! I will definitely keep you in mind when we need a presenter or speaker in my business. - thanks again!”

- Andrew R. Lashier Laser Resources, LLC

1% Improvement Tip: The Skydiving ApproachI recently took the opportunity to go skydiving. Jumping out of a perfectly good air-plane at 10,500 feet is a rush. I gained so much more than just a shot of adrenaline. When you try something new or different for the first time, your brain absorbs about 80% of the information associated with the new experience. This it true whether you try a new sport, go to an art opening, take guitar lessons, attend a different church service, or jump out of an airplane. I’m certainly not saying that by skydiving once, I know everything about it. In fact, you quickly find out how important that other 20% really is. Just be aware that when you try something new or different for the first time, you learn so much and the experience becomes a valuable asset.

Internationally known professional speaker and trainer Matt Booth pro-vides your organization or conference with a compelling list of seminars and keynotes. Matt Booth’s style and expe-rience qualifies him to bring effective and stimulating information to your or-ganization or company. The informa-tion is timely and inspiring. Matt’s Mat-titude allows the audience to laugh and learn! Keynote presentations are customized for yout organization’s event. Below is a list and brief descrip-tion of his most popular topics.

What’s In Your Wallet?Get more out of life with this nation-ally known goal setting and action seminar. Accomplish more, learn more, and earn more. Live life more fully. Learn how to not only set goals but how to achieve them as well. This seminar reveals how success can be determined by what’s in your wallet.

Customer LoyaltyThe customer loyalty you’ve always dreamed of is well within your reach. When your employees attend this seminar, they’ll learn techniques to not only satisfy customers, but turn them into loyal customers. Attendees

come away from this seminar with a new outlook on the same old cus-tomer service. The skills and insights they’ll gain will help them develop a sense of pride, confidence, and en-thusiasm that’s the hallmark of build-ing customer loyalty.

Leadership – Mattitude StyleWhether you lead a team, a work unit or an entire department, this seminar will equip you with the skills you need to lead others to achieve phenomenal results! You’ll discover powerful ideas to motivate and in-spire others and the best strategies of leadership.

Communicate with MattitudeFrom the day you are born, you’ve depended on the ability to commu-nicate. Somewhere between that first cry for breath and yesterday’s babbling, the process has changed. You now live in a world full of clutter, confusion, and information overload. With each step forward in technol-ogy, you seem to take a step back from others. More often than not, the inability to communicate effectively

leaves you sitting on the sidelines watching others put points on the board and ultimately money in the bank. Success comes to people not because they are smarter or more talented than you, but because they can communicate their ideas clearly. Virtually every facet of your personal and professional life hangs more on the ability to communicate than on any other learnable skill. It has never been more important than now to present a clear message.

Slick Networking vs.Relationship Building Are you a slick networker or a relation-ship builder? This seminar will help you develop your networking skills and show you how to take those skills and build long lasting relationships. After attending this course, you’ll quickly see how you can turn ordinary inter-actions into memorable relationships.

The Power of InfluenceInfluence is an everyday affair. We influence, and are influenced by, the people we observe and interact with on a daily basis. It is often be-

lieved that the power to influence is something with which you are born. But influence is a skill that can be learned. Most people try to influence others the way a carpenter drives a nail; they just keep hammering until they finish the job, or bend the nail beyond repair. The goal of the semi-nar is to improve your understanding of influence in your day-to-day life.

Speaking AnxietyNobody has ever died from stage fright. But, according to surveys, many people would rather die than give a presentation. If that applies to you, this seminar is just what you need. It’s full of ideas that will make any presentation a whole lot easier on your nerves. You’ll learn powerful skills and solid strategies to present to audiences of one to 1,000. Don’t wait another minute. Make the deci-sion that will improve your skills – and attitudes – about speaking.

Yes! I Want to Guarantee My Meeting is a Success!

Make your meeting a success with award-winning speaker, Matt Booth, MAC.

www.mattbooth.com, or call

(563) 773-Matt, or email

info@mattbooth.com.

Keynote Presentations and Seminars From Mattitude

®

Straight fashion advice from your clothing guys at Graham’s: This ad-vice was prepared for men, but clearly make good sense for women as well. And long experience tells me that no one knows his stuff like Ben and the staff at Graham’s Style Store for Men.

The most important thing about clothing is fit. Make sure your clothes fit you well. If you have lost or gained a few pounds since your suit was fitted, try your suit on at least a week before you need to wear it. That will give you time to get down to the store to get refitted. It also gives the tailor time to make any necessary ad-justments.

Match your footwear to your cloth-ing and the occasion.

Well-kept shoes show that you care about dressing up and that you pay attention to detail. A $200.00 shoe without a shine can easily look like a $30.00 shoe. Keep a shoeshine kit handy in your closet. Each morning, wipe down the tops of your shoes with a piece of soft material.

Your belt should match or closely resemble the color and texture of your shoes. Your socks should match your pants. Black shoes = black belt.

Brown shoes = brown belt. Tan pants = tan (not white) socks. Gray pants = gray socks. Navy pants = navy socks. If you are wearing black pants or a black suit, wear black shoes only. If you are wearing a brown suit or brown pants wear brown shoes.

Even though your shirt may be a cotton/polyes-ter blend or be labeled “wrinkle-free”, you may still have to touch it up a little. A “wrinkle-free” la-bel sewn in the shirt is not a force field that makes the wrin-kles in your shirt invisible to every-one else.

You should only wear long sleeve dress shirts with your suit. Even when it is 90 degrees outside, long-sleeve dress shirts are the absolute dressiest.

The smallest part of your outfit, your tie, is often the most readily noticed.

Your necktie should be tied long enough to reach your belt buckle. If you have a large neck or long torso, buy extra long ties. There are sev-eral necktie knots that will help you achieve different tie lengths. For in-structions on the various knots, visit www.grahamsstylestore.com under the Dr. Style link.

Neckties change faster than any other item in menswear. Even though you may not have worn your tie of-ten, periodic updates are still in order. Few will notice if your navy pinstripe suit is several years old, but they will notice a dated necktie.

A necktie tucked in be-tween your shirt buttons looks far more fashionable than a necktie speckled with buffalo wing sauce, bleu cheese and Old Style. Next to lunch and happy hour, dry cleaning is one of the hardest things on your neckties. Do not tuck your tie away during

formal lunches and dinners; you will

just have to be more careful.

Neckties dec-orated with car-

toon characters, footballs, and rainbow

trout coordinate with noth-ing. If you are wearing a dressy

suit or sport coat, wear a classy tie.

Do not mix and match seasons. For example, it is not appropriate to wear lightly colored linen pants with a favorite sweater in the fall. In the upper Midwest there are some items that should only be worn between Memorial Day and Labor Day: linen or linen blends in jackets and pants; lightly colored, tropical weight wool;

silk, silk/rayon or madras shirts; silk jackets; seersucker pants, shirts,

and jackets; and white nu-buck shoes. Conversely put away the heavier weight/texture (cordu-roy, tweeds, and flan-nels) and darker col-ored (dark olives, browns and rusts) pieces of your wardrobe away in warm-er weather.

If you have questions or are in need of some fash-ion insight, please stop in,

call one of us here at the store (563) 582-3760, or visit us

online at www.grahamsstylestore.com. We will give you honest answers and insights to your questions and dilemmas.

563.773.MATT – 9 – www.mattbooth.com

Break-Out Session“Thank you for the dynamic presentation of some really cool ideas. You are right, it is great to come home with just one good idea. We certainly came out of your session with more than one idea. We needed the educational and entertaining break.” - Michael C. Van Milligen Dubuque City Manager

1% Improvement Tip:

Stop Doing ListYou probably have some sort of “to do” list. In addition to that, try making a “stop doing” list. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins found that successful companies look at what they are currently doing that they need to “stop doing.” A “stop doing” list will increase your productivity and ef-fectiveness both professionally and person-ally. Take a look at your daily activities and evaluate them. Find the activities that bog you down and put them on your “stop do-ing” list. Maybe you waste time at work or watch too much TV at home. A “stop do-ing” list is an excellent way to increase your efficiency.

Find many more tips at

www.mattbooth.com

®

563.773.MATT – 10 – www.mattbooth.com

There is a lot of talk regarding the return on investment (ROI) for meetings in today’s marketplace. Many potential attendees wonder whether the travel, the lodging ex-pense and time away from office and family can be justified. When it comes to making the decision to register, attendees want to know what they are going to take away from the meeting to help them-selves and their organizations work smarter, harder and more profit-ably. As a meeting manager, you are working with a limited budget and limited time to arrange everything from the educational content to logistics, from meal planning to promotion. It is your job to assure a seamless experience in a comfort-able environment. But for many meeting professionals today, the expectation is higher. Clients and organizations are looking to you to manage the meeting in a way that achieves predetermined out-comes: both in terms of registration numbers and attendee satisfac-tion.

It is a tall order. How can you bring new vision to how you perform the mundane organizational work to increase the ROI for the attendees and ultimately the boss or client we are doing this for?

I would like to suggest a simple solu-tion: take a long hard look at how your client or organization is allo-cating the total meeting budget.

What are you spending on meals--specifically desserts? Desserts are that little extra treat that you use to leave a sweet taste in the mouth of

our attendees. You want to arrange something that makes the attend-ee say “WOW!” when it is set down in front of them. But organizations often spend $7 or more per person on the dessert. For large meetings, that adds up to thousands of dol-lars!

I would like to make a point about priorities here. For the majority of the attendees, the ROI of the meet-ing is not in the dessert or even the meal itself, but rather the content of the program or programs. When attendees look back and evaluate the meeting experience, seldom do they say, “It was the dessert that

made this meeting for me!” It is far more

l i k e l y

that the speakers and the content de-livered will de-termine a good vs. bad meeting experience.

So why then, do many meeting professionals work so hard to find a free speaker for their meeting, and then turn around and spend thousands of dollars on

the dessert? If content is what you are evaluated on, doesn’t it make sense to scale down on the food and beverage and invest that sav-ings in a professional speaker with a message customized to the group? Would this not help get a better re-turn on everyone’s investment?

There are many good speakers out there who work for free in ex-change to promote a product or service within the industry, but there is a trade off in this which can af-fect ROI. Attendees are very savvy. They know when a session they are attending is a modified sales pitch,

and they are understandably irri-tated that they have invested time and money to hear it.

Consider this: Next time you have a meal function with dessert, look around the room and see how many people really are eating it. What per-

centage of the audience does not eat the dessert at all, or just

takes a bite or two? Then, look at the evaluations and see who actu-ally comments on the dessert. This will give you a good idea of what is really expected in terms of dessert planning.

Then, plan a meeting where a portion of the money from dessert is actually invested in a profes-sional speaker. Invest time with the speaker to customize a message that is congruent with the overall purpose or theme of the meeting. Be sure to check references and assure they are a good fit for your group. Then WOW the audience with a high quality presentation that leaves them with a message they can take back to help them work harder, smarter and more prof-itably. Chances are they will thank you and so may their waistline.

Stacy Tetschner, CAE, is the Execu-tive Vice President and CEO of the National Speakers Association (NSA) based in Tempe, AZ. NSA is the leading organization for profes-sional speakers. NSA’s thousands of members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, authors and more. Since 1973, NSA has provided re-sources and education designed to advance the skills, integrity and value of its members and speaking profession. Visit NSA’s Web site at www.nsaspeaker.org.

Getting Maximum ROI from Your Meetings: The Cherry on the Cake?Stacy Tetschner, CAEExecutive Vice President, National Speakers Association

Keynote Speech“With Matt’s experience, he creates the perfect blend of motivation and humor to charge his audience. His talent is truly unmatched by anyone in the industry. If you need to recharge your organization, Matt Booth is the person to make it happen.”

-Molly Redenbaugh, 77th President, Iowa Junior Chamber

1% Improvement Tip: 101% principleAnytime you meet someone new, find the one thing that you have in com-mon. When you find that one thing, give it 100 percent of your effort. That’s the 101 percent principle.

When meeting someone in a professional or personal situation, the goal should be to build a relationship. Building relationships is about making connections. Making connections is about asking questions and listening. Ask questions and listen until you find the one thing you have in common with that person. When you find that common ground, give it 100 percent of your effort. If you work a little, you can always find one thing in common with anyone. Give that one thing in common 100 percent and you’ve made a connection and you’re well on your way to building a relationship.

563.773.MATT – 11 – www.mattbooth.com

Does your business or organization need

MATTITUDE? Contact Matt today at

563.773.MATT or matt@mattbooth.com.

Presentation Coaching“Matt’s workshop has given me the tools to make each presentation stronger and more effective. His techniques for message formulation and de-livery are exactly what I was looking for.” - Rick Dickinson, Iowa Congressional Candidate, Director, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation

1% Improvement Tip: Cardinal Rule of ManagementSuccessful managers understand the Cardinal Rule of Management. If some-one under you succeeds, the success is a result of his or her hard work and effort. If there is a failure, both of you are responsible. When the new project is a home run, pass on all the credit, praise and glory to others. If the project strikes out, share the blame. That’s the Cardinal Rule of Management.

What’s in YOUR Wallet?by Scott GinsbergThat Guy with the Nametag

It’s rare to have an epiphany while standing in the middle of Hooters. But I guess there’s a first time for everything.

“Look around this bar,” my friend Matt urged, “and tell me what you see.”

“Um … hooters. I see hooters,” I said.

“All right, wise-guy. Now tell me what you REALLY see,” he joked.

“Well, I see lots of business-people.”

“OK. Good,” he said. “Now. Do you know what all these businesspeople have in common?”

“No idea.”

“Here. Let me show you something,” he said as he pulled out his wallet.

Matt unfolded a well-worn piece of paper. Both sides were covered in text.

“These are my goals,” he proudly stated.

“What, like, ALL of them?”

“Yes. Every one of them. Over 100, too: short term, long term, personal, business, relationship, you name it!”

“Wow. THAT is cool,” I nodded. “And I see you’ve dated and quantified each goal too. Nice work.”

“Thanks,” Matt smiled. “Now, do you know why I showed this to you?”

I leaned forward.

“Because statistically, about three percent of all businesspeople actually write their goals down. And less than one percent actually carry their goals with them at all times.”

“Which means, at this very Hooters, at this very mo-ment, I guarantee you that I’m the ONLY person in the room who has his goals written down AND stored in his wallet.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“That’s what all these people have in common. They just don’t get it.”

Matt changed me on that day.

The way I think about goals.The way I think about self-motivation.The way I think about personal success.

When I got home that night, I sat down until 1 AM typing out every one of my personal and professional goals on a single piece of paper.

When the printer finished up, I grabbed my goal sheet and took one last look at it.

And I felt excited. Confident. Motivated.

Then I folded it up, stuck it in my wallet and com-mitted to looking at it once a day, every day, until every goal was accomplished.

I dare you. I double dare you. No, I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU … to do this exercise. Because it won’t just change the way you look at goals. It will change the way you walk into a room. Because even when you’re feeling down … even when you’re feeling unsuccessful … and even when you think business sucks ... all you’ll have to do is pull that little piece of paper out of your wallet, take one look around, and think to yourself, “You know what? I’m probably the ONLY person in the room who has one of these.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS... What’s in YOUR wallet?

Find Scott online @ www.hellomynameisscott.com

®

Mattributes of Communication

Success is closely linked to effective communi-cation. The Mattributes of Communication are essential to delivering a clear message. De-veloping the following Mattributes of Commu-nication will help you achieve greater success in your personal and professional life.

M - My Equal Share a Dance

A - Active Listening 2 Ears, 1 Mouth

T - Talk Purpose Structure Action

T - Touch Builds Foundation

R - Rest Power of the Pause

I - Involvement Get Participation

B - Body Language Must Match Message

U - Use Your Smile Universal Languageion

T - Tell a Story What’s Your Storyn

E - Eye Contact #1 Communication Tool

563.773.MATT – 12 – www.mattbooth.com

I’ve pulled together ten of the most important skills of communication and created my Mattributes Top 10. There are others, and we’ll talk about them too, but if you follow these 10 helpful concepts, you’ll be well on your way to effective and successful communcation.

1. My Equal Imagine a huge ballroom with a great big empty hardwood dance floor. Hanging from the ceiling is one of those cool mirrored spinning lights. You’re at one end and the person you want to talk to is way at the other end. Can you see all the space between you? Can you hear the music? From today forward, when you communicate with someone, think of it as sharing a song. Get on the same emotional level and ask that person to verbally dance. Share a moment in time on that big communication dance floor. A secret to effective communication is listening for the music of the moment.

It is the music of conversations that moves lives. Become aware of the situation and conditions around you. Listen to the music. Before you go swinging on to the dance floor, first pay attention to the song. Can you even swing to it? Or is it more of head-banger song? If you’re hear-ing Harry Connick, Jr., and the per-son you’re with hears Metallica, it’s going to be an ugly dance.

Being aware of the music before you open your mouth changes your approach and improves com-munication skills. You begin to take responsibility for the success of the conversation. It’s only then can you truly perform the right moves. Be flex-ible, adjust your style to fit the music of the moment and always be pre-pared for a change of songs.

Think about the rhythm of your spouse after a long day. Check the tempo of your kids or co-workers when you first see them. Before you talk, listen

for the music. Check the situation around you. Is it “Hot In Here” or like “Ice, Ice, Baby”? Are you talking to a “Dancing Queen” or girls that “Just Want To Have Fun”? Is the dance floor full of people in “Cel-ebration” or is it “Unforgettable”? The answers determine whether you should “Get The Party Start-

ed” or show a little “Respect.”

Verbally dance. Get on the same emotional level and share a moment in time under the spinning light in the middle of that communication dance floor. For effective communication in your personal and professional life, hear the song and listen for the music of the moment.

2. Active ListeningActive listening is a habit

and essential for effective communication. When you actively listen, it shows you are

wise and it builds the faith that others have in you.

Active listening is the process of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. I always think about what Grandma said when I

was a kid: “Matthew — you’ve got two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk.”

Most people consider listening as simply not talking. Active listening is far more than just not talking; it’s about being mentally engaged in what the other person is saying. You build a connection that goes beyond words. It is through active listening that people connect and develop trust and rapport. Active listening strengthens your relationships.

Listen actively to break down barriers and communication becomes easier. Active listening minimizes conflicts and mis-understandings. You must focus on the speaker in order to clearly understand the message. Often when others are talking, people don’t listen at all. They are distracted, half-listening and half-thinking about picking the kids up from soccer or what to mix with the Hamburger Helper. If you

are a poor listener, your productivity will suffer, simply because you do not have the tools needed to influence, persuade, and negotiate. To perform to expectations and succeed, you must be able to actively listen.

If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating the words mentally as they say it - this will reinforce the message and help you control mind drift.

To enhance your listening try to:

• Focus on the Speaker• Ask Questions• Be Non-Judgmental• Paraphrase• Empathize• Squarely Face the Speaker• Open Your Posture• Lean Towards the Speaker• Maintain Eye Contact• Relax

Active listening takes time and practice and does not produce results overnight. When you practice active listening, your conversation will get easier, not just for you, but also for the speaker. As an excellent communicator, you must lead the way. Remember what Grandma said, “You’ve got two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk.”

3. TalkingMany misunderstandings in today’s world are a direct result of failed communications. Unclear communication leads to confusion and failed events. Talking is a major player in the communication process; unfortunately, most people put little thought into talking and end up rambling too fast without making a point. When it’s your time to talk, proceed slowly, be clear and be concise.

Communication is the exchange of information and ideas. It is sending an image from one person’s mind to another. As simple as that sounds, it is one of the most complicated tasks humans ever do. Communicating a clear message is hard work. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a natural process and requires learning and

practice. You succeed when the receiver understands the image you intended to send.

If I say the word “frog,” what image pops into your mind? Do you see the letters F-R-O-G or do you see the picture of a FROG? What type of frog do you see? Is it an enormous ugly bullfrog or Kermit the Frog? Effective communication happens when everyone see the same frog. When you talk, by speaking slowly in a clear and concise manner, you increase the chance that your audience will see the same frog as you do.

Begin by slowing down. Most people get excited and simply talk too quickly. Use short, simple sentences and common words. It’s tough to understand someone who speaks quickly and runs words together. Talking quickly muddies and reduces the importance of your message, giving your audience a license to daydream.

Fast talking feeds another problem: Rambling.

Rambling or beating around the bush, is jumping from thought to thought, using more words than necessary and failing to ever make a point. Don’t do it. Use simple words and use only enough of them to get your point across.

Be aware of how you talk. Are you talking too quickly? Is your message clear or is it muddied? Maybe you ramble on and on without ever making a point? How you talk shapes your thoughts, your actions, and the way others see you. Slowing down, being clear, and reducing the number of words used enhances your communication effectiveness. When it’s your time to talk, make the most of it and let your audience see the same frog.

4 TouchTouch is a form of communication that exchanges energy and builds foundations for relationships. When done appropriately, touch makes you appear warmer, more friendly, kinder, and memorable. Touch helps you communicate a clear message and most importantly, makes life meaningful. When it comes to effec-tive communication, a single touch can make all the difference.

Anytime you touch someone, you

exchange energy and build a foun-dation for that relationship to grow. Touch is the first and most primal form of all senses. You experience touch in the womb and it’s the last sense you lose before death. Babies who re-ceive no touch can grow depressed, stop eating and die. Touch relieves stress, makes you happier, and keeps you healthier. People require touch. It is a basic need of life.

In our fast-paced lives, however, we often disregard the importance of physical touch. Many organizations and policies discourage touch as a form of communication. A “touchy” person is often regarded as unprofes-

sional or an invader of per-sonal space. Our society is becoming overly cautious

about the use of touch as communication.

Clearly, different forms of touch are more appropriate at some times and places than at others. For example, you probably want to avoid hugging strangers in public restrooms. When it feels right and appropriate, touch is an excellent way to communicate a message. People have a universal need to connect with others. Ritu-alized forms of touch are effective ways to satisfy that basic need. Fa-miliar forms of touch are handshakes, hugs, high fives, knuckles and a pat on the back. Touch can say as much or more than words.

You should practice touching peo-ple gently on the hand or forearm to make a point, to emphasize a state-ment or to express appreciation. You will be amazed at how touch affects people in such a positive way. Con-tinue expressing your affection and appreciation of others by patting them on the shoulder or back, or even putting your arm around them.

Touch shows energy and builds a foundation for a relationship. Touch makes life meaningful and is a reminder that love, safety, and caring exists. When it comes to effective communication, a single touch makes all the difference.

5. RestPower of the Pause

“I think, therefore I am.” (Rene Descartes, 1637)

“I pause, therefore I think.” (Matt Booth, 2005)

“A picture paints a thousand words.” (Chinese proverb)

“A pause paints a thousand pictures.” (Matt Booth, 2004)

The power of the pause is nothing short of amazing. The pause when talking accomplishes three major tasks: It replaces filler words, lets your audience paint a picture and allows you, the speaker, to think on your feet. Your communication effectiveness will improve if you work consciously on the power of the pause.

Uttering useless sounds to cover uncomfortable moments of silence is one of the worst habits people can acquire when it comes to expressing themselves. Have you ever found yourself counting the “um”s and “uh”s in a presentation? Have you ever counted your own? Filler words dilute the value of your message and rob your speech of strength, making you appear unsure or tentative. The remedy for filler words is the pause. The pause allows

your mind to catch up with your mouth and prevents you from saying “um” and “uh” 57 times.

The power of the pause allows the minds of your audience to catch up with your mouth as well. In speaking, the pause is equivalent to the paragraph in the written word. Paragraphs set apart one idea from the next and give the reader some white space. Pausing when you talk gives the audience white space. Pausing for two or three seconds at the end of a phrase or sentence will feel like an eternity to you and

will be bliss to your listeners.

Audiences require regular and numerous pauses to paint a picture in their minds. People don’t remember what you say; they remember the

picture they see in their mind. An old Chinese proverb states, “A picture paints a thousand words.” If a picture paints a thousand words, a pause paints a thousand pictures.

You’ve also heard the phrase, “I think, therefore I am.” I often tell people “I pause, therefore I think.”

Imagine you are speaking to a large audience. Your mind goes blank, you can’t remember what you’ve said and you don’t know what to say next. What do you do? You ramble, spit out some filler words, and try to hide behind the PowerPoint screen. Next time you lose track of where you are, don’t fill your presentation with “you know’s” and “right’s.” Simply pause, look at the audience as if you had planned to stop at this point,

THINK, and start again. You paused, therefore, you thought.

The power of the pause will not go unnoticed. Be aware of your filler words when they sneak into casual conversations and formal

presentations. The pause is your pal. It replaces filler

words, lets your audience paint a picture and allows you to think

on your feet. Your communication effectiveness will improve if you work consciously to add the POWER of the PAUSE to your arsenal.

6. ParticipationThink of a time when a message really stuck in your head. Was it a memo-rable experience? I bet it involved participation. Participation is a key el-ement in the communication process. Do not underestimate the value of participation because it actively en-gages the learner and builds retention of the message.

To improve upon your communication skills, incorporate participation into your speeches and presentations. Par-ticipation connects the speaker and audience, creating a memorable ex-perience. Highly engaged audiences feel respected, valued, and take own-ership of the information. They liter-ally become responsible for their own learning. Learning is, by nature, an act of participation.

Continued on page 14.

563.773.MATT – 13 – www.mattbooth.com

1% Improvement Tip: The Rule of ThreeIf you send a client three E-mails and he or she don’t understand your message, pick up the phone and call them. If you talk to that client on the phone three times and your message still isn’t clear, it’s essential to meet them face-to-face. Messages get bogged down in cyberspace and lost over phone. When this happens, step up your communication efforts. When your message isn’t clear with E-mail or phone conversations, get in your car or jump on a plane and go see that client. Remember, three E-mails and three phone calls, then face-to-face. If you still can’t get your message across face-to-face, find a new client or get a new career.

Continued from page 13

Building participation into speeches and presentations takes extra effort, and audiences don’t always like to cooperate. Your extra effort will be re-warded. Encourage participation with a variety of activities and techniques. Simple ideas include playing music or using flip charts and Post-It notes. Have people work in pairs or small groups, ask open-ended questions, utilize role playing and storytelling. Think about turning your presentations into Broad-way shows with theatrical techniques, props, and costumes. Participation makes the experience memorable.

You will also increase participation by limiting the use of PowerPoint. Power-Point is a great support tool ... and un-fortunately the most abused. Reading the text from a slide does nothing to involve your audience. In fact, it de-creases participation. Text on a Power-Point slide does nothing to involve your audience.

A successful speech or presentation is the result of careful planning, prepara-tion and practice. Effective commu-nicators use a blend of content and audience participation to create a program that involves and informs. For the most part, audiences want to be engaged in a memorable experience and retain the message. Participation is a key element. Do not underesti-mate the value.

7 Body LanguageYou are subconsciously sending non-verbal messages all of the time. More than a half of your total message is communicated through body lan-guage. The body tells the truth. To leave a good impression behind at a job interview, a meeting or even a date, it is important that the body language matches the message. The body says it all.

The awareness of your body lan-guage and ability to understand oth-ers will help you professionally and personally. Body language commu-nicates more effectively than words. Whenever there is a conflict between the words and body language, peo-ple believe the body.

There are many ways people use their body to communicate. The quickest way to improve your body language is to observe others. Next time you’re involved in a conversation, watch people’s eyes, mouth, face, hands, arms, and legs. Pay attention to their posture, head position, angle of the body, and personal space. What do they do if they are happy? How about angry? If s o m e o n e is uncomfortable, for example, you may see darting eyes, crossed arms, or shift-ing from one foot to another.

Positive body language should be open and relaxed. Your arms, legs, and feet should remain uncrossed. You show interest by leaning slightly forward into a conversation and

demonstrate rejection by leaning back. Pay attention to what the oth-ers are doing and practice a tech-nique called mirroring. Mirroring is a method of creating similarity. You become a mirror reflecting the body language and style of others. When they put their hand on the table, you put your hand on the table. Stand like them, lean like them, talk like them and even match their breathing pat-tern. If you practice mirroring, you will build rapport quickly and people will like you for some reason. Let them think it’s just a hunch or gut feeling.

Almost every facet of your personality is revealed without saying a word. Your true feelings show through your body language. As our world continues to shrink, it is essential to be more aware of the body language that surrounds us each day. Make sure the body language matches the message. The body says it all.

8. SmileSmiling is the ultimate gesture. It’s the universal language and almost never misunderstood. A smile, regardless of your age, culture, ethnicity, financial status, faith, or nationality, shows you are genuine and builds a connec-tion. Next to breathing, a smile is the most important thing you can do.

Smiling is the currency that can buy you anything. A smile will buy you a job at the interview, a sale while on the job, excellent service and even love. It’s simple, effective and the quickest way to be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and ap-proachable. A smile puts people at ease and generates positive feelings about you professionally and person-ally. A smile is so powerful it’s been known to break ice.

There are as many different types of smiles as there are people. There are bashful smiles, em-barrassing smiles, goofy smiles, thoughtful smiles, bold smiles, gentle smiles, toothy smiles, I love you smiles, smiles of gratitude and smiles of agreement. A smile is the number-one form of non-verbal com-munication.

It’s your welcome sign; it’s a hug, handshake or high-five from a dis-tance. A smile radiates warmth that draws others to you. It’s what makes you attractive.

Some people naturally have a great smile; others must work at it. To in-crease your smile currency, you must first become aware of smiling. Take notice of others around you. Look at people you admire. Are their smiles warm and inviting? Do they smile with their whole face or just their mouth? Be aware of your own smile. Are you projecting the image you want? Do you look genuine? Are you building a connection?

Smiling involves muscles, and just like other muscles, to make them big-ger and stronger you must exercise them. Find a mirror or look at some recent pictures. If you don’t like your smile, you need to practice. Work on expressing your smile with your lips, your eyes, and your heart. No mat-ter what shape, size, or strength, the more you smile, the more it becomes natural (kind of like breathing). Smil-ing often can change everything in your life for the better.

Smiling is a universal language. As the ultimate gesture it is almost never misunderstood. It shows you are gen-uine and builds a connection. When it comes to communicating effec-tively, smiles are nothing less than pure absolute magic. Remember, breathe first, then smile.

9. Tell A StoryHuman beings have been communicating with each other through storytelling since we lived in caves and sat around fires. In a time when technology seems to be taking over the world, don’t underestimate the value of the ancient art of storytelling. Storytelling is the original and most powerful form of communication. When a story is told, a connection is formed and information and ideas are understood. Everyone loves stories and has one to tell.

What’s your story?

Everyone has a story, in fact, hundreds of them. We learn how to tell stories at a very young age. Stories help us

make sense of a chaotic world and validate us as humans. The ability to tell a good story often

d e t e r m i n e s your success. Stories reveal

563.773.MATT – 14 – www.mattbooth.com

Mattitude 1% Improvement TipPull out one of your business cards. Is the name on the card the same name you introduce yourself with? I’ve found that over 1/2 of all names on busi-ness cards do not match how people introduce themselves. Imagine meet-ing me, I introduce myself as Matt Booth and hand you my card. The next day you read the card and it says “Matthew Guy Booth, JR, esquire, the 3rd.” Do you associate that card to Matt Booth? Maybe, maybe not. From now on, make sure the name on your business card (and other marketing pieces) matches what people call you (even if it is a nickname). It’s the simple things that make the difference. It is about time you get new cards anyway, right?

whether you can be trusted; they separate you from your competition and bond you with your audience.

Storytelling maximizes the connection between you and your listeners by encouraging them to imaginatively recreate their own story. Stories capture and hold attention. Stories can make a point, teach a lesson, or sell a product or service. Stories can be used one-on-one, in small groups or in front of thousands of people.

People remember stories and rapidly absorb information and ideas presented. Good communication is developed through logic, but facts and figures alone result in the eyes glazing over and Power Point burnout. Stories have the capability to translate dry, abstract numbers into compelling pictures. A grand story is full of emotions and feelings. Your audience can’t begin to remember everything you say, but they will remember how your stories made them feel.

For the caveman, the world was a strange and unexpected place. Storytelling was used to make sense of the world. In a time when technology seems to be taking over, the world can again be strange and unexpected. You are bombarded with information and the clutter of countless choices. Stories cut through that clutter and help you make sense of the world. Stories shape your life and storytelling enables you not just to tell stories, but to tell your story.

What’s your story?

10. Eye ContactNext to breathing, smiling is the most important and simplest action you can take. To produce a powerful weapon, combine that smile with eye contact. When you do, you build a communication weapon so powerful it has been outlawed in el-evators, airports, and used car lots across the country. Eye contact de-termines the difference between a successful encounter and one that leads to embarrassment and even rejection. Eye contact with a smile is

the quickest, easiest, least-expensive way to get what you want.

It’s the number-one form of nonver-bal communication and the best way to get someone’s attention. It is the communication foundation and a terrific step toward first impression, friendship, and business relation-ships. Trust and eye contact are very closely related. Failing to make eye contact causes suspicion. The eyes speak mutely, but they speak truly. Avoiding eye contact sends a mes-sage and you appear shifty, sneaky, guilty, bashful, or frightened. If you have a habit of looking away while listening, it shows lack of interest. Fail-ing to maintain eye contact while speaking at a minimum shows lack of confidence in what you are saying and at a maximum sends the indica-tion that you are not trustworthy.

While using eye contact, be care-ful not to stare, squint, or blink your eyes rapidly. Consider how long you look into someone’s eyes when you speak. Eye contact expresses inti-macy, and as a direct glance be-comes longer, the feelings become more intense. Because of the intima-cy and openness involved with eye contact, some people often have trouble with it.

Eye contact does not come natural-ly to everyone. In fact, many people have difficulty looking someone in the eye. If you find yourself nervous about looking people directly in the eye, start small and keep working at improving. With practice, you will become more comfortable with giv-ing people direct eye contact and you’ll enjoy the benefits.

563.773.MATT – 15 – www.mattbooth.com

MORE ON MATTITUDEThank you for taking the time to learn a little, discover what’s possible and visit the world of MATTITUDE. There is so much more to share, and I ecourage you to visit MattBooth.com to continue your journey. More 1% Improvement Tips. More articles about great tools and practices for being the best you you can be. Contact us today and see exactly what MATTITUDE can do for your organization.

MATTITUDE, LLC.Website: www.mattbooth.com

Phone: 563.773. MATT e-mail: info@mattbooth.com

Mailing Address:

MATTITUDE, LLC1413 Miller Road

Dubuque, IA 52003

A special thank you to Community, Incorporated and Bryce Parks for assisting me in the creation of MATTITUDE Magazine. For professional design materials like MATTITUDE MAGAZINE, contact bryce@dubuque365.com.

1% Improvement Tip: Cutting vs. Bleeding Edge

Cutting-edge software, hardware and cell phones are cool, fun and exciting to use. Unfortunately, they are not always the best products to purchase. When it comes to new technology, the cutting edge can quickly turn into the bleeding edge.

High-tech, state-of-the-art products often cause more stress and frustration than they are worth. Quite often, the first generations are full of glitches and bugs because they haven’t been tested in the real world. These “time saving” gadgets aren’t always compatible with other equipment and you may actually spend more time using them. After all, what good is a camera phone if you can’t easily get the pictures? If you’re considering purchasing the latest technol-ogy, be cautious. Most of the time, it’s better to be a generation or two behind the latest craze. If you want to be on the cutting edge, that’s terrific ... just make sure it’s not the bleeding edge.

Personal Success“ I just wanted to personally thank you for your inspirational, mind-blowing, life changing presentation at the Leadership Academy. There are no words to express how much my life has changed as a result of you. For the past month I have been thinking of and slow-ly jotting down my goals....well they are now typed up and IN MY WALLET.... and would you believe that I have already completed some of the goals you had us write down during your training. As a result of you (and I must give me a big pat on the back as well) I am now looking at everything I do in a MATTITUDE WAY. I think about how can I turn a given situation into a goal or just “LEAP” and start working at it. I have never been so proactive and accountable for my self, my actions, and most of all my work. You have created a monster and more so someone who has never been more proud of herself. Thank you SO much (as I am now crying tears of pride).” Sincerely, Tricia Cassidy, Colorado

“We use Mattitude for outside training and personal development of our team. Matt Booth is a dynamic, charismatic, and knowledgeable presenter. The practical take-a-ways we receive can be put into practice immediately. Matt has some fantastic insights and trains in a very effective style.”

- Ron Kirchhoff Kirchhoff Distributing Company Dubuque, IA

How’s Your Mattitude?

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