Press Release: Diane DiResta Gets Her Executive Presence On at Saks Fifth Avenue on 12-12-12

Posted on December 13, 2012 by DiResta Communications, Inc.

For Immediate Release

DiResta Teaches Women How to Amp Up Their Executive Presence

New York, NY (Dec 12, 2012) — Diane DiResta, CEO of DiResta Communications and author of Knockout Presentations, co-hosted a holiday event for executive women sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue. The title of the event was, Get Your Executive Presence On, and included a short presentation from DiResta, a preview of Tahari’s elegant winter line, and free Chanel makeovers for the women in attendance.

DiResta works with emerging leaders and executives to develop executive presence and gravitas. DiResta says, “At a certain level, it’s not what you know, it’s your leadership and ability to influence. Executive presence is difficult to define; it involves good presentation skills, speaking with conviction, decisiveness, self-confidence and a polished image.”

Command More Clout: 5 Tips for Effective Communication

Posted on June 7, 2012 by DianeDiResta

June is effective communication month. To increase your influence and executive presence, your message must grab and keep attention. I make sure that all my coaching clients know the secrets of speaking with impact. Here are 5 quick tips to be a knockout communicator.

Are You Guilty By Omission?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by DiResta Communications, Inc.

When a speaker or presenter leaves out a sound or a syllable, they are guilty of omissions. Otherwise known as deletions, these speech mistakes can cause the speaker to sound uneducated or unprofessional. Often, these deletions are a type of regionalism and frequently, the presenter has no idea that they omit certain sounds.

I was recently asked to coach someone because her regional speech patterns were impacting her executive presence and opportunities for advancement. We discovered that omissions were one of her issues. Listen to the video to see if you’re guilty of using any of these deletions.

Do You Have Additions in Your Diction?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by DiResta Communications, Inc.

Diction is an important part of public speaking. Mispronounced words become a distraction and your message can get lost. Effective presenters are mindful of their pronunciation.

Certain regionalisms become part of the vernacular, but that doesn’t mean it’s correct. Inappropriate diction or sloppy speech can rob you of executive presence and impact your professional success.

Listen carefully as you watch this video to see if you make this verbal faux pas:

Even Michelle Obama Mispronounces This Word

Posted on May 30, 2012 by DiResta Communications, Inc.

In 2004 I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal about sloppy speech habits in the workplace. It hit a nerve and the reporter, Joann Lublin, wrote a follow up piece. It seems that employers favor good diction in the workplace.

In honor of May being Better Speech and Hearing month, I’m posting some one minute videos to address the issue of poor diction. Even well spoken, high profile communicators express the occasional verbal faux pas or mispronunciation. Some of these diction errors are regionalisms;even so, they can undermine the speaker’s credibility, executive presence, and leadership.

You’re Dressed for Success, But Is Your Presentation a Mess?

Posted on March 15, 2012 by DianeDiResta

Situation: Carol was a bright, up and coming assistant vice president in a health care company. She was definitely dressed for success. Visually, she looked like an executive. She could have been on the cover of Fortune magazine. From her suit to her jewelry to her haircut, she looked corporate but feminine.

The issue was when Carol presented to senior management. Her boss confided that she couldn’t promote her to VP. When Carol spoke to senior management, she waffled, hedged, and used wimpy words and uptalk. Clearly, her visual image was not aligned with her vocal and verbal presentation. Carol lacked executive presence.

Solution: I coached Carol for a number of sessions on how to present herself more powerfully. Carol learned to take a stand, own her ideas and to speak with more authority. She eliminated weak language and delivered her message with conviction.

Result: Due to her powerful presentation, Carol earned the respect of senior management and was promoted to Vice President.

Helping leaders communicate to increase performance.

Category Archives: Executive Presence