Tony AlessandraThe ONLY Official Site to Book Tony for a Speech

I thoroughly enjoyed your speech and found many new, useful ideas to use immediately in my business... That's a great presentation. Thanks!
--Rose Clayton

I wanted to pass along my personal thanks to you for speaking at our annual Program Manager's conference. All of the feedback that I received, both in person, as well as in writing, was overwhelmingly positive, and your talk was a big part of that! Thanks again, and I hope that we'll see you at a future Harris event.
--Amos Morse

Thank you for the kind words. Your presentation was the best of all outside presentations - everyone thought you were great! I look forward to the opportunity to put you in front of other clients of ours in the future.
--Jay

Tony's presentation had real impact. The points he made were not only relevant to our audience, they were delivered in a way to make them memorable and fun. It was great to have such an important topic delivered with punch as well as humor. His anecdotes were fabulous. Ask him about the pots and pans.
--Corrine Smith

Thanks so much for your presentation at NSA San Diego last week. It was the best combination of practical tips and inspiration that I have seen at an NSA meeting ever! Thanks again for your powerful message and willingness to spend so much time with those of us starting out.
--Jim Cartmill

Silent Messages: YOUR INTELLECTUAL IMAGE

One major aspect of your personal image comes from how well you've developed what's inside your skull. I'm not talking about a high IQ or your skill at Trivial Pursuit. I'm referring to your mental fitness.

Can your mind lift abstract concepts from The Wall Street Journal or from the professional journal in your field? Can you grasp the intricacies of a problem explained by an expert from another field? Can you hang in there when getting an issue settled is going to mean clearing seven committees and the CEO?

Try to get in the habit of not assigning labels to people. At work, for instance, don't dismiss the opinions of a mere "clerk" while perhaps over-valuing those of a "consultant." It takes intellectual strength to appreciate people's unique, human side and not judge them generically. But do so and you'll win their respect - and maybe learn something, too.

Seek Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

Depth of knowledge refers to how well you understand your own area of expertise. The more you know about it, the more power and influence you'll have. Charismatic people often make good first impressions not because they're smarter than others but because they prepare better.

But if depth of knowledge alone were enough to make a good impression, chemists would bond with other chemists, cops with other cops, and taxidermists with other taxidermists. But, what about the rest of the world? Breadth of knowledge enables you to engage in meaningful social talk, the social lubricant that looms large in all human exchanges. Thus, by being informed on a wide range of topics, you'll be able to project a favorable image more easily with more people.

How do you increase breadth of knowledge? You're literally surrounded by opportunities! If there's one thing we don't lack in our culture, it's access to information. You can read books and magazines. Explore the Internet. Take classes. Go to plays and movies. Attend workshops. Listen to audio programs. You name it!