How many times have you sat through a presentation at work or at a conference, only to walk out of the room wondering "what was the point of that

A class participant recently emailed me with a question: "Hi Gilda, What if you find yourself in a discussion with quite a few people at a social gathering and you have an important point to make, but feel intimated by those around you I find I get all tongue twisted and the words do not come out the way I had planned

Listening is a crucial skill for success in business and in life If we listen to others, we show them respect, we learn to understand their points of view and we help to build our relationships

If your stomach churns just at the thought of speaking in front of a group of people, you're not alone In fact, Americans rate public speaking as their number one fear - even ahead of death (hence the old joke that you would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy)