Timidly, at first, she dipped her toes into the pool of small talk. But, Fine soon realized that conversation, like most things in life, comes easier with practice.
Now the formerly shy, tongue-tied “enginerd” is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, corporate motivational speaker, trainer, and best selling author.
A former engineer Debra Fine established her Denver based company The FINE Art of Small Talk to teach all variety of C-Level, manager, and stakeholder, along with the spouse who is dragged along to banquets and meetings conversation skills for use at business networking events, conventions and meetings, trade shows, as well as when interacting with clients, customers, and patients. Fine studied the art of conversation as diligently as she had once studied engineering.
A member of the National Speakers Association Fine receives high accolades from her clients, which include Cisco Systems, Wells Fargo Banks, Hinckley, Allen and Snyder LLP, Spectra Energy, The US Treasury Department, Toyota, the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business, Lockheed Martin, Vermont Law School and hundreds of associations including insurance, real estate, legal, financial, engineering/technology, health care, and Chambers of Commerce and civic organizations across the country. Debra is also a member of Rotary International serving on the board of her club during her membership over the past 18+ years. In addition, she is a past member of the Advisory Council of the University Of Colorado School Of Engineering, Mountain States Anti-Defamation League, and the Communities Advisory Council of the Junior League.
Debra authored the best selling books The Fine Art of Small Talk How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport and Leave a Positive Impression (Hyperion) and the most recent in the Fine Art series: The Fine Art of Big Talk: How to Win Clients, Deliver Great Presentations, and Solve Conflicts at Work (Hyperion). Debra’s recent media appearances include The Today Show, CNN, The Early Show, and NPR Morning Edition. She currently travels the country as a corporate motivational speaker.
Cultivating Connections: Via Virtual Meetings, Email/text and EVEN the Phone Feature on Your Phone
Bestselling author of The Fine Art of Small Talk How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Networking Skills and Leave a Positive Impression (Hachette), keynote speaker, and trainer, Fine began her career as an engineer. Now a long time member of the National Speakers Association, Fine designs her virtual and face-to-face programs and researches her books to teach leaders, professional services, membership organizations and front-line staff conversation and rapport building skills and business networking techniques that help to develop meaningful business relationships, increase visibility, gain referrals and whether virtually, using the phone feature on one’s phone or face to face.
Cultivating Connections for Emerging and Current Leaders
Whether directing a WebEx meeting or discussing a project on the phone, are you able to cultivate connections with team members, colleagues and staff? Developing rapport and building business relationships is always important, but thanks to virtual engagement more challenging than ever. This interactive, fast-paced program offers tools and tips for launching better conversations, enhancing a positive culture, and making the most of virtual opportunities.
The Fine Art of Small Talk
Join Debra Fine for her fast-paced, interactive, and entertaining presentation The Fine Art of Small Talk. Together we’ll laugh, learn and leave with insightful and informative conversation tips and techniques on how to strike up conversations and keep them going, avoid conversation “killers”, exit conversations with grace and develop business, non-profit, volunteer, and personal relationships. Learn how to turn every meeting or conference, interaction with a client or colleague, social event with a spouse/partner, and networking event into an opportunity for success.
The Fine Art of Building Business Relationships: One Conversation at a Time.
Focus on rapport-building techniques, conversation, and mingling skills, gaining visibility, making a positive impression, and networking tips that help build face to face business relationships. Presentations are informative, interactive, and entertaining; tailored to the priorities and challenges of those in the audience. Participants learn how to:
- Approach new people
- Quickly establish rapport and converse easily with new acquaintances
- Start conversations and keep them going
- Avoid sending contradictory or confusing signals about yourself
- Employ easy-to-use “active” listening techniques that will make communication more effective and help clarify the meaning behind the message
- Exhibit positive basic body language
- Prevent the most common conversation blunders that create a negative impression
- Master introductions and remember names
- Make an unforgettable positive first impression
- Demonstrate that you’re a positive and self-confident professional
- Turn every business meeting, conference, and interaction into an opportunity for success
- Experience more ease at business conferences, networking occasions, receptions and meetings
- Exit conversations with grace
Gain Visibility, Build Relationships and Expand Networks
“A desk is a dangerous place to view the world” John Le Carre Author
Leaders learn the technical skills required for career success, often overlooking the importance of conversation and rapport building skills. The ability to talk easily with anyone is a learned skill, not a personality trait. Acquiring it will help develop rapport within organizations, raise visibility, and create liaisons with the community at large and leaving a positive impression that lasts longer than an exchange of business cards. In the competitive world of business, more emphasis is placed on developing personal business relationships than has been expected in the past. The leader who avoids opportunities to meet new people or whose conversation is frozen by these meetings will limit themselves professionally as well as personally.
Attendees will gain the tools to:
- Strike up conversations and keep them going
- Master introductions and remember names
- Come across as composed and self-assured when talking to people or entertaining clients at conventions, trade shows, and other work-related functions
- Develop a rapport with stakeholders.
- Become an “active” listener
- Overcome communication barriers
- Handle awkward situations
- Come up with topics to discuss
- Avoid conversation “killers”
- Prepare for successful conversation
- Exit conversations with grace
- Feel more at ease at award receptions, banquets, receptions and networking events
The Fine Art of Small Talk: Cultivating Alumni Connections
Join Debra Fine, former engineer, now nationally recognized keynote speaker, trainer, and bestselling author, for her fast-paced, interactive and entertaining presentation. Together we’ll laugh, learn and leave with insightful and informative conversation skills and networking techniques on how to strike up conversations and keep them going, avoid conversation “killers”, and come across as composed and self-assured when interacting with colleagues, department heads, administration and the community at large at meetings and presentations, networking events and other institution related functions.
