David Levin

I came to communication counseling by accident - or fate, depending on how you view such things. My first love was music. (Rock singer-songwriter.) Back in the mid-'90s, I had a recording studio in my basement in Minneapolis, and started doing audio production for professional speakers. I'd go to their presentations, record them, and then edit it all together into a final product. (Back then, cassette tapes.) I enjoyed the work quite a bit, and met some wonderful people along the way.

At one point, though, I started to notice something curious: The person I would come to know would be quite different from the one I'd see in their presentation. It wasn't that they were really different people, of course, they were just giving a different impression. But that's what was so intriguing to me. What was causing the difference? What specifically were they doing that was causing the gap between who they were and how there were coming off?

Enter John Miller. When I started working with John in 1996, it was as his speaking coach. We worked hard at closing whatever communication gaps he had at the time, and the difference was tremendous. Later, I got the chance to try similar work with executives and managers and, somewhat to my surprise, discovered that closing communication gaps was equally effective with them! With professional speakers, it brings better evaulations, more bookings, and higher fees. But at work, it gives people more influence and impact, no matter what their role, which brings noticeably more success in their current position. More exciting, it also help them stand out from their peers and puts them on a fast track to a higher position.

Back to John. In 1999, he asked me to help him write his first book, Personal Accountability. And to my great good fortune, has asked me to co-write every other one of his books since then: The bestselling QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, Flipping the Switch, and the new Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional.

QBQ! has been something of a phenomenon (over 700,000 copies sold), and for the past several years, most of my work has been conducting keynotes and workshops on that material. But the truth is, as much of a blessing as all that has been, it's still a sideline to my real passion: helping people communicate better so they can make a real difference in their lives.

And what a difference it is! No matter how you define success, communicating well is the key to getting there. Financially, the better communicators are the ones who make more sales, get the raise they’re looking for, or get picked for the promotion because they’re the ones who stand out from their peers. From a time standpoint, better communicators get more done, they get it done faster, and they get it done with less stress because things just go quicker and easier when you’re communicating well. Personally, better communicators have stronger relationships inside and outside of work. They have richer personal lives, richer family lives, and feel more connected to the people in their lives. They feel like people "get" them and understand them, and feel more appreciated for who they are and what they have to offer.

It's no exaggeration to say that communicating better improves people's lives - and every area of their lives - in the most fundamental ways. That's why I’m so excited, with Don’t Just Talk, Be Heard! and its related programs to be back at it. And, as corny as it sounds, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be part of it.

So that's the story. Thanks for checking out our website. I appreciate you taking the time. If we can be of any help to you or anyone you know, please let us know.

Until then ...

All the best! And be heard!

David Levin