Speak Up! Effective Communication

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, I take on a question that was thrust upon me at one of those (too) late night industry gatherings. I suspect you have either been asked directly or have quietly wondered yourself: is altruism even real? Or is every act of generosity, sacrifice, and service ultimately just self-interest in disguise?

This episode attempts to resolve that centuries old debate in 15 to 20 minutes!

Okay, maybe not fully resolved…. we will take a quick look at the surface arguments and I’ll make a few points about how our perspective on this question probably does have implications on how we lead and communicate with others.

I’ll look at a few simple bullets from a couple of old philosophers (no, not Matt Fanslow), Thomas Hobbes (who championed self interest views), Joseph Butler (who argued against Hobbes). And a few more thinkers like C.S. Lewis, Dale Carnegie, and John Locke.

We also connect this to the key principle introduced in earlier episodes: Dale Carnegie's point that there is no neutral exchange. Every interaction leaves the other person a little better or a little worse. That principle, it turns out, has some very old and very serious philosophical even theological company.

My hope is that this episode will spawn some deep thinking on your part, and be a little bit of fun along the way and equip you well for the next time you find yourself at a conference (too) late at night, conversing with friends!

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

Word of the Day

Altruism (noun): The selfless concern for the wellbeing of others.

References

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (1651)

Joseph Butler, Fifteen Sermons Preached at the Rolls Chapel (1729)

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (1942)

Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936)

Research Links: For the curious

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Altruism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/altruism/

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Psychological Egoism: https://iep.utm.edu/psychological-egoism/

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Joseph Butler: https://iep.utm.edu/joseph-butler/

Wikipedia: Psychological Egoism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_egoism

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Egoism and Altruism: https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/egoism-and-altruism/v-1

PhilPapers: Altruism and Psychological Egoism: https://philpapers.org/browse/altruism-and-psychological-egoism

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today,

I continue the story I started in episode 095.

Three vehicles effectively compromised in a week and a half, while I'm in the middle of helping to launch a ministry for people whose lives come undone when their transportation does. You can’t make this stuff up.

The 2026 used car market is not kind, and learning that firsthand with 20 years of automotive knowledge behind me gave me an even deeper understanding of what OnRamp's work actually costs and why it matters.

The word of the day is solidarity.

Standing with people, not from a distance, not in principle only — but close enough to feel what they feel.

My goal with this episode is only to share this story. And if anything else comes from it, like maybe we just absorb to help edify ourselves, so that we can communicate from a position of understanding.

Thanks for listening!

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

OnRamp DFW: https://www.onrampdfw.org/

Transportation as a Lifeline: The Hidden Power of Your Shop [THA 442]: https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/a442/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In this episode, I begin a two-part story about how I have been led to begin working toward a local pilot of OnRamp, a faith-based ministry that gifts reliable vehicles and ongoing support to hard-working people who need transportation to take their next step toward self-sufficiency.

The how of this story matters as much as the what.

A truancy letter, three bullet points, a network built over 20 years, and a vehicle giveaway in a Dallas at Golden Rule Auto Care all flowed together at the similar moments.

The word of the day:

Confluence.

A flowing together of two or more streams.

The point where separate things meet and move as one.

I hope you enjoy this story, as the story is really the point of the episode, and your takeaways will have to be from anything you feel about the experiences that I'm sharing.

There are so many other parts to this story coming together, I could write a book on it, but I think you’ll enjoy this two part series, and the personal lessons I share as a result of my experiences.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

OnRamp DFW: https://www.onrampdfw.org/

Transportation as a Lifeline: The Hidden Power of Your Shop [THA 442]: https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/a442/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today,

I'm talking about AI voice dictation: what it is, why it feels awkward at first, and why that awkwardness is worth pushing through.

I share the revelations that changed my relationship with my own output: the difference between how I type and how I actually think, the real time savings when the numbers are calculated against my actual typing speed, and what happens to my communication when the internal editor gets out of the way.

I cover what makes AI dictation genuinely different from the frustrating speech-to-text you've tried before, including custom dictionaries, shortcuts, and a capture pad that finally stops you from losing your best ideas. And I look ahead at where voice interfaces are heading in the automotive service world and why getting comfortable with this now is worth your while.

Word of the Day: Visceral. Felt deeply and instinctively, before the intellect has time to process. The discomfort of learning something new is visceral. So is the moment it clicks.

Give it a try. I have a link in the show notes for a free trial of the tool I use, Willow Voice. Reach out and let me know how it goes, and if you've already got a dictation habit and a strategy I didn't cover, I want to hear that too.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

Get a free month of Willow Voice with my referral code: https://app.willowvoice.com?ref=95R3LJ

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today,

We explore the concept of felt obligation.

The quiet, interior desire to consider others and honor the shared spaces we operate within.

From a spring break airport crowd to a school uniform policy, from vintage airline travel to the automotive service drive, the through-line is the same: how we show up communicates something long before we say a word.

We discuss what happens when a professional presentation becomes the norm violation, the challenge Carm Capriotto's The Rise places before the automotive service industry, and why felt obligation, unlike a dress code, cannot be mandated. It has to be wanted.

Word of the Day: Dapper, we defined it alongside some etymology from Middle Dutch and Low German roots meaning strong, sturdy, bold. Strength of presence.

Sincerely,

Craig O’Neill

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today:

We are tackling one of the most underappreciated skills in presenting: the ability to shorten your material without losing your mind in the process.

We open with a piece of history worth knowing.

The quote "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time" is most often attributed to Mark Twain or Benjamin Franklin, and over a dozen others but its earliest verified origin belongs to the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, who wrote a version of it in 1657.

The point is that some of the greatest minds in history have been making the same confession for four centuries. The struggle to be brief is real, it is universal, and you should plan on it.

From there we get into four strategies for shortening a presentation:

Get clear on your outcome. Your desired outcome is your editorial filter. Everything that does not serve it is a candidate for removal.

Leave them hungry and have a plan to sustain them. A free, genuinely valuable resource gives your audience somewhere to go after the session ends. Lead with real value, and the line between education and promotion takes care of itself.

Release the good for the essential. You may have heard the phrase "kill your darlings." The reframe here is gentler and more accurate. The content you cut is not bad, it is good. It is simply competing with something more important given your constraints. A simple fill-in-the-blank worksheet gives that content somewhere to live, and it tells your audience you thought about their experience before you walked in the room.

Design for dialogue. Do not eliminate engagement to make room for content. Eliminate content to make room for engagement. If a planned moment for dialogue is not built into your presentation, you will rush over it. And with an expert audience, that conversation is often the highest-value content in the room.

Word of the Day: Laconic — adjective. Using very few words to express something; brief and to the point. From the Greek Lakonikos, referring to Laconia, home of the Spartans, who were legendary for their direct, economical speech.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

I share a story that didn't make it into my recent breakout session at a conference with one of our partners.

The session was on relational advising in the age of DVI, and by the time I had trimmed a four hour course down to fit a 45 minute window, this particular story simply had to go.

It was too long for the time I had, and the point it made deserved more room than I could give it.

That's one of the flexibilities I love about having a podcast!

It's a simple story about a walk along the Chicago Riverwalk after a wonderful dinner with my family. Half a mile. Fifteen minutes. And more context packed into that short distance than I could have anticipated.

The point it leads to is one I believe deeply as it relates to the work of slowing down and connecting with your clients.

Word of the Day: Gravitas

The quality of having serious, weighty importance or dignity; a sense of substance that commands attention and respect.

I hope you'll connect with my point from this short walk in the windy city and consider taking a little time to be present with people that you meet with daily.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today:

We tackle one of the most universally complained about experiences in professional life — the meeting. This is a reality not just in automotive service facilities, but in every organization where people gather to get things done.

Our word of the day:

Axiom (noun)— a statement regarded as self-evidently true.

Here is one worth treating as axiomatic: meetings are for making decisions. When they drift from that purpose, they stop being meetings and start being briefings, status reports, and blocks of time spent.

We explore why so many meetings fail, and why the meeting is often being asked to compensate for broken information infrastructure rather than do its actual job.

We look at David Marquet's principle from Turn the Ship Around: don't brief, certify. When team members arrive prepared and communicate their intent, the leader's role shifts from authority to assent. That is a meeting people leave with momentum.

We also talk about the introductory prompt — a simple tool borrowed from Toastmasters that channels social connection at the start of a meeting and gets every voice in the room activated before business begins.

Good meetings reduce conflict. They close the gap between what was decided and what people understood. When your meetings work that way, everything downstream of them works better too.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill.

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today, we close out the 10-part series on public speaking tips inspired by the Toastmasters tradition with Tip number ten: Gain Experience.

The word of the day is:

Nascent:

Nascent means just beginning to exist or develop.

Still in early formation. Not yet fully formed.

Every skilled communicator had a nascent season. This episode is for the people who are in theirs right now.

I frame experience around two key spaces:

1.) Being in the audience,

2.) Being in front of the audience.

….and an underlooked important piece…

the middle space where so much real development happens - being beside and supporting a speaker.

A few stories from my own nascent season illustrate four key concepts:

• The value of borrowed stage time from a mentor
• The middle space model in the wild — and how to cultivate it locally
• How small moments compound into big ones over time
• The road nobody talks about: saying yes to everything, no show too small

For the technically minded or anyone who wants to become a trainer: Being a subject matter expert does not make you an excellent presenter. You still need the reps and the feedback of real people in front of you.

By the time you reach a big room, if you have done the work in the small ones, you will not be new to having an audience. Only the content will be new. That is what all those small steps build toward.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training

Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/

Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/

Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/

Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. https://serviceadvisortraining.com/

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, In-Bound

Watch Full Video Episode

In our episode today:

We are on tip number nine of our 10 Tips for Public Speaking series.

The Toastmasters version of this tip is: concentrate on the message, not the medium.

We already addressed the medium back in episode 081 (You are the medium) so today, we take that as settled and turn our attention to the message itself.

Tip #9, in my framing, is this: structure your message. The heart of that tip is something most speakers never think about deliberately: the transitions between their points.

I talk through why the most common preparation approaches, like heavy notes, teleprompters, and full memorization, all share the same fundamental flaw. They prioritize the words over the connection with the audience. Then I walk through the simple framework I use in my speaking workshops: introduction, body, conclusion, with transitions planned at every step.

I also share a story about my son, who prepared a speech on drone laws in the car on the way to a Toastmasters meeting and delivered a genuinely strong talk with no prior speaking experience. The structure outline I shared with him worked!

Our word of the day is cohesion: noun

The quality of forming a unified, well-connected whole.

A cohesive talk is one where the audience always knows where you are taking them.

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, In-Bound

AutoFlow at AutoFlow.com. Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during and after the visit to a single thread. Learn more at Autoflow.com

Shop Dog Marketing at Shop Dog Marketing.com. "Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings.

In-Bound at CallInBound.com. Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound.

Contact Information

• Email Craig O'Neill: [email protected]
• Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/