Category: Presentations

Soft Skills – Communication

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in COMMUNICATION, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication, Written Communication

This is going to be a very brief post. There's a reason why communication belongs to the category of so-called "soft" skills. And that reason is: it's not (usually) supposed to be harsh. Barking at folks will not get you very far, unless you're into making enemies or turning friends away. And my guess is, … Continue reading Soft Skills – Communication →

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My Interview with RFI Romania

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in Brand management, COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Presentations, Rhetoric, Speech Communication

A few days ago, I was interviewed by Otilia Ghitescu from RFI Romania about our travel guide TIMISOARA23 and the European Capital of Culture 2023. You can read or listen (in Romanian), here: https://www.rfi.ro/cultura-152184-timisoara-2023-pregatita-sau-nu-de-turisti-multe-asteptari-si-un-ghid-cu-secrete Our stories about Timisoara and the Banat region, beautifully illustrated by Claudia Tanasescu, can be ordered on Amazon, in paperback or … Continue reading My Interview with RFI Romania →

Happy holidays!

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in Brand management, BRANDING, COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Presentations

Just a quick line to wish you all a happy and peaceful holiday season and to introduce you to my most recent project, a non-fiction book that uses storytelling to bring my hometown of Timisoara, Romania, European Capital of Culture 2023, closer to potential visitors. There's still time to order the paperback or download it … Continue reading Happy holidays! →

What is Rhetoric? Age-old Sources of Persuasion

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in COMMUNICATION, Negotiations, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication, Written Communication

How's your Latin? And what about your Greek? Because to answer the question in the title, we need to go back to the Ancients. Aristotle, to be more exact, and his book Rhetoric. Rhetoric means 'ars bene dicendi' - or, in translation, the art of speaking well. Not 'correctly' (that's grammar), not 'truly' (that is … Continue reading What is Rhetoric? Age-old Sources of Persuasion →

Business Communication: Getting off to a Good Start

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE TRAINING, Negotiations, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication

A brief interaction with lasting consequences: such is the power of the "first impression". Studies show that the first 7 seconds of an encounter are crucial for forming opinions, and that those impressions - those labels - can stick for a surprisingly long time. Nobody wants to disappoint. So, are there any "universal" rules about … Continue reading Business Communication: Getting off to a Good Start →

A Quick Guide to Romanian Culture – OTHER HUMANS

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in BRANDING, COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE TRAINING, Negotiations, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication, TRANSCREATION, Written Communication

Last time we talked about communication, which is one of the main ways we interact with OTHER PEOPLE. In fact, everything we do can be termed "communication", as it results in different types of messages and human beings are meaning-making creatures. This time, I'd like to talk a little more about power dynamics, decision-making, and … Continue reading A Quick Guide to Romanian Culture – OTHER HUMANS →

A Quick Guide to Romanian Culture – COMMUNICATION

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in BRANDING, COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE TRAINING, Negotiations, Presentations, Rhetoric, Speech Communication

Hello again and welcome back! It's really good to have you, what can I offer you and how can I help you today? Yes, Romanians can be quite welcoming (but not always, aggressive behavior is on the rise, especially on the roads), and there are several set phrases you need to master to deal with … Continue reading A Quick Guide to Romanian Culture – COMMUNICATION →

SPOKEN DISCOURSE: How Do We Know What They Mean?

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in BRANDING, COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Negotiations, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication, TRANSLATION

Welcome back and a happy, healthy New Year to all! Knowing what people actually mean is one of the most fascinating quandaries in verbal communication, and one that has preoccupied linguists, psychologists, philosophers, and cultural theorists the world over. Decoding information accurately is essential for proper understanding, so it is no wonder that we now … Continue reading SPOKEN DISCOURSE: How Do We Know What They Mean? →

Cultural dimensions and their implications: “High context”

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, Decision-making, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Negotiations, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication, Written Communication

You've probably heard it said before: Germany is a low-context culture. But what does that mean? The terms "low-context" and "high-context" were coined by American anthropologist Edward T. Hall. In low-context cultures, people attribute less importance to context. Low-context cultures are explicit, clear, textual cultures, which derive meaning from the actual words on the page, … Continue reading Cultural dimensions and their implications: “High context” →

5 Reasons the Romanian anti-Covid campaign failed – A quick communications audit

Posted on by Andreea Sepi in Brand management, BRANDING, COMMUNICATION, CONSULTING ROMANIA, GERMANY, Decision-making, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Negotiations, Presentations, Psychology, Rhetoric, Speech Communication, Written Communication

As someone who's been plagued by chronic respiratory ailments, and an emigrée with very strong ties to the motherland, I have kept a close eye on the Romanian anti-Covid vaccination campaign. My feelings about it went from the initial awe at the exceptional logistical organization with its fast and effective roll-out, to downright dismay when, … Continue reading 5 Reasons the Romanian anti-Covid campaign failed – A quick communications audit →