Dealmaking, through personal contact, dinners, programs, as well as online networking leading up to event, is what Mobile Entertainment Summit is seeking to achieve for its guests during its two day session starting July 27 in Universal City. The Writer's Road Map: Directions For Getting Your Book in Print, happens on July 28 in Tampa. "The Pitch Pit" is a featured event at NATPE Third Annual TV Producers' Boot Camp, July 28 and 29 in West Hollywood. HypeFest is dedicated to showcasing compelling and entertaining short films, commercials, music videos and promos and includes a screenplay competition amidst festivities with an awards show and nightly networking parties, July 29-31 in Hollywood. Fade In: Magazine sponsors its 9th Annual Hollywood Pitch Festival running July 30-31 in West Hollywood. NashCamp Songwriting Week is a Songwriting camp staffed by Nashville songwriters and Music Row professionals taking place on Cumberland Furnace Plantation from July 31 to August 5.

The above events are only a sampling of what is listed. Many of events above have a submission process for indie and/or performing artists to take part in. Complete details are on "Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events" page at http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html.

Keeping these components in mind, I believe that there are at least five things that you can do if you want to do a better job of communicating during all those times you aren’t thinking about communicating.

Be aware. The first step to improving our subconscious communication skills is to be aware of how pervasive our communication is. Awareness helps us bring things out of subconscious and up to a conscious level. It is at conscious level we can work on them.

Be vigilant. Once we have decided we want to improve these skills and are aware of factors involved, we have to pay attention. Begin to more carefully notice how people react to you. Confirm your observations by restating your points if you feel you are miscommunicating. Being vigilant means taking more care and paying closer attention to your communication style and results.

Get feedback. I have learned over years that in some cases tone of my voice is too strong - that even when I’m not upset or frustrated by something, tone of my voice sometimes sends a different message. Without this feedback I wouldn’t even be aware of this issue. With feedback I can improve. Of course, you may receive positive feedback too – about things you are unaware of that serve you well. It is important to receive both encouragement and corrective ideas.

Make a plan. Work on areas you have noticed. Work on things you received feedback on. Practice new or different techniques. This step is all about modifying and reforming your habits into more successful ones.

Continue loop. Awareness, vigilance, feedback and practice are steps in a learning loop that you can apply over and over to continue to improve your subconscious communication skills.

Summary

The grammar isn’t great, but logic is perfect – you can’t not communicate. All of our actions, words and non actions send a message to those around us. To become more effective and better understood, we first need to recognize this fact, then take action to change our communications habits so we are communicating what we want to communicate, more of time.