Speak With Confidence
The 5 Types of Talking You Do Every Day
Between human nature and the English language, there are so many nuances that it can often cause confusion or major conflict. Without putting on my Rhetorician’s hat, allow me to give a brief description of a few ways we interact verbally. This delineation will help you identify not only the type of talk you are engaged in but also whether it is productive. While a case can be made for each of these having a
Why is the Listener so Important?
Just as breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day, analyzing who is listening to us speak is one of the most important parts of speech preparation. Unfortunately, as with breakfast, analyzing who is listening to them is a step speakers often skip. Generally, when an executive is asked to be on a panel, give a keynote, appear on a podcast, or even present to a board of directors, they go straight
Do You Sound and Appear Credible When You Speak? (Part 2)
Credibility is a building block for many communication goals, such as persuading, educating, and informing others. Whether you are pitching to a VC, working to develop new partnerships, or convincing a patient to listen to your medical advice, establishing and strengthening your credibility lays a strong foundation to help you reach your communication goals. In a previous blog, I explained how to boost your credibility through the content you deliver. A second way to boost
Handling Difficult Questions
Answer Questions with Confidence — Every Time Whether you’re on stage or in the boardroom, your credibility is built in the moments you can’t rehearse. This eBook shows you how to handle tough, unexpected questions with poise, clarity, and strategic presence. You’ll learn proven techniques to stay calm under pressure, read the intent behind any question, and respond in ways that inspire trust. Plus, you’ll get access to recorded lessons, practice prompts, and phrasing tools
Presenting Technical Information to Non-Technical People
Technically-inclined professionals typically deliver technical presentations. We hear it repeatedly from the executives we coach: they face challenges in conveying technical information to laypeople or others who lack the same scientific background. They often face significant communication gaps when presenting to individuals outside their expertise and the listeners are left feeling overwhelmed or “lost in the weeds.”
Five Reasons Investor Presentations Fail
…And how you can avoid them
We’ve learned that many executives and teams are poorly prepared to deliver important messages effectively during formal presentations. For example, it could be simple nervousness or lack of confidence on the part of one or two presenters, poor team coordination, or difficulty conveying complex data.
Do team members see you as a threat?
When there’s a consistent communication disconnect between you and someone on your team, no matter who reports to whom, there’s a good chance that threat and defensiveness are at play. Often, it’s not even conscious. Competition and negative reinforcement can drive short-term performance, but long-term success depends on opening communication channels. Start by asking yourself: What about me might be threatening to this person? The answer can be surprising. Maybe they admire you yet feel
Grow Your Communication Skills
Even for those who are already very good communicators, there is always room to level up. Below I discuss three areas in which communicators can grow in effectiveness. Understanding even one of these is a good step toward growth. You should… KNOW THAT FAMILIARITY AFFECTS COMMUNICATION There is a huge difference between communicating with people you know and people who do not know you. I am a longtime soccer fan and a soccer coach, so
Do You Sound and Appear Credible When You Speak? (Part 1)
As an executive communication coach, I often talk with clients about the importance of credibility or ethos for speakers. If you want people to listen to, care about, and be persuaded by what you say, it is incredibly important to establish credibility with your listeners. If you’re an executive, you are certainly experienced and have many credentials and degrees, but listing those verbally can be boring and at worst may be seen as pretentious! How