Speak With Confidence
Become a Better Speaker in 30 Minutes
I want to share some advice based on my experience coaching over 200 conference speakers, moderators, and panelists to prepare for their upcoming presentations. Some of the conference speakers I’ve helped just took an initial, free consultation, which is great, others wanted additional, in-depth help for a particularly important event. Some have become valued clients and friends. Regardless of seniority (C-level executives, managers, or individual contributors) or industry such as financial services, fintech, healthcare, biotech,
THE BASIS OF BIAS AND ATTITUDES
Until the community of police and the communities of color are willing and able to get to the bottom of the biases and attitudes that control behavior, any change will be prolonged and painful. Each person in these communities and others must understand that their behaviors, whether verbal or physical, come from a place in each of us, filled with the attitudes and beliefs that we carry everywhere we go. There are no human exceptions
The Rudest Things You Can Do During A Work Zoom Meeting
I don’t consider myself a rude person, and I make great efforts at being polite, self-aware, and apolitical at work. But after reading this article, “The Rudest Things You Can Do During a Work Zoom Meeting,” you may realize, like I did, you’re a bit of a boor online. Fortunately I work with a bunch of great speech coaches here at The Speech Improvement Company, so there’s hope! Now that I’m enlightened, I’m reaching out
The Real Reason Remote Workers Are More Productive
I read an interesting and informative blog post that’s generated a lot of discussions at The Speech Improvement Company. “Asynchronous Communication: The Real Reason Remote Workers Are More Productive,” appears on the website of Doist, an up-and-coming maker of software-based productivity tools. The article delves into the productivity of remote workers and how different modes of communication affect it. It includes the following definitions:
Visuals in the Virtual World – A Quick Tip
Using visuals during presentations is helpful for listeners to connect with your message. They are used to emphasize and clarify speaking points. Has this changed in the virtual world? The short answer is NO. Presenters need to be cautious of having their listeners disconnect from them and their message due to visuals. Whether you are in person or virtual, disconnecting happens. Still, presenters compete for their listeners’ attention with so many more distractions in a
Five Strategies to Demonstrate Gravitas
‘Gravitas’ was one of the ancient Roman virtues that denoted “seriousness.” Also translated as weight, dignity, and importance, it conveys a sense of responsibility and commitment to the task. In our modern society, gravitas indicates polish, grace in manner, and dignity in outward appearance. I’m guessing that speaking while on mute would not be considered speaking with grace and dignity! In executive communication coaching, gravitas is often mentioned. Executives with gravitas are considered to have ‘weight,’
Having “the Talk” with Clients
As a coach, we meet all kinds of people who want to become better public speakers and communicators. Most of them are keen to learn, try new things, and some need a little friendly push now and then to keep going. But what happens when the client refuses to communicate or shuts down? Some signs of trouble with the client could include missing appointments with no notice, not doing practice or assignments between meetings, or
The trials and tribulations of working from home are many
At first, I thought this is great! I will work from home! I will be able to cook dinner and spend some quality time with my family. Well, it’s been two weeks, and I have learned a great deal. Working from home is hard, especially when your spouse or significant other is also attempting to do it as well. My bedroom has become my office since my husband took over our entire kitchen /dining room.
Free Webinar: Controlling Nervousness Before Speaking – April 14, 2021
Learn how to control nervousness associated with public speaking with this free, 30-minute webinar hosted by The Speech Improvement Company. Whether you call it ’nervousness” or “anxiety’ or “fear of speaking,” it is a widespread experience for many people worldwide; you are not alone. The good news is that it can be controlled. This complimentary webinar will discuss the ‘real causes’ of this experience and some tools and techniques to control the nervousness. Wed, April