How does one comfortably self-promote and not feel as if it is bragging? I’ve worked with many clients over the past several years who were preparing for an interview or needed to speak about their accomplishments in order to get promoted, and they felt uneasy with this task. In some cultures, it’s considered inappropriate to […]
Communication Skills
5 Strategies That Make Speaking Up in Meetings Easier
One challenge that I’ve been observing over the past several months with several clients is speaking up in meetings. In my coaching practice, I often work with clients who have received feedback that they aren’t contributing or speaking up in meetings. There are several reasons why this may be occurring: lack of self-confidence, inner fear […]
3 Ways Your Numerical Communication Can Be More Memorable
Knowing the basic principles of numerical communication can help us become more effective and persuasive communicators. A couple of months ago, I read “Making Numbers Count” by Chip Heath and Karla Starr who observed that we could lose our audience “when we don’t translate numbers into an instinctive human experience.” These translation techniques serve as […]
3 Top Tips to Help You Engage in Small Talk
As my clients are going back into the office, many are feeling awkward with small talk and in-person meetings and presentations. Small talk is important in our culture. Small talk enables us to quickly build rapport, connect with others, make a positive impression, and build trust. This results in developing and maintaining relationships that are […]
Gratitude: Don’t Underestimate This Communication Superpower
I like to think of gratitude as a communication superpower. You might be familiar with research that touts the benefits of cultivating a gratitude habit: higher levels of happiness and well-being, less stress, and greater resilience. Gratitude is a positive communications practice that not only improves my own well-being, but the well-being of others. Here […]
3 Factors to Gain Credibility with your Audience
Recently I worked with a client who posed an interesting question: “What could she do in to gain credibility with her audience?” Speaker credibility has its roots in Aristotle’s teachings over 2,000 years ago as he wrote about a speaker’s character, otherwise known as ethos. According to Aristotle, a speaker’s character was just as important as […]