Speaking Tips

In this archive of past tips-of-the-month, you'll find answers to client questions, unique practice ideas, book recommendations, and links to some of our favorite outside resources. Feel free to browse!

Tune-up Your Skills

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Bottom line: communication skills are critical to your success, whether you’re talking about developing collegiality within your department or preparing yourself for the next step up the corporate ladder. This CIO.com article, although geared toward executives, offers good advice for tuning up your skills no matter what your level or focus.

Included in the writer’s top six tips is one we promote in our live trainings and encourage all our clients to do: put yourself on tape! Videotaping yourself in action gives you the opportunity to self-assess what’s coming across in your communication style and identify what skills you need to practice in order to project the best image of yourself.

Explore the article for in-depth detail on these top-six tips for expertly tuning your communication:

  1. Drop the jargon. Learn the lingo of other departments and practice speaking their language
  2. Learn what your audience values.
  3. Consider how you say what you say (i.e. tone, pacing, etc).
  4. Know your audience and keep your message simple.
  5. Go beyond listening; ask questions and follow up.
  6. Rehearse important messages and put yourself on tape so you can evaluate your own communication skills.

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