Speak As Well As You Think

At some point in your career, you will disagree with someone. It probably happens quite often already. Sometimes, it's just a different opinion on an approach, and sometimes, it's a stark disagreement with what's being shared. The size of the disagreement isn't as important as knowing how to approach these situations with professionalism, an open mind, and an appropriate way to move the conversation forward. This month, we'll discuss two areas: Responding when you disagree. How to consider the right questions to ask, ways to keep emotions in check, and focusing on the issue, not the individual. Internal work to avoid disagreements hijacking your ability to listen and keep an open mind. Everyone should be prepared for disagreements at work and have a process in place to preserve the relationships you have.

This month we're discussing notes and other techniques for when a PPT deck doesn't seem the most appropriate or right fit. Repeat after me, PPT is not the enemy, but there are other options for you to use like an organized note template, a whiteboard, a flipchart, or some form of brainstorming technique. If you're not going with a PPT, you have to decide 3 things: What are you going with? Choose your medium. What do I need to share? Create a plan before the meeting itself. Who am I speaking to and how long do I have? Know your audience and timing. From there, our biggest suggestion is to avoid scripting. You don't want to get stuck dropping your head and reading from your notes. This episode will provide some suggestions for how to organize effectively for this type of setting.

Practicing a new skill is vital. But knowing we should practice and actually taking the step to practice are very different things. Listen in to hear us discuss these recommended techniques for setting yourself up for success: Do a self-assessment. Understand where you're starting point is.Practice the new skill anywhere and everywhere you can, not just in the setting it needs to be used.Set realistic, manageable goals.Expect an implementation dip (things feeling harder/seeming worse before they feel better) and keep pushing through!Make it fun and give yourself small 'wins' to keep it up.Putting a successful process in place for practice is just as crucial as following through on the practice itself.

Welcome back to the Speak As Well As You Think Podcast!To kick off the year, we're discussing feedback. We want everyone to have an effective process in place if they're asked to provide feedback. A few things we'll discuss are: How might the person want feedback? Have you asked them? Do they prefer an "Oreo cookie sandwich", tough love, positives and negatives together? What framework will you use to organize your thoughts? We don't recommend winging much communication, but especially not when it comes to providing feedback. Organize your thoughts ahead of time clearly and succinctly. How can we decide on a path forward, together? What does the close to our conversation look like and is it collaborative? Keep in mind, feedback isn't just for when things go south! Offer positive, specific feedback just as often. You'll likely have better outcomes when feedback is critical because you've created a baseline of trust and support.

We're closing out 2024 reflecting on the purpose of having a plan. Most people fail without a plan. When it comes to communication, we don't want to fail. We want our messages to be clear, informative, and helpful. If we wing it, these things are harder to accomplish. We'll discuss preparation with the following: Knowing your audience (a favorite of ours)Understanding how to show up as a listenerKnowing the message you need to deliver within an appropriate time frameMaking adjustments when necessary (you might go over or under) Having a purposeful close Know the audience. Know what you need to share. Know how to end.

This month we're discussing all things listening.We touch on our Top 3 Do's, which include:Being aware of your non-verbal skills and what they're sayingListening with the intent to understand not simply replyMaintaining curiosity regardless of how you feel about the topicWe'll then touch on our Top 3 Don'ts, including:Don't immediately defend your stanceBe cautious of interrupting and consider taking notesAvoid the need to respond instantly, let there be space when neededWe want to help you continue to sharpen this important skill set. We hope you walk away with some tangible items to put in play!

We spent the last two episodes honing our Executive Presence skills. In this episode, we're focusing on the actual visual presentation. In our opinion, there are 3 steps you can implement to be successful: Plan: Before you open up PPT, figure out who you're speaking to, what they need to know, what you're hoping to accomplish with them, and storyboard those details out. Build: Create your presentation in PPT (or something similar). Use a template that's been successful before to avoid creating more work for yourself. Consider colors, design, animation, data, graphics, text size, etc. Make it easy for you and your audience to see and consume the slide. Practice: Put your deck in slide show mode and actually go through it. Say it out loud. Make sure your design elements complement the story you need to share. Make sure everything shows up in the order you want. A dry run is always a good idea. The keys to success aren't hard. But we can't skip or leave out steps when we want to perform well.

This month we're taking a deep dive into the vocal executive presence skills as a follow-up to last month's chat. As speakers, we need to understand how to use our vocal energy and ensure it portrays what we need it to. During this episode, we're discussing the three components of vocalics: Volume - the level or loudness in which we speakInflection - the variation in our tone or peaks and valleys of our voicePace - the speed at which we share information Listen in for some tips on being purposeful with these areas and why they're so important individually and as a packaged deal.

This month we're honing in on the physical executive presence skills. We break them up into three categories: Eyes - Where are you looking and speaking? Hands - What are they doing or not doing? Posture - How are you standing, sitting, and/or moving? We read body language in other people all the time, but are you aware of what your body language is saying to your listeners? These three areas impact how our audience perceives our message.We'll discuss recommendations for what to do with all three areas, why we suggest the tips we do and some ways to start making these small changes today.

In today's episode, we're discussing the top 3 things the Vautier Communications' team thinks you need to do in order to have clear and effective communication. These include: Knowing your audienceSimplifying your messageCreating and owning your own presenceListen in for tips on how you can think about each of these areas and relate them to your own meetings and talks moving forward.

In this month's episode, we're talking about difficult and/or crucial conversations in the workplace. They're an inevitable part of our communications at some point. We discuss what these conversations look like, ways to prepare for them, how to deliver them appropriately and empathetically to a person/group, and ways to consider purposeful next steps as a follow-up.

This month we're discussing English as the primary language for business, and how we can communicate effectively across cultures. We are breaking this episode into 2 sections: If you are a native English speaker, how can you consider communicating with non-native English speakersIf English is an additional language, how can you continue to learn and grow the skillset of speaking English in a business settingWe'll provide tips for both sides on how to consider your audience, build your message, and prepare for your talk.

This month we're discussing what to do when you've been asked to give a last-minute meeting or presentation. We look at it through two lenses: The request is last-minute for a quick 5-10 minute update/pitchThe request is last-minute for a full-length talk (30-60 minutes) Tune in to listen for some recommendations on how to approach the organization of both, what the most important things to consider are, and what questions to ask.

This month we're keeping it open-ended and talking through some of the biggest communication struggles each of us has faced (that some of you may have too!). We touch on: Practicing the skills when you don't have 'formal presentations'Speaking up and finding the confidence to know you deserve a seat at the tableDiscussing the impact of both the message and your physical and vocal skills - yes, your listeners are interested in the message, but the skills will determine how much they retain

Welcome back to another year of the Speak As Well As You Think Podcast!This month we're covering social media and how to think about it through the lens of business communications. We'll discuss how social media has changed the way we communicate, the impact it has on business (from the business's side as well as the consumer/client), and the pros and cons of using it.

This month we're back to talk about non-verbal communication skills. We'll discuss what they are, their importance, and how to use them. We'll also discuss how we can flex them in different settings in addition to different cultures.

This month Jacqueline Farrington, founder of Farrington Partners and previous TEDx speaker coach, joins the team to talk about rehearsal habits that effective speakers use to prepare. We'll discuss why practicing is so important, the best steps for rehearsing effectively, how to manage nervousness and practice with it in your routine, and finally when to start practicing.

This month our team is discussing confidence. We discuss why it's important for effective communication and how it can be built when you don't naturally feel you have it. We then discuss specific ways you can practice weekly to improve your own confidence. We wrap the episode up by talking about nervousness and how to use confidence to overcome it.

This month's episode is really exciting because we're talking about learning new behaviors or skills via the competency model. We'll talk about why people avoid learning new things because they don't want to feel like a beginner. We'll define the competency model, how it works, and why we can't skip steps in the process. And then we'll dive into how to identify a skill gap, and how to go about improving it.

This month we're talking about digital communication and how it's evolved over the years. We are in the digital communication age and there are plenty of benefits to being here, but we'll also discuss some of the downfalls. We'll provide some ways you can continue to grow with this style of communication, but others to keep in your toolbox that can be just as, if not more, effective.

In this month's episode, we're going to discuss: The differences between persuasion and influence. How to improve your ability to influence.Why persuasion is necessary and how to do it tactfully based on your audience. What persuading and influencing can look like, and the benefits of using both.

This month we're back to talk about entertainment and presenting, and how you can use both to your advantage! We discuss why entertainment is important, what different kinds of play look like, and how to consider your options based on your audience. Listen in for tips on how to begin incorporating them now.

This month, John, Matt, and I discussed conversational communication. Listen in to hear: When you should use conversational communication and when to be cautious of sounding too casual. How to match and read the tone of the person or people you're speaking with. How to improve your conversational communication abilities. Interested in hearing other communications topics? Email and let us know!

In this month's episode, John, Matt, and I talk about the use of PowerPoint slides and visual messages. We discuss why using presentation slides can be a great option and how to avoid some common pitfalls. You'll get tips on creating engaging slides and how to apply small changes to existing decks for impact. Tune in to hear how to use visual messages appropriately, and remember, PowerPoint is not the enemy!

In Season 2, episode 2, John and Matt join me to talk about the power of awkward pauses. We discuss why people avoid pausing and why that's an issue, how long pauses can and should be, the connection between pausing and emotional intelligence, and how you can begin practicing longer pauses today.

In this episode, John Vautier joins me to discuss improving your speaking skills through purposeful practice. Because speaking skills (verbal and nonverbal) are physical, they can be practiced in the same way you would practice for a sport. Specifically, we talk about what deliberate practice is, common practice mistakes we see professionals make, and how to incorporate practice into your everyday life.

In episode 11, Jenn Alex joins me to discuss business writing. We discuss why business writing is an essential skill for all professionals, two questions you need to ask before you write, how to structure your writing to increase readership, a simple framework you can use to format your writing, and seven common business writing mistakes we see.

In episode 10, John Vautier joins me to discuss the challenges of business meetings and what you can do to lead and facilitate them in a way that creates engagement and moves work forward.Specifically, we discuss the reasons why meetings have a bad reputation, why defining the purpose of your meeting is so important, a simple framework for 'opening' your meeting, strategies for engaging people throughout the meeting, facilitation strategies, and a simple framework for 'closing' your meeting.

In episode 9, Jennifer Alex joins me to talk about our Executive Communication Skills program. We've been running this training program for more than 15 years, and we want to give you a peek into what that program is like, what skills are taught, and how we coach those who go through it. If you're interested in participating in this program, we're hosting an open-enrollment one on October 18-19 in Columbus, Ohio: www.vautiercommunications.com/public-programs Or, if you're interested in hosting this training for your team or organization, contact us to get started: www.vautiercommunications.com/contactus

In this episode, John Vautier joins me to talk about listening skills. John shares two common misconceptions professionals have about listening, techniques you can use to be a better listener in scenarios that make it difficult to listen, and then offers some advice on what you can do starting today to be a better listener. If you're interested in our group-based listening skills program, visit www.vautiercommunications.com/active-listening-skills

In this episode, Jenn Alex joins me to talk about nerves & anxiety related to speaking and presenting. We discuss where nerves come from, the impact they can have on how you're perceived, the role of mindset in overcoming nerves, and a few practical tips on how to set yourself up for success in spite of feeling nervous.

In this episode, Jenn Alex joins me to talk about forms of influence. Forms of influence are the devices you use in persuasive messaging to help your listeners understand your perspective or buy into your recommendation or proposal. Jenn will share what the forms of influence are, which to use, how many to use, and when to use them. If you've enjoyed this podcast, you'll love our in-person presentation skills program. Join us live on October 18-19 in Columbus, OH: www.VautierCommunications.com/public-programs

Shulunda Gibson, Owner of The Speech & Voice Care Center of Houston, joins me to talk about the role your voice plays in how you show up as a professional and shares an exercise you can do to improve the clarity of your speech.You can find Shulunda...Instagram.com/speakitwithshuliespeechandvoicecenter.comTikTok: ShulieGib

In this episode, John Vautier joins me to talk about why executives seek out coaching on their communication skills, how they manage those coaching sessions, and what we can all learn about being more effective when communicating up to executives. Special Announcement: We're hosting a live 2-day open-enrollment presentation skills training in Columbus, OH on July 11 - July 12. Learn more and register at: www.VautierCommunications.com/public-programs

In episode 3, John Vautier joins me to talk about why you should broaden your definition of a "presentation". We then discuss the pros and cons of various presentation options, including slides, handouts, and whiteboarding.

In this episode, I'll share eight specific scenarios that justify using presentation slides. Too many business professionals default to using presentation slides, when there are times other mediums would be a more effective way to deliver their message. Are you overusing presentation slides? Listen to find out.

In this episode, I invite my co-coach, Jenn Alex, to the show to talk about what great presenters do to stand out from the rest. Specifically, we discuss what it means to flex your delivery to your audience, two strategies to create a great experience for your audience, and the value of leaving verbal breadcrumbs throughout your presentation delivery.