Explore every episode of the podcast Speak As Well As You Think

We're talking communication anxiety this month.

Nervousness is an age-old topic that we really can't discuss enough. This month, we'll cover:

1. Common causes of communication anxiety
2. What it can look and feel like to the speaker and audience
3. Ways to manage the feeling in the moment
4. Some long-term approaches to alleviating nerves

In today's episode, we're discussing persuasion at work.

It's an element of many people's jobs, so understanding its importance and how to create a safe and comfortable space for persuasion to live is important.

Here are a few things we'll discuss:

1. Persuading is not convincing; it's alignment
2. Know what your audience wants or needs (one we always talk about)
3. Create credibility by asking questions and listening just as much as you talk
4. Knowing when to take a step back and maintain your image/trust

If people leave agreeing but not acting, persuasion didn't happen.

It's January, so of course, everyone is focused on goal-setting for the year to come.

As you plan your goals out, consider a few things:

• Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)
• Be realistic - lofty goals are fine, but know how you're going to get there
• Communicate your goal(s) clearly to yourself and others
• Check in often and reflect on how the goal is going - make changes if necessary

Going in with a plan helps breed success. Understanding that failure is sometimes part of a goal creates consistency in showing up. Being clear and reflective with yourself allows room for adjustments or getting back on track.

Some people can captivate an audience when they speak. Others, the audience walks away while they're still speaking.

Many factors can influence this, but one key determinant of audience engagement is the speaker's ability to stay on message.

Being clear and concise is a skill. It's important to understand:

1. Why it can be so difficult to accomplish
2. Understanding what your audience wants or needs
3. Knowing what point you're trying to make
4. The ability to practice purposefully

In this episode, you'll hear how you can approach the coming holidays with clear, concise, and on-message conversations.

This month, we're exploring the 'empty boat' mindset parable and how it relates to effective communication and relationship building.

The parable basically states that if an empty boat runs into yours, you navigate around it. But if someone is in that boat, you tend to react negatively, even though the same situation occurred.

We discuss the importance of:

1. Separating intent from impact
2. Responding not reacting
3. Assuming positive (or neutral) intent
4. Focusing on understanding vs. placing blame
5. Creating safety so relationships can thrive

Approaching interactions as if they are "empty boats" allows you to have more control over your reactions and emotions.

Sometimes the hardest people to coach aren’t those who struggle with communication; it's the ones who think they’ve already mastered it. Not because they lack skill, but because their blind spots are often more ingrained.

In this episode, we'll take years of experience and explore:

• The Blind Spots of “Good Communicators” — from dominating conversations to resisting change.
• Coaching Without Clashing with Ego — using rapport, curiosity, and concrete evidence to open minds.
• Common Pitfalls — like over-talking, under-listening, or failing to adapt to different audiences.
• Shifting the Mindset — reframing communication as a lifelong practice, not something you 'complete'.

Whether you lead, manage, or mentor, you’ll learn practical ways to help even your best communicators keep getting better.

Some organizations have excellent communication cultures, while others struggle in this area.

The organizations that have it down tend to do 3 things:

1. They have access to communicate with anyone within the organization, no matter their title or role.
2. They focus on development opportunities.
3. They lead with a growth mindset, and their leaders "walk the talk".

Listen along for more details on each of these topics and what you can do, either as a leader or an individual, to identify opportunities within each space.

The sooner an organization or team can create a culture of good, open communication, the more successful they'll be.

Keeping an audience engaged can feel like an uphill battle some days, but it's of the utmost importance when it comes to being an effective communicator.

In this episode, we'll discuss our top 5 tips for keeping your audience engaged. We recommend:

1. Make the talk about your audience
2. Ask questions
3. Give them something to do
4. Change up your delivery at times
5. Shorten sections

Focusing on these five things will help keep your audience focused, interested, and most importantly, engaged with you and the content.

Have you ever wondered what evidence to bring to the table in your meeting?

Evidence, or forms of influence (FOI), are necessary to engage and persuade your audience. We spend a lot of time talking about the physical and vocal skillset, which are extremely important in how you show up. But FOIs are equally important. As soon as you're done making those first impressions, the evidence and knowledge we provide is what keep people coming back for more.

This month we'll talk about:

1. What we label as evidence or FOIs
2. How to consider the audience when choosing which FOIs are most effective
3. Ways to think about blending stories and data to be impactful and memorable

Skillset and knowledge are necessary to be a successful speaker!

Digital communication is all around us. In our world today, it's very hard, if not impossible, to avoid it. Whether you want to or not, you're a part of it, so we need to understand how to be effective with this medium.

We want to help your digital communication get noticed, read, and engaged with in some way. There are a few ways you can do that:

1. Consider the look of your digital communication: Does it look easy to read? Would you read it? If the answer is no, it's not ready to be shared.
2. Put your key message at the beginning: No one wants to read an entire article or email to find out the purpose at the end.
3. Determine what needs to be shared: Not every detail is important. This ties back to #1, if it's too long or detailed, chances are your reading audience will skim or skip it altogether.

This topic will be in constant movement as it continues to evolve and be used in different ways. We'll continue to talk about digital communication as more recommendations come to light.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. What are you going with? Choose your medium.
2. What do I need to share? Create a plan before the meeting itself.
3. 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:

1. Do a self-assessment. Understand where you're starting point is.
2. Practice the new skill anywhere and everywhere you can, not just in the setting it needs to be used.
3. Set realistic, manageable goals.
4. Expect an implementation dip (things feeling harder/seeming worse before they feel better) and keep pushing through!
5. 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:

1. How might the person want feedback? Have you asked them? Do they prefer an "Oreo cookie sandwich", tough love, positives and negatives together?
2. 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.
3. 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 listener
• Knowing the message you need to deliver within an appropriate time frame
• Making 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:

1. Being aware of your non-verbal skills and what they're saying
2. Listening with the intent to understand not simply reply
3. Maintaining curiosity regardless of how you feel about the topic

We'll then touch on our Top 3 Don'ts, including:

1. Don't immediately defend your stance
2. Be cautious of interrupting and consider taking notes
3. Avoid the need to respond instantly, let there be space when needed

We 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:

1. Volume - the level or loudness in which we speak
2. Inflection - the variation in our tone or peaks and valleys of our voice
3. Pace - 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:

1. Eyes - Where are you looking and speaking?
2. Hands - What are they doing or not doing?
3. 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:

1. Knowing your audience
2. Simplifying your message
3. Creating and owning your own presence

Listen 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:

1. If you are a native English speaker, how can you consider communicating with non-native English speakers
2. If English is an additional language, how can you continue to learn and grow the skillset of speaking English in a business setting

We'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:

1. The request is last-minute for a quick 5-10 minute update/pitch
2. The 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:

1. Practicing the skills when you don't have 'formal presentations'
2. Speaking up and finding the confidence to know you deserve a seat at the table
3. Discussing 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.

1. The differences between persuasion and influence.
2. How to improve your ability to influence.
3. Why persuasion is necessary and how to do it tactfully based on your audience.
4. What persuading and influencing can look like, and the benefits of using both.

1. When you should use conversational communication and when to be cautious of sounding too casual.
2. How to match and read the tone of the person or people you're speaking with.
3. How to improve your conversational communication abilities.

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/speakitwithshulie

speechandvoicecenter.com

TikTok: 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.