Developing Speaking Presence At Work
Developing a speaking presence at work means figuring out who you are, showing up, and communicating authentically. In this week’s newsletter, global communication expert Jessica Chen chats with Vicky Nguyen, NBC News Anchor/Chief Consumer Investigative Correspondent and author of Boat Baby.
Below is a small snippet of their entire conversation held on our Soulcast Media Event show on LinkedIn.
If you’d like to watch or listen to the entire interview, click below. The transcript has been slightly edited for ease of reading.
📺 Watch the full live event here
🎙️ Listen to the Podcast episode here
🔗 Order the book, “Smart, Not Loud”
On Improving Communication Skills
Vicky – For people who want to improve their communication skills, look to the people whom you admire. Who in your workplace, who around you in your spaces, do you look to and say, I really like how that person talks.
What is it that you like about the way that they deliver their message? Whether they’re giving a speech in front of a group or they’re talking with you one-on-one, what do you appreciate about them? Is it their tone? Is it their eye contact? Is it their body language? Is it the intention with which they speak?
I would say that is a great place to start because it gives you a goal. You might say, “I really like how Sally carries herself.” You know, the way she comes into a room and just greets people.
On Presentations
Vicky – Getting better at presentations is all about practice. When you deliver a speech record yourself and then listen back a few times. First, just watch and listen. Then listen to it on mute, just so you see how you’re communicating non-verbally. Then listen to it with your eyes closed so you can hear your voice, you can hear the words you’re using. You can hear when you pause or when you don’t pause.
Practice your speech with a friend, a colleague, your spouse, or a stranger. You only get better at communicating when you ask the extra question. When you say the extra sentence, you engage with someone.
Practice is what’s going to get you to your goal faster. The more you do it, the less nervous you’ll be about it.
📺 Watch the full live event here
🎙️ Listen to the Podcast episode here
🔗 Order the book, “Smart, Not Loud”
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