From the course: Creating a Career Plan

Improve your verbal communication skills

From the course: Creating a Career Plan

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Improve your verbal communication skills

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- There's something called the Blizzard Test. It works like this. Employers sit in an interview with a potential hire and think let's imagine this person and I were on a business trip and found ourselves at the airport in Buffalo, New York waiting to board a plane. Suddenly a blizzard hits. The airport is snowed in, and we're stuck there for eight hours. How would I feel about this person after spending so much time together? Would we have bonded or would I hope I'd never see them again for the rest of my life? Hiring managers actually think this way. So your ability to be articulate and engaging, even charming, when you talk to people in the business world is critical to your success. A large percentage of our working life is spent not just doing our actual job, but interacting with the people with whom we work. If you have a problem speaking to people, whether it's addressing a group or just being generally shy in conversation, let me encourage you to get past it. Don't let the inability to communicate well stand in the way of the things you want to accomplish in your career. It's too high a price to pay. If you need to manage your fear of speaking to people, I have three recommendations. One, there's a worldwide non-profit group called Toastmasters.org that has had great success in helping people overcome their shyness. Two, you might consider taking an acting class. That's a great way to learn how to get out of your head and begin relating to an audience, and three, if it's a deep-seeded problem, psychotherapy might provide the answers for you. The process of speaking to people one-on-one is no different from making speeches or presentations to larger groups. I've done a lot of public speaking and taught many, many verbal presentation courses. Both involve connecting to the audience, no matter how big that audience may be. Ironically, the most important component of effective speaking is listening. Who's your audience and what do they need? That's always the first question I ask before I make any presentation. Assume that people's time is valuable, and if they're going to listen to you, give them value in return. What that looks like is that when I'm done, they walk away saying that was worth my time. I learned some things I can actually use in my life. I always customize my conversation to the needs of the audience, even if it's just an audience of one. It's the professional, business-like way to interact with people. Be someone who cuts to the chase, who others can count on to be clear and to the point whenever they talk to you. With these principles in mind, you can become a more engaging speaker, someone others like to be around and work with.

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