The Art of Speaking – Podcast Transcript

The Art of Speaking – Podcast Transcript

Humans are hard wired to interact face to face. It’s part of our DNA. In today’s fast track, virtual society, it’s more important than ever to work on our speaking skills, because we’re not face to face perhaps as much as we would like to be. Today’s podcast offers a few tips that will help you speak better.

Hi, I’m Barbara Best and this is Humans Working Remotely, a podcast where I’ll show you how to meet the expanding needs of your organization by utilizing alternative solutions for operational staffing. Through expert insight and meaningful conversations with business professionals, we’ll talk about common challenges and proven strategies that will provide you with more time to focus on your organization’s mission, relationship building and other high-value growth activities.

Basic communication skills are important in everyday use, even in the year 2020. Yeah, I know you may be feeling, hang on, I don’t need to do this – everything’s online and I just text everyone. Okay, but what about video calls and phone calls? The ability to communicate effectively and get your point across is important in relationships, education, work and business. So you owe it to yourself to sharpen these skills.

One of my favorite tips is having the courage to say what you think. Be confident in knowing that you can make worthwhile contributions to conversations. Take time each day to be aware of your opinions and feelings, so you can adequately express them to others.

Remember to practice, practice, practice! Developing advanced communication skills begins with simple interactions. Communication can be practiced every day in settings that range from social to professional environments. New skills take time to practice and refine, but each time you use your communication skills, they will be that much stronger.

Using your words properly is important. Enhancing pronouncing and using the right words will show how competent you are. If you aren’t sure of a word meaning, don’t use it, get a dictionary or look it up online. Learn what it means create a sentence with it, and then try using that word in a conversation.

Here’s two tricks of the trade that I like to use:

First one: Stand up. Even when you’re speaking on the phone, stand up! Standing increases circulation and air into the lungs, helping you sound happier and more engaged in the conversation.

Number two: Use a mirror. This may sound crazy, but keep a mirror next to your phone. When you’re talking to someone on the phone, smile! They will hear your smile and know that you’re genuinely interested in them and the conversation you’re having.

You may have heard the phrase, “garbage in, garbage out”. Well, that applies here as well. In these days of quick fixes and fast tracks and information overload, we humans have lost the gift of listening to understand. We tend to only listen to reply. Work on the skill of really listening to what someone is saying to you confirm what they have said by asking questions and start a meaningful dialogue.

In closing, I’d like to thank-you so much for listening today. I hope this information was helpful, and I look forward to providing more. I’m Barbara Best, CEO of Virtual Works Inc.

Here’s a few action steps:

Please feel free to leave me comments or feedback on this platform;
If you’d like to be considered for a future podcast, please drop me a line at info@virtual works.ca;
You can visit our website at http://www.virtualworks.ca and,
You can always find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/virtualworks

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This material is provided for educational and informational purposes only.

No responsibility can be taken for any results or outcomes resulting from the use of this material.

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