Over the last few months I asked members of the Talk About Talk community to send me their most pressing questions and frustrations about communication. Last week I answered them in a special Q&A episode: Answers to Your Burning COMMUNICATION Questions (ep.196).
You can think of this episode as a free coaching session!
I received fantastic questions on everything from imposter syndrome to brain fog to executive presence. As I answered, three big themes emerged: the power of frameworks, the challenge of developing confidence, and, of course, the significance of our personal brands.
So today I’m sharing three helpful takeaways that you can put into practice right away.
1️⃣ The confidence reframe
A listener named “Steven” asked about confidence on stage and overthinking his audience.
Sound familiar?
This was a clear case of imposter syndrome.
Steven’s question to me indicated that he has high self awareness. Particularly external self-awareness.
There are two types of self-awareness:
- Internal: Your thoughts, emotions, and physicality. This is what most people think about when they think about self-awareness.
- External: What’s going on around you, and specifically your impact on others.
I diagnosed Steven as someone who has high external self-awareness. This is gold for exceptional communication! However, if it starts working in overdrive, it can backfire.
Here’s what I suggested for Steven, when he’s onstage and feeling that imposter syndrome:
Pause and check in.
Ask your audience, “Quick check, is that last point clear?”
While simple, this explicit check-in helps your audience and grounds you at the same time. It’s a power move!
2️⃣ Brain fog proofing
A past client named “Christine” asked how to communicate when her memory and focus aren’t at 100% (menopause brain, baby brain, sleep deprivation,… we’ve all been there!).
Here are my three tips:
- Prepare. Don’t wing it in meetings when you have brain fog. Preview the agenda and prepare a few things you’ll say. You’ll draw confidence from the security that planning provides.
- Focus on your personal brand. Remind yourself of your unique strengths and skills. This will serve to boost your confidence and your credibility!
- Lean on frameworks. My favorites? Present, past, and future for introductions and the Power of Three for structuring your recommendations. You’ll feel and appear more clear and concise when you use frameworks. Even when the truth is, you have brain fog.
Frameworks give you structure, boost your confidence, and make you sound succinct (even when your brain feels more like a sieve). You can five of my career-transforming frameworks published recently on LinkedIn.
3️⃣ Ditch the elevator pitch
Several of you asked about nailing your elevator pitch.
My answer?
Don’t!
An elevator pitch is never ideal because it sounds rehearsed, and it isn’t customized for the person you’re talking to.
Instead:
- Start with the other person: “How’s your project going?”
- Then use Present, past, and future to introduce yourself, even if you’ve met before. “I’m enjoying my time leading the internal communications team. Last month we…”
- Always finish with enthusiasm: “I’m really excited about this project and I hope to share results with you soon.”
Research shows that enthusiasm wins,
in sales, negotiations, job interviews, teaching,
and yes,
in making a great impression with your CEO in the elevator.
Bonus insight: 3 frameworks for quick wins
There were three more challenges that came up repeatedly in questions that I wanted to share quick recoveries for:
- Shaky voice? Breathe deeply, and slow your exhale in particular. Always bring water with you onstage!
- Lose your place mid-presentation? Anchor back to your one main point, then continue.
- Looking for a quick way to boost executive presence? Use the word “lead” when you describe your work: “I’m so proud of the team I led…” or “My leadership style is…”. This subtly reinforces your credibility!
I hope this newsletter helped clarify some of the common communication challenges that come up for you.
You can find answers to these and other questions in the latest Talk About Talk podcast, ep.196, Answers to Your Burning COMMUNICATION Questions. Listen (or watch) on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Talk soon,
Dr. Andrea Wojnicki
executive communication coach