How to Sharpen Your Communication Skills

Public speaking is so funny. It’s a requirement of leadership, but many people hate it. In fact, most people rank “public speaking” as a higher fear than “death” on surveys.

I’m not sure whether that is true, but I do know that developing your voice and presence as a public speaker is a lifelong journey. Don’t rely on charisma or intellect alone. The best speakers treat speaking like a craft and desire constant improvement.

If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four hours sharpening the axe. - Abraham Lincoln

How to Sharpen Your Communication Skills

• Ditch the verbal ticks. (Um, like, sorry, you know, anyway, etc..)

• Learn the art of small-talk. The book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a great start on this. Basically, when you are in a conversation, find out what someone is passionate about. They will love to talk about it!

• Use people’s names. You can even do this from a stage.

• Talk slowly and deeply. Research shows this commands respect.

• When you pause, sm…