“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
”• Abraham Lincoln
You may be quite good at business communication ”“ your presentations are competent, you can run a successful meeting, perhaps you have a talent for speaking extemporaneously to a group. But when was the last time you challenged yourself? When was the last time you deliberately worked outside your comfort zone, actively looked for constructive criticism of your communication skills?
Going from good to great is not about acquiring more information, nor is it just about practice. You may have read all the books and blogs about how to communicate well, given several presentations and run multiple meetings a week, which sure feels like plenty of practice. But if you aren’t always striving to improve, if you don’t seek out honest feedback, and if you aren’t willing to make some changes, then you’ll never find out just how good you can be.
This is where deliberate practice comes in. Deliberate practice for business communication involves moving out of your comfort zone by seeking out and trying new techniques, soliciting feedback from experts and colleagues, and paying close attention to your communications with an eye to how you can improve.
Are you organizing your content in the most effective, listener-focused way? Have you looked at videos of your presentations, checking how you move, your vocal tone, your facial animation, the gestures you use, whether you fall into the trap of using filler words?
Deliberate, focused practice is essential to improving any skill, but is particularly important when your success depends on how people are reacting to you and if you need to influence your listeners to action. For communication skills this means deliberately soliciting feedback, preferably from experts in the field.
If you’re ready to up your game, to experience deliberate practice facilitated by experts in a small class with a highly personalized format, you can register here for our next Present with Confidence program on September 10-11 at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort. Space is limited- don’t delay.
During this two-day intensive but fun program, you’ll learn how to:
- Project confidence and credibility- engage your listener
- Create messages that influences your listener to action
- Identify and enhance your personal style to connect with all audiences
- Create listener-friendly visual support for your presentations
- Apply dynamic skills to your virtual communications
- Manage challenging questions and stay on message
Please call or email us with any questions you may have.
info@procommltd.com
877-296-3121 ext. 1