In an era where corporate professionals are often gauged by their capacity to communicate, the art of effective conference speaking emerges as a distinctive edge in a highly competitive landscape. This isn’t merely an embellishment to your personal repertoire but an essential tool that fuels professional growth and organizational success. The best part is, it sets you up to become recognized as a talent and an industry thought leader, creating a virtuous circle that leads to even more invitations and impacts larger audiences.

Why is it a savvy move to become a proficient conference speaker? Let’s explore the benefits:

• Enhanced Reputation: As a corporate professional, your reputation precedes you. It’s the foundation upon which relationships are built, trust is established, and influence is created. Mastery of conference speaking amplifies your reputation, opening avenues to connect with peers, leaders, and potential clients on a broad scale. Commanding the stage at conferences imbues you with authority and credibility, positioning you as a thought leader in your field.
• Business Development: From a business perspective, conference speaking is a high-leverage opportunity to present your company’s offerings, demonstrating the value and uniqueness of your product or service. An articulate presentation can captivate a diverse audience, fostering leads, potential collaborations, or even unexpected partnerships. Simply put, being a competent conference speaker can significantly boost your business development efforts.
• Building Networks: Conferences are potent breeding grounds for networking. By being an effective speaker, you become a magnet that draws other professionals towards you. The network you construct as a result can open doors to opportunities you might otherwise never have encountered. A well-delivered presentation is a springboard for engaging conversations, deeper connections, and mutually beneficial relationships.
• Personal Branding: In the corporate arena, your personal brand is an asset. A unique, compelling brand sets you apart from the crowd, and there’s no better platform to showcase this than on the conference stage. Articulating your ideas and insights effectively cultivates an image of a confident, knowledgeable leader. As you grow as a speaker, so does your personal brand, reinforcing your standing in the corporate ecosystem.
• Professional Growth: Finally, the process of becoming a great conference speaker fuels your professional growth. It demands continuous learning, challenging yourself, and stepping out of your comfort zone. The skills you develop — thorough research, sharp analytical thinking, clear articulation, persuasive argumentation, empathetic audience engagement — not only improve your speaking ability but also have broader applications in your professional life. It sets you up to become a professional speaker, which can become a very lucrative second career.

While the road to becoming a great conference speaker can seem daunting, the rewards reaped far outweigh the initial discomfort and effort. It’s a virtuous circle of recognition, influence, and opportunity. Investing in this skill is more than a savvy move; it’s a strategic decision that can propel your corporate career to new heights.

Are you ready to take the next step?

Clearwater Advisers can help you prepare an engaging speech and show you how to deliver it in such a way that no one knows you are reading it. Click here for more details. Get in touch to find out how we can help you make this switch and unlock the power of effective conference speaking.

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In the course of our work we find that many people fear the media in much the same way you might fear getting on the back of a powerful racehorse if you were a novice rider! You are never going to give your finest performance if you fear the situation.

One quick way of reducing anxiety and develop comfort is by education and coaching. This leads to a better understanding of the situation and as a result greater confidence. For example, 90% of interviews are relatively “run of the mill” conversations where the journalist is “fishing”. By this we mean exploring with you to see if they can find a new story or new angle on an old story.  Less than 10% interviews are likely to be confrontational or hostile “Jeremy Paxman style” interviews. So, at the outset the odds are stacked in your favour- your challenge is to package your story so you give the journalist something that others will find interesting. Remember their job is to sell interesting copy and get paid, not to trip you up or catch you out. Go in with the right attitude-along the lines of “How can help this journalist and find a win:win for both of us?” Remember this before agreeing to, or when preparing for, an interview. At all times if you respect them they are more likely to respect you.

Armed with this knowledge you can stop fearing the media and start harnessing its power.

Next time we will further develop this idea.

In addition to handling the media, we also offer coaching and consultancy in conference speaking, competitive pitching and business development.

The post The Fear of the Media first appeared on Clearwater.

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Communication Tip 24: What Do You Want Your Visual to Do?

Our Founder James McBrien speaks on the confusion around roles that clients want their visuals to perform. From prompts, to evidence, most people use a single document to do it all.

Find out what we recommend doing to have the best effect by watching this short 1 minute tip.

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Any change, no matter how well-intentioned or meticulously planned, will fall short if it is not communicated properly. Indeed, communication serves as the bridge between the intention and implementation of change. Yet, there is a remarkable dearth of understanding of what constitutes effective change communication.

What does change communication involve?

At its heart, change communication is about explaining the ‘why,’ ‘what,’ and ‘how’ of the change. This includes elucidating why the change is necessary, what the envisaged outcomes are, and how the change will be implemented. It’s about building a shared understanding and collective commitment to change among all stakeholders. Contrary to the perception that it is a one-way information broadcast, effective change communication is a dialogue. It involves listening to concerns, addressing queries, and fostering an environment where everyone feels part of the change. This notion aligns with the adage, “People support what they help create.” Thus, inclusivity is key to successful change communication.

Moreover, change communication should be consistent and continuous. Consistency breeds trust, and trust is the bedrock of successful change implementation. In the face of change, many employees grapple with uncertainty. Regular updates can assuage these anxieties and foster a sense of security amidst the upheaval.

The best practices of change communication

Now that we have established what change communication entails, let’s delve into some best practices.

1. Early Engagement: It’s important to involve people early in the process. Share information as soon as it’s available and feasible. Early engagement not only helps mitigate resistance but also allows employees to mentally prepare for the change.
2. Clear Messaging: The messaging should be clear, concise, and jargon-free. It should resonate with employees and help them understand the change from a personal and organizational perspective.
3. Multi-channel Approach: Leverage different communication channels to reach every employee. Some might prefer emails, others town hall meetings or online forums. The goal is to ensure no one is left out of the communication loop.
4. Feedback Mechanisms: Encourage feedback and respond to it promptly. This two-way communication helps clarify misunderstandings, address concerns, and makes employees feel heard and valued.
5. Celebrate Milestones: Celebrating progress, no matter how small, motivates employees and reinforces their commitment to the change. It also provides a morale boost during the challenging change journey.
6. Team Alignment and Message Management: Team alignment and message management play crucial roles in effective change communication. Key speakers need to be fully bought-in and aligned with the vision of the change. It is essential for them to consistently convey the same message. When the communication is consistent across the organisation, it enhances the effectiveness and impact of the message.

As the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw famously said, ‘The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.’ It’s important to ensure that communication is not just a one-way delivery of information but a shared understanding and dialogue.

At Clearwater Advisers, we have 20 years of experience in helping businesses increase trust and buy-in to change. If you are going through a gut-wrenching change, get in touch with us to find out how we can help. Click here to contact us.

Remember, it’s not just about managing change, it’s about communicating it. Because communication isn’t just the message delivered — it’s the message received, understood, and acted upon.

The post Getting The Communication of Change Right first appeared on Clearwater.

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The “nature/ nurture” debate has raged for well over 25 years since the birth of modern-day psychology to help explain the way people act, behave and perform. This month we would like to look at beliefs and how they impact our performance. The tale of Cliff Young is a great example of where someone’s personal belief differed from the rest and the results were little short of spectacular.

Cliff was a farmer who in 1983 at the age of 61, dressed in dungarees and wellingtons entered the Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon – a distance of over 500 miles. He had never run a competitive race before and was unfamiliar with the strategies and tactics of ultra-long distance running.

Yet on this first race he not only won the race but he did so by 10 hours!

The other ” more sophisticated” runners had been conditioned to believe you run for 16 hours and you sleep for 8. Cliff did not know this “truth” and just carried on running.

Ironically on day one, he was mocked by the media for going so slowly and dismissed as a ” no hoper”. At the finish line, the same media had to eat their words!

The right belief will liberate you. The wrong ones will imprison you.

When it comes to presenting and pitching for business how have you been conditioned?

What are some of the beliefs and false “truths” you have about what you can do and what you can’t do?

What would your career or life look like if you had different beliefs?

This month I encourage you to set aside that train journey home tonight to capture some of your beliefs about what’s possible and in the next month try a different approach.

See the previous weekly tip.

The post The Power of Belief first appeared on Clearwater.

The post The Power of Belief appeared first on Clearwater.

Executive coaching in negotiations is a process of working with a trained coach to improve an executive’s negotiation skills and strategies. This type of coaching can be particularly effective for executives who are new to negotiating or who need to improve their negotiation skills for specific contexts.

Why should you consider negotiation training for yourself or your team?

• Identification of strengths, and weaknesses – Professional coaching will identify their strengths and weaknesses as negotiators. This process often begins with an assessment of the executive’s current negotiation skills and strategies, followed by a deep dive into the executive’s negotiation experiences. Through this process, the coach can identify areas where they may need to improve, as well as areas where they’re already performing well.
• The development of existing negotiation strategies – This can include developing a negotiation plan, identifying negotiation objectives and priorities, and exploring different negotiation tactics and techniques. By working with seasoned professionals, executives can gain a deeper understanding of the different negotiation strategies that can be employed in different contexts, and develop a more nuanced approach to negotiation that takes into account the interests of all parties involved.
• Building confidence – Negotiation can be a high-pressure and stressful activity, and it is not uncommon for those to feel intimidated or overwhelmed in negotiation situations. By working with a coach, executives can learn techniques for managing stress and anxiety and can develop the confidence they need to negotiate effectively.
• Navigation of complex and difficult negotiation situations – Not all negotiations are the same, some will be tough. This can include negotiating with difficult or hostile parties, negotiating in high-stakes situations, or negotiating across cultures or languages. As veterans in negotiation, we can provide guidance and support to help you or your team navigate these types of situations and can help to develop strategies for achieving negotiation objectives while maintaining positive relationships with all those involved.
• Improve strategic communication skills – Communication is a critical aspect of negotiation, and executives who are effective communicators are more likely to achieve successful negotiation outcomes. Our experience means we can work with you or your team to improve active listening skills, develop the ability to articulate interests and priorities and learn how to use strategic communication effectively with different types of negotiators.
• Negotiation skills develop a more collaborative and inclusive leadership style – Negotiation is often about finding solutions that meet the interests of all parties involved, and who are skilled negotiators are often better able to build strong relationships with their stakeholders. Through professional training, those that need it can learn techniques for building consensus, developing effective communication strategies, and promoting a culture of collaboration within their organisations.

Negotiations Coaching with Clearwater Advisers

Our workshops are conducted by seasoned professionals with extensive successful negotiation experience at the highest levels of the industry. We believe in making our workshops highly interactive because we understand that people learn best by doing, a hallmark of Clearwater’s reputation. Individuals and teams participate in negotiation scenarios that are filmed and reviewed to facilitate learning. We cover the entire range of skills, explaining the process and dynamics of negotiation. Our clients leave with the confidence to negotiate under any circumstance.

Our most sought-after offering is our two-day workshop, typically delivered over consecutive days, or it can be facilitated as an online workshop in four three-hour blocks. If your organisation is committed to improving performance and results in negotiations, this workshop is perfect for you.

Contact Clearwater Advisers today via the “Contact Us” page.

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Last time, we talked about some of the key things to remember about preparing for Ad Lib speaking.
This month we thought we would give you a few pointers about ad lib delivery techniques.

• Smile – your audience is likely to smile back and relax.
• Start by outlining the structure “ I’d like to talk about three things…..x,y,z”.
• Link each section with phrases such as “This brings me on to my next point….”
• Actively keep your rate of words nice and fast to give it energy and vitality.
• Actively insert pauses and resist the temptation to fill the pauses with “Errs” (hesitation) or
  more words (repetition). If this happens, just stop talking and refocus.
• Unless you are very experienced it is likely that your levels of adrenalin will be higher than
  usual, this is likely to distort your perception of time. What you think is a long pause actually
  isn’t, so you need to exaggerate the pauses. Take your time.
• Less is more.
• Most of all, find a way to enjoy it!

For more weekly tips, sign up for our free communications newsletter.

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The Picturephone from AT&T was launched as a commercial video conferencing solution at the World’s Fair in New York in 1968, allowing users to communicate via video with someone on the other end for 10-minute intervals. However, its high cost, size, and complexity limited its adoption. It wasn’t until the 1980s that video conferencing began to gain traction with the introduction of systems from Compression Labs and PictureTel. Prices dropped significantly, making them more accessible to larger corporations.

IBM dropped the price of their systems to $20,000, and CU-See Me from Macintosh made video collaboration more feasible for consumers and businesses. Polycom played a crucial role in the evolution of video conferencing in the late 1990s and early 2000s with its ViewStation and Via Video solutions.

While enterprise adoption continued to grow, video conferencing use cases also expanded outside of businesses. Courts, law firms, and the military started using video conferencing, as did higher education distance learning and telehealth in healthcare. Large global enterprises also began to embrace video conferencing to reduce travel, improve collaboration, and increase product time to market. The widespread availability of Wi-Fi and HD video camera technology in smart devices made video collaboration accessible to workers across organisations.

The Impact of the Pandemic

The pandemic created a whole new world of interaction where everything was carried out online. As the threat of COVID has receded we are left with the benefits of this experience to weigh up against the face-to-face approach of a pre-pandemic world. When it comes to how we interact with each other, is it time to go back to the face-to-face approach?

Pros

• Convenience – Virtual meetings allow participants to attend from anywhere with an internet connection, eliminating the need for travel and saving time.
• Flexibility – Participants can join meetings from their home, office, or any other location they choose, providing flexibility in their work schedule.
• Cost savings – Virtual meetings eliminate the need for travel, accommodation, and other expenses associated with in-person meetings, making them a cost-effective option.
• Accessibility – Virtual meetings can be more accessible to people with disabilities, as they can join from a location that is comfortable and convenient for them.

Cons

• Technical difficulties – Technical issues such as poor internet connectivity, audio or video quality problems, and difficulties with screen sharing or other collaboration tools can make virtual meetings frustrating and ineffective.
• Lack of personal connection – Virtual meetings can lack the personal connection and engagement that comes with in-person meetings, making it more difficult to build relationships and trust among participants.
• Distractions – Participants in virtual meetings may be more prone to distractions, such as checking email, taking phone calls, or multitasking, which can lead to reduced engagement and productivity.
• Fatigue – Virtual meetings can be tiring for participants, especially if they are back-to-back or if the meeting involves prolonged staring at a screen.
• Reduced body language and nonverbal cues – Virtual meetings can make it more difficult to read body language and nonverbal cues, which can hinder effective communication and collaboration.

George Bernard Shaw said, “The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”

We couldn’t agree more. Time and time again, video conferencing solutions allow for teams to have 8 meetings a day, but these meetings will rarely all be productive.

So, is a hybrid approach the way forward?

The pandemic opened up the potential for using technology to improve efficiency and make better use of time. However, it’s also important not to forget that humans thrive – and are driven by – connection. A hybrid approach to meetings would mean a combined strategy that provides for face-to-face contact in situations that would be best served by connection and virtual meetings where the benefits of efficiency and accessibility can be enjoyed. Combining the two could be an effective way forward for many.

Virtual Presence Coaching with Clearwater Advisers

Clearwater Advisers are strategic communication coaches, we specialise in showing leaders and their teams how to increase trust and buy-in when they communicate. Part of that process includes coaching in virtual presence, which has become increasingly necessary in recent times.

Want learn more about our virtual presence coaching? Get in touch with us via “Contact Us” page.

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