Leadership Communication Strategies and leadership skills coach

Speaking is controlled breathing. Did you know?

Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Breathe in- Breathe out Rather I should be saying stomach in- stomach out. That’s how we were designed to breathe by default. The rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall, scientists have discovered for the first time. These effects on behavior depend critically on whether you inhale or exhale and whether you breathe through the nose or mouth.—study results (Northwestern University). Why am I talking about respiratory system today? Well, we all have seen, heard, experienced the benefits of deep-breathing ever since this pandemic happened. It might seem a common thing to discuss. But today, I am discussing this with reference to leadership communication. Yes, you read it right. Breathe Well You’ve been breathing since birth; it’s just that a majority of us breathe from lungs, including me, till a few years ago when I came to know of lungs’s functioning. The only thing that stuck with me – lungs- the main respiratory organs, I forgot the diaphragm’s contribution. The diaphragm is a thin skeletal muscle that sits at the base of the chest and separates the abdomen from the chest. It contracts and flattens when you inhale. This creates a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the air is pushed out of lungs. –www.healthline.com My involvement with communication studies got me notice the role our posture, voice, and breath plays to make it effective. While working with my clients, I realized most people are completely unaware of what they’re doing with their breathing system, again because, they never cared just as we don’t pay attention to our feet while walking, or our teeth while chewing or even our heart while it is pumping. Breathing is so much more than just an auto programmed feature of our bodies. So if you want to sound inspired and inspiring, read on, and be ready to boost your influence. Speaking is controlled breathing Every time you speak your exhale. Hold your hand next to your mouth and speak- did you feel the warmth of your breath? Now, try to speak something as you inhale from your nostrils- see! Breathing well is the first step of speaking well. It means you need enough air in your lungs to breathe out words and sentences. This means that you need to breathe in adequately before you speak. It also helps you in producing a good and confident voice- we will be talking more on voice quality later. Check your breathing There is a very simple way to check your breathing pattern for yourself. Stand straight, place one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Watch yourself in the mirror. Breathe naturally and calmly, and notice which part of your body moves the most. If you breathe well you should find that most of the movement is in your belly. As you breathe in, your belly should expand outwards. Stomach out As you breathe out, your belly should retract. Stomach in That’s how the babies breathe. If you find a great deal of movement in your chest rather than your belly, or if your shoulders rise and fall as you breathe, this means you are not breathing effectively and indirectly it is preventing you from using your voice properly. How to breathe? Lie down on your back, knees bent up. Place one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Breathe out all the air from your lungs and close your mouth. Do not breathe in again until your body tells you to. Feel the vaccum. Now, let your body to breathe in for you, it will happen automatically. With this breath, you should start to feel your belly rising up and you may find that the breath you take is somewhat deeper. Breathe it all out again immediately and notice how your belly drops back to its original position. Wait for the next in-breath. Practise technique for about 10 minutes, and observe the sense of release and freedom in your belly as you breathe. You should start to feel calmer and more relaxed. Gradually you will practice this breathing pattern when you are sitting, then standing and then 24*7. Belly-breathing or diaphragmatic breathing gives you a skill, essential for successful and authoritative speaking. Breathe in- Breathe out Stomach in- stomach out Did you get your copy of my book- ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’? Available versions- kindle and paperback.

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3-step formula to become an effective communicator

Business Emails, Business English, Communication, English language, Vocabulary / Archana Parmar

If you’re like most people who lack confidence to communicate, or the ones who don’t find suitable words to express themselves, then you’re always looking for a better way to conduct yourself. But it seems like a never ending practice. Good news: now you too can gain the confidence to communicate effectively by following a 3- step proven method below. These steps include: Step 1: Build your vocabulary – you need not learn the whole dictionary by heart, instead focus on topic specific vocabulary. Step 2: Polish your oral communication- identify the fears that stop you from performing well. Deal with them one by one. Step 3: Business Writing- what are the written tasks that you are supposed to perform on a daily basis? Let’s take a look at each of these steps in a little more detail… Step 1: Build your vocabularyThis first step is pretty simple. What you need to do is identify your routine job and make a list of tasks that you perform on a daily basis. For example, follow-up with your sales team. Now a lot of people tend to end up confused as to how to remember all the word. Usually you can avoid that by switching the most frequently words by their synonyms. For example, use essential instead of important. Once you’ve completed this first step, then move onto the next step… Step 2: Polish your oral communicationFor this step you’ll need to make a list of the activities that requires you to speak- presentations? daily meetings? . What you’ll do is structure your talks before hand by adding an introduction, body, supporting statement or example, and conclusion. Let me share with you three tips for making this step go more smoothly… Tip 1: [Introduction]. [Tell them what you are going to tell them] Tip 2: [Deliver]. [Tell them what you have to tell them along with some examples/anecdotes] Tip 3: [Conclusion]. [Tell them what you just told them by summarizing it] Once you’ve completed this step, then move onto the next one…Step 3: Business WritingFor this step, you need to identify different tasks that you are required to write. See if there is any pattern in them? Can these be templatized? One word of warning: people prefer a cut/copy paste approach for these things, remember- customization is the key in making an impact. ConclusionSo there you have it – a quick and easy 3-step process for becoming an effective communicator. Let’s recap the steps: Step 1: Build your vocabulary – you need not learn the whole dictionary by heart, instead focus on topic specific vocabulary.  Step 2: Polish your oral communication- identify the fears that stop you from performing well. Deal with them one by one.  Step 3: Business Writing- what are the written tasks that you are supposed to perform on a daily basis? Now there’s just one thing left for you to do – take action! So go ahead and give yourself the permission to be a better communicator. And do it today, because the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll reach your destination. I’ve got your back. Write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com Order your copy of my book ‘Business English and Leadership Communication’ – kindle or paperback

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How to Explain Facts Without Data Dumping

Business English, Communication / Archana Parmar

How to explain facts without Data Dumping You have spent sleepless nights and prepared your speech and presentation, next day very excitedly you deliver it, and instead of applause, you receive a tiring or questioning glare from the audience. This was a data-dump talk. Data dump has many formats, sometimes in a collection of slides and sometimes in just one. I have never seen an info dump that improved a speech; instead, it thwarts the conversation; instead, it introduces a topic in a shallow manner that the audience will be clueless about the work’s conceptual concerns. The worst kind of data dump is when you provide a quantity of data that can’t be absorbed in a short time. Yes, information is essential but knowing how much to provide is the skill you must learn. Ditch the habit of bombarding with stats and figures without adequately explaining it to educate, inspire and connect with your audience. Remember, you are the performer, not your data. The Art and Science of telling your data The human brain has its way of functioning. The left and right halves of the brain home different kinds of reasoning, according to scientists. The left side associates with structure, sequence, form, and order and operates linearly. The right side is responsible for creativity and surrounds concepts and connections that cannot be defined logically. Often people present the facts and data applying the left-brain approach when needed is a right-brain process. Most presenters bring logic, structure, and form when the right brain yet rebounds around the right brain. Why? Business people are result oriented instead of process-oriented unless it is about long-time strategy making, product designing, and problem-solving. For a process like a presentation, you have to reduce the time frame and deliver the message. Let your right brain complete the conscious cycle’s operation first, and then use your left brain’s structure. Focus, prepare, and then let the information flow. The entire thing is about timing and how to be creative and logical at the same time. A presentation or a speech starts with the creative process. Remember, people who reject data absorb information. How you do it is the skill that can set you apart from your competition. How to explain your data? Without proper understanding or analysis of your data, you will end up trash dumping. So, what you can do is find the nuggets and profit from them. For instance, suppose you have to give a presentation about a product, instead of listing the features, tell a story. Find a customer usage case and discuss that: How the product changed the customer’s life for the better? Ipod was introduced as your travelling companion with 1000 songs in your pocket so you need not bother about forgetting your favourite CD or Cassette (oh yes, these things existed). Steve Jobs didn’t do the data-dumping. Or create a story with the product in its climax. Or discuss the customer’s personality who may buy and use the product. Or talk about how the product will change the audience’s life. Form the story structure, talk about the trouble and the solution. People can relate and help them understand better. Engage your audience; that’s the purpose. That’s the way it has to be done. Tell stories to create a difference between forgettable boring speeches and conversations that people remember. Just the way Steve Jobs first showed the world the iPhone. Winding Up Address information as a raw ingredient that has to be processed with your creativity and produce your speech, which the audience would love to receive. When you rely more on the type of content, you take a longer time to deliver, and you make your audience see through many boring slides (which they can’t remember) and your back towards the most crucial element present there: your audience. Avoid info-dumping, or you will lose your audience and your ability to connect, inspire and convince.

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Tricks on how to negotiate and ask questions as a leader

Business English, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

When you are a business leader and have to use English in your career, make sure that you create an aura as you speak, not just put words together. You have to focus on vocabulary and specific linguistic structures. No matter what you communicate, you have to create an impression of authority over the language and influence people around you. The surprising power of Questioning It goes beyond your imagination and exchange of views! Improved questioning skills can strengthen managerial effectiveness. For that, you will need to frame your questions before you place them across the table. Taking a calculative measure and giving an explicit thought on this helps you grow in your role and inspire others around you. This will add value to your work and help build a team of skilled people together. Do remember that asking the right question is an essential leadership skill. To be perfect at this, you will need a good command of your language and to achieve this, you must have a good hold over your Business English. Coming to negotiations, if questioning is growing, knowing to negotiate well makes the growth pleasant. To accomplish both, you must be an explorer at heart. You must be aware of data and information and gather essential insights before you speak. Often negotiation skill is not innate; you have to acquire through learning. Also, a situation may be so that you know how to negotiate, but you don’t find the exact words to craft your thoughts thoughtfully. Here, you will need the touch of proficiency. Become a confident negotiator When you are in top positions, you have your struggles, and the way you address them will help you stand out from the competition. I aim to teach you the importance of both language and skills to enhance your Leadership score. You may be a good analyst, a great listener, and encourage team work, but without any ability to communicate right, you cannot attain your goal. You will need strong social skills to become confident with your approach and Leadership communication for useful conversation. If you prefer to distance yourself from a formidable negotiation, let me tell you this is nothing more than a regular discussion. You have to find a way agreeable to all and yet beneficial on purpose. Some tricks on how to negotiate or ask through the process Here, I am sharing 4 Dos to embrace, and 3 DON’Ts to avoid. Do prepare your strategies and how you will express yourself. Be insightful with all data and information and know exactly what to speak. Do know your bottom line. Before you begin a negotiation, you must be clear with the outcome you want. Do listen to others by giving them a chance to place their views and have a healthy interaction. Do apply a friendly approach, be amiable and business-oriented at the same time. Wear smiles and exchange pleasantries and see how smooth the negotiation happens or how well you accomplish a task. Don’t be emotional or get overwhelmed. Don’t question your worth. Keep a note ready with your or your organizations’ accomplishments, strike the deal right in case of negotiations and questioning, and be confident with your analytical skills. Don’t boast after a win. If you negotiated as expected, maintain a calm demeanor as you have done throughout the process. Excellent negotiation skills and questioning potential comes from good business education. With this, you are equipped to succeed in business and life. Take a look into this and sustain personal motivation to grow through life.

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How To Hone Your Leadership Communication With Business English

Business English / Archana Parmar

The pandemic of 2020 nudged us to move towards a digital world. This shift has come up with many opportunities and a few challenges. One among them is effective communication that helps you create a rapport with employees in the physical world and remote presence. Effective leadership communication is a crucial driving force for a company’s success. Leaders are responsible for building trust within organizations and motivate growth at a personal level and for the company as well. Good knowledge of English will help you communicate well and be understood. You must be professional, polite, and confident with your English ability. You need to know the right language- vocabulary, idioms, and phrases that managers must use. Let’s cruise into the aspects to understand how business English will help you. Why must you be conversant in English for leadership roles? For most working adults, being fluent in general English is adequate, but you, as a senior manager and a leader need more. You need to be proficient at an advanced level because you are in-charge of making changes, influencing people around you, and helping businesses grow. Can communicate openly When you are confident with your English ability, you don’t have to avoid phrases. Your words will define you, so make sure you don’t alienate yourself. Appear respectful Confidence breeds within us grace. When you know what to say and what to avoid, you won’t end up belittling anyone. Even you can tell a negative feedback making it sound constructive. When you start spreading professional happiness, your team will respect you. Can build trust and better professional relationship If you are at an impasse with a team member or a colleague, the manner in which you speak will help build a better relationship instead of letting it go sour. When you communicate with a deep understanding of others’ opinions and convey yours more clearly, you can develop healthier and more satisfying associations at work. Avoid wrong communication Maybe you don’t intend to say something, but you may end up offending or hurting sentiments due to a lack of vocabulary. Yes, that happens, and this not just creates a lousy workplace scenario but also lowers self-confidence. With the right words and their usage, you will ace your conversation and not just build a delightful work ambiance, but that will raise your self-esteem too. Poor leadership communication is often the main reason for lack of trust within an organization. Remember that strong leaders communicate with flair. 3 Tricks to keep in mind 1. Avoid asking a “Why.” Instead of questioning “Why,” to understand someone’s thought process, ask “What” or “How.” For instance, instead of saying, “Why do you think so?” you can ask, “How is that relevant to our project?” The former will make the other person act defensive and feel like he has to justify his opinion; the latter approach will encourage him to add more perspectives. 2. Acknowledge others’ efforts When an employee comes with a good idea or finishes a task efficiently, don’t just nod but appreciate using a few magical words. Kind words deliver results, and you create a team of happy and valued people. 3. Frame your statement with a value Don’t just say anything forcefully. Maintain self-integrity and offer ethics by framing your sentences with the right words to impart positivity. Winding Up Becoming a leader and delivering leadership are two different things. How you communicate, what you say, makes a huge difference. I have shared a few clues on how to leverage your communication skill with Business English. There is more to know and accumulate.

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How To Give Effective Feedback, Both Positive And Negative?

Business English / Archana Parmar

Positive feedback is more comfortable to convey, but it is unnerving to give a negative review without sounding rude.

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How to close your emails like a pro

Business Emails, Business English, English language, Writing Skills / Archana Parmar

Making an impact through your written communication can be a difficult task for non-native speakers; here I am sharing sample closing lines for your formal as well as informal emails. Closing lines for (big) requests Thank you (in advance). Any help you can offer me with this would be greatly appreciated. Any feedback you can give me on this would be gratefully accepted. Any assistance you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance (in this matter). Closing lines when you need a reply I look forward to hearing from you (soon). Looking forward to hearing from you (soon). Please let me know if that’s okay/ if that is acceptable with you/ if that sounds okay/ if you can/ if you can help/ if you need an extension/ if you need to reschedule/ if… Look forward to hearing what you think/ getting your input/… We look forward to receiving your documents/ application/ permission/… Closing lines when you offer more communication/ more help (if needed) If you need any more information, please contact me. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me (at any time). If you have any questions, please let me know. (In the meantime) if you need any more information, please feel free to email me. Please let me know if there’s anything (else) that I can do to help. If anything about that isn’t clear, please drop me a line. Other closing lines to mention the next contact between you I’m looking forward to seeing you then. I look forward to meeting you then. See you on Monday/ next week/ on…/ next…/ then. Hope we have the chance to meet again soon. I look forward to doing business with you again soon. Can’t wait to see you again! Keep in touch! Write soon! Closing lines for instructions/ commands/ orders Thank you for your cooperation. I appreciate your support/kind guidance. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Closing lines with apologies/ Closing lines when responding to complaints Hope that is okay (with you). Once again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused/ for the inconvenience caused/ for the delay/ for… Thanks for your patience./ Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding. Sorry about the complications. Sorry this is taking so long to sort out. Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines Have a good evening/ day/ weekend/ break/… Hope you have a good vacation/ journey home/… Good luck with…. All the best with… Useful closing greetings for emails Best regards Sincerely yours Sincerely Yours Best wishes Regards All the best Bye for now Take care Kind regards Join my 3 day email writing course for FREE here.

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10 Websites to Practice English Grammar Online

1 Comment / English language, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Mastering grammar—irrespective of the language—is not in any way an easy task. It is a process worth investing your valuable time and consistent efforts, no, I don’t intend to scare you here, rather I am going to share some of my favourite websites that may help you with English grammar practice. You may be familiar with some of them or may be all of them, in that case, I would request you share the article with your friends, family, colleagues who you think will benefit from these grammar exercises. And yes, if you know about any other helpful addition to this list, feel free to share that with me in the comments section. 10 websites to Test and Practice your English Grammar Online 1. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org British Council is known for providing a wealth of resources online. 2. https://britishenglishpage.com This site hosts Free online English lessons & ESL / EFL resources 3. https://www.englishgrammar.org/ From beginners to advanced learners of English, this site caters to all. 4. https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/ This site houses resources for grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing and many other topics. Bookmark this site for future references. 5. https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/ The most interesting thing here is the English Grammar Level quiz, give it a try. 6. https://www.examenglish.com/grammar/ This website is for people studying for an English language exam. Here the pages contain free online practice tests for the most important international ESL exams. 7. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/category/handbook/ Find answers to all your writing conundrums with Grammarly’s simple guide to basic English grammar rules. 8. https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/ These pages are a complete English grammar guide filled with the rules of English usage. Each grammatical rule is explained in plain English with several examples, and when needed, counter-examples. 9. https://www.usingenglish.com/ Tests, quizzes, reference guides, practice activities, phrasal verb dictionary and more! 10. https://englishgrammarsecrets.com/ Looking for a quick overview on English grammar with a lot of examples? This is your site! In addition to these, here a list of some interesting language apps, you might want to have a look at. I believe you will find these sites helpful as you practice English grammar! Thank you so much for your time. Note: grammar is just one part of the language. It is best to incorporate the grammar you are learning into all 4 language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking! Want to learn how to do that? Drop me a line at archana@archanaparmar.com or schedule your free session now.

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Did you know avoiding eye contact kills your speech?

1 Comment / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Body language is very important when delivering a speech. Have you ever seen our great leaders fidget or make unnecessary movements while addressing the nation? Since you are the center of attention while making the presentation, you should mind every move that you make so as not to bore or distract the people listening to your speech. So you already have a speech prepared, you know the topic well and you are now standing in front of the audience. They are in for a treat because you have prepared a great presentation, yet you also know that they have a very short attention span. How would you keep them interested with what you are saying? The answer is to maintain eye contact. This is one public speaking technique that great speakers use whenaddressing a large group of people. Here are some tips on how you can use this “trick” to keep your audience interested while delivering a speech: Once you have already started speaking and have delivered yourintroduction, take a look at your audience. Do not be nervous if you see one or two people frowning as you are not sure of exactly what they are thinking. Instead of looking out for unfriendly or blank faces, search for the people who are smiling and nodding their heads. Try to focus on this person for a couple of minutes and look him or her in the eye. This way, you would have an immediate “friend” in the audience to whom you can look at and gain confidence from. This will not just increase your confidence but also relax you in the course of your speech. Gaze steadily at your audience, moving from one part of the room toanother. This way, you would immediately grasp their attention. Never read your speech. Just make an outline of the important points that you can expand on. If you have visuals, do not read the bullet points word for word as this might imply that your audience cannot read that themselves. With this, you are instantly creating a “bond” with your audience as aspeaker since you do not have to keep on looking at your notes through the course of your speech. The key to delivering a great speech is to just breathe, relax and make eye to eye contact with your audience. Thus, you are not just making a physical connection with them but you are also ensured that you come out as a sincere speaker who wants to inform and interact with the audience through your speech. I hope these tips will help you communicate more confidently from now. It’s just about consciously avoiding these mistakes. Connect with me on Linkedin for everyday posts on skill development. You can also get on a call with me at a time convenient to you. Just click here and choose your slot.

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Overcome your fear of public speaking

2 Comments / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

In a survey done by Dr. Laurie Rozakis, author of Idiots Guide to Public Speaking, it was found that many people are scared to speak before a group. It is the number one fear among Americans, “–and the number 6 is fear of death,” according to Dr. Rozakis. Even the most experienced speaker gets anxious when speaking in public. However, this fear can be controlled so that you can put your fear to your advantage. This topic teaches us why people are nervous when speaking in front of a crowd and how you can conquer your fear. FEAR OF THE AUDIENCE People are afraid of rejection by their audience. Thus, many are terrified of speaking in public for fear of being criticized by the crowd for how they look or how they deliver their speech. On the contrary, audiences are very understanding about the speaker’s problem with stage fright. You become more nervous when your fear of the audience increases. Below are some strategies that can help you overcome your fear of the audience. > Choose a topic that you like and you are familiar with. The more comfortable you are about your chosen topic, the more confident you are in facing your audience. > Concentrate on your topic. Focus on your topic and not on yourself. When you start to think of your subject matter and not yourself, your fear of speaking will likely decrease. > Say to yourself: “I am the BOSS.” Trust in your capability of delivering your speech. Showing that you are in charge decreases your fear and increases your confidence in facing the situation. > Don’t think of your audience as a threat. Bridge the gap between your audience and yourself. Analyze carefully to establish rapport. You should consider age, gender and their level of expertise. Remember to analyze your audience. FEAR OF FAILURE There are two ways to win over your fear of failure. > Picture yourself succeeding. If you think that you will stutter in front of many people, chances are you will stutter. But if you visualize yourself delivering your speech well, then, you will. > Face your fear. You cannot overcome your fear unless you show it and admit that you are afraid of it. FEAR THAT YOUR SPEECH IS A BAD SPEECH > Write well. Take time to write your speech. Review it and rewrite if necessary. If you are confident with your speech, the less terrified you will be about speaking in public. > Practice and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your speech. Ask a friend of relative to act as your audience. Once you have delivered your topic, ask for their feedback. Don’t be afraid to hear about what they will say. Their feedback can give you insight on what is good or bad in your speech. The best tool that can help you prepare is your mobile phone. Record your practice sessions and review your own performance. Learning takes time, effort and lots of practice so we shouldn’t let negative emotional responses stop us from achieving our learning goals. Learning and practice give familiarity which leads to confidence. Drop me a message at archana@archanaparmar.com or connect with me here .

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