Tips for Effective Communication

I was honored to speak with Cisco DGC Sarita Venkat and top trial lawyer Bijal Vakil on effective presenting and interviewing skills. Key takeaways:

• Before any communication, consider your audience and what they care about.
• When communicating, be clear on your vision, the results you are conveying, and the impact on the audience. Sample answers to convey: Did the deal close and was it a win? Can business proceed? Why am I right for the job? etc.
• Communicate concisely. Otherwise you will lose your audience.
• Prepare and practice delivery. Clarity and brevity do not come easily, especially when there’s a lot of context and nuance.
• Be empathetic and authentic. If you don’t really mean what you are saying or if you talk about something your listener doesn’t care about, you will lose impact and connection.

In summary per Sarita: Clarity, Empathy, Brevity!