Communication Archives

Confidence in Public Speaking: Beat Anxiety & Speak Boldly

Why is public speaking so scary? What could you accomplish if you overcame that fear? Public speaking anxiety is legendary. But, public speaking is extraordinarily powerful—both for the audience and the speaker. The audience gains knowledge and gets inspired. The speaker gets their message across, spreads their influence, and develops skills for success. Keep reading to learn about the power of public speaking and several misconceptions and truths that surround it. We’ll also share practical tips on how to gain confidence in public speaking by attacking the speech and attacking your fear.

How to Read Someone’s Personality & Play to Their Key Traits

How can you show support to a person who’s neurotic? How can you effectively work alongside someone who isn’t very open? Vanessa Van Edwards aims to help you connect more comfortably with others and build deeper relationships. In this context, she examines how to identify and cater to people’s personality traits so you can communicate with them as effectively as possible. Continue reading to learn how to read someone’s personality and use that knowledge to navigate your relationship.

How to Read Faces to Build Deeper Connections

Is it possible to accurately read someone’s facial expressions? What can be learned? When should you try to do this? In Captivate, Vanessa Van Edwards discusses Paul Ekman’s concept of universal facial expressions in the context of building deeper relationships. We’ll see how she recommends using the technique and what Ekman has to say about its abuse. We’ll also discuss a study that challenges the theory. Keep reading for a discussion on how to read faces and what you can learn from doing so.

How to Be More Likable & Memorable: 5 Ways to Win People Over

Do you want to learn how to be more likable and memorable with people you meet? How might your life be different if you could win people over like never before? Vanessa Van Edwards is a self-proclaimed “recovering awkward person.” She’s also a TEDx Talk presenter and blogger on how to master interpersonal skills. She’s developed strategies to make yourself magnetic, and she shares them in her book Captivate. Keep reading for five strategies from Van Edwards that will make people like and remember you.

How to Be a Good Conversationalist & Move Past Small Talk

What are effective ways to move past small talk? How can you craft engaging stories and ask better questions? In Captivate, Vanessa Van Edwards discusses how to make the most of social interactions, getting people to like and remember you, and ultimately building deep relationships. Good conversation is critical. You can learn how to be a good conversationalist by being inquisitive and showing interest in others. Keep reading for practical tips on being a curious and interesting conversationalist.

How to Be More Comfortable in Social Situations in Just 3 Steps

Are you more comfortable in a cafe or a club? When’s the right time—and what’s the right place—to approach someone in a social setting? Vanessa Van Edwards says that getting people to like you begins with proactively setting the stage before you meet them. She recommends carefully selecting the places and events you attend, where and how you interact with people once you’re there, and the types of people you interact with. Keep reading for Van Edwards’s advice on how to be more comfortable in social situations.

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People—Overview

Do you feel awkward in social situations? Do you know how to have interesting conversations and get people to like you? In Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People, best-selling author Vanessa Van Edwards provides strategies to help you become a social superstar. By taking control of social situations and presenting your best self, you can dazzle the people you want to know and forge meaningful relationships. Keep reading for our overview of this practical and encouraging book, including an exercise that will help you prepare for social success.

How to Turn Customer Conversations Into Useful Feedback

How can you use customer conversations to make your product better? What information should you gather during these discussions? In The Mom Test, Rob Fitzpatrick recommends taking customer feedback to determine if your business is worth continuing. To get this feedback, you need to talk with customers in the first place. Keep reading to learn how to take advantage of your customer conversations.

5 Smart Ways to Gather Customer Feedback

Why should you gather customer feedback? What do you do with that feedback? Feedback is important in any workplace, but especially important if you have a new idea you want to test. Rob Fitzpatrick’s book The Mom Test suggests five ways to gather feedback from customers that will determine if you have a great idea on your hands. Keep reading to learn how to gather customer feedback with Fitzpatrick’s five strategies.

Product Design Critique: Example of the Sprint Method

Looking for a product design critique example? How does the sprint method inform design critique? Jake Knapp’s Design Sprint method aims to teach product designers how to test a product idea in just five days. Using the sprint method for design critique is helpful if you’re stuck in the middle of a project that seems to be going nowhere. Read on for a product design critique example from Knapp’s bestselling book Sprint.