IMPROVING MY COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS MORE THAN DOUBLED MY COMPENSATION! SERIOUSLY!
Disclaimer: Good Day, Readers. WealthBuildingPowers blog is a financial literacy/competency blog and does not provide specific investment recommendations.
IMPROVING MY COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS MORE THAN DOUBLED MY COMPENSATION! SERIOUSLY!
Improving my communications skills was a catalyst for my career progression and Total Compensation.
I am an introvert who would avoid at all costs public speaking. Majority of career paths, including entrepreneur and corporate roles, require public speaking.
Early in my career, not only was I embarrassingly AWKWARD, I was limiting advancement opportunities. Equally important, you cannot date and marry pretty people if you fear talking to strangers! SERIOUSLY!
DALE CARNEGIE
While working my first job as an engineer, my fear of communicating hindered my performance. I had to do classroom training, and I was HORRIBLE!
I learned about Dale Carnegie’s public speaking workshops and enrolled. I still recall my first night. All I had to do was introduce myself in front of 100+ strangers. It would have signaled heart emergency if I had been wearing an I-Watch! I was praying to stand and not trip over the chair. Yep- I was setting low expectations. I’m suddenly standing, and I FORGOT MY NAME! Just joking, but I was that AFRAID.
I made it through that first night. Carnegie’s workshops met weekly for several weeks, where each particpant spoke and received immediate feedback. At the end of the night, we voted on the best speakers. The winners received a $1.00 pen! I WANTED to win a pen! The formula to improve is: Practice – LISTEN to your Feedback – Incorporate Feedback – REPEAT. I will never be a Barack Obama or Bill Clinton when it comes to public speaking. I still strive after every presentation to solicit feedback and continuously improve!
TOAST MASTERS
Later I enrolled in Toast Masters. A similar format to Dale Carnegie, where I participated weekly for two to three hours, spoke, and received constructive feedback. In Toast Masters, you also can participate in local, regional, national, and global competitions.
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
CONCLUSION – IMPROVING MY COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS MORE THAN DOUBLED MY COMPENSATION!
“The only easy way to earn 50% more than you are worth now….is by honing communications skills, both written and verbal. If you can’t communicate, it’s like winking at a girl in the dark — nothing happens. You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you have to be able to transmit it.” Warren Buffett
STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETENCIES
- Enroll in written and verbal communication courses/workshops. Many are online and inexpensive.
- ALWAYS request feedback after a presentation. TAKE ACTION TO IMPROVE!
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE , PRACTICE! I often practiced in front of my wife. ACCEPT feedback graciously (speaking to my fellow men) and improve.
- Use your smart phone (I know you have one or more) record yourself and critique how you can improve. You can also send the recording to a good friend and request feedback
- Learn your strengths and weaknesses. I dislike standing behind a podium. I am better at moving around the room and interacting with the audience. However, sometimes I must stay behind the platform, so I practiced this type of communication.
- Keep your PowerPoint slides simple and with few words per slide. Steve Jobs typically used SIX words or fewer per slide. Do NOT let your audience readyour presentation. Otherwise what value do you bring!
- Practice continuous learning.
Bottom Line- I am confident recognizing my fear of public speaking and acting enhanced my career and income. GET STARTED!
If you are afraid or dread public speaking, you must keep trying. Enroll in courses like Dale Carnegie or Toast Masters. And the good news, you will NOT go into debt for tens of thousands of dollars building this skill. Discover your weaknesses – i.e., How many times do you say ah? What should you do with your hands? When you attend meetings, do you have GREAT ideas but remain SILENT?
By the way, I won THREE of those priceless pens! If you enroll in Dale Carnegie, BEAT ME!! And let me know! I’m rooting for you!
LET’S MAKE SOME MONEY – CRYPTOCURRENCY IS ACCEPTED!
YOUR GREATNESS IS NOT WHAT YOU HAVE; IT’S WHAT YOU GIVE! – SOME CHARITIES I SUPPORT
St Jude Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/
Wounded Warrior Project: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Folds of Honor: https://foldsofhonor.org
Wilson’s No-Kill Animal Shelter: https://wcnkas.org
TRUST ME – YOU WILL LIKE THE BELOW BLOGS! {IT’S FREE!}
“WHAT WE BECOME DEPENDS ON WHAT OUR FATHERS TEACH US AT ODD MOMENTS WHEN THEY AREN’T TRYING TO TEACH US”
WHILE FAMILY IS A BLESSING {WELL SOMETIMES}, WE MUST CAREFULLY CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS!
LEARNING FROM INTELLIGENT MINDS – MANDATORY!
PODCAST #4 – DADS WHO RAISED ME TO BE MORE THAN I COULD BE!
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY – “EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WITH WHICH YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD” NELSON MANDELLA
POLISH UP YOUR SKILLS FOR FREE WITH THESE 19 LINKEDIN LEARNING COURSES
Bill Gates Says This Is the Most Important Thing He’s Learned from Warren Buffett. (Hint: It Has Nothing to Do with Money) Two billionaires are linked by one common denominator.
WARREN BUFFETT’S NET-WORTH IS DRIVEN BY THESE IRONCLAD TEN REULES
To Join Wealth Building Powers BLOG:
PLEASE SIGN UP TO FOLLOW ME BY PROVIDING YOUR E-MAIL IN THE WORDPRESS BLOG PAGE SUBSCRIBE BOX!
Thank you to my followers and readers for your likes and comments. All comments, recommendations, and feedback are welcomed and utilized to improve this blog.
ABOUT ME
I am a proud nerd (as my beautiful wife and daughter have told me) investment and finance blogger with an NC. State, Chemical Engineering, University Rutgers, MBA and Harvard University, Advanced Management education.
I left a corporate career because I desired to make a difference as a speaker and writer. I was blessed to be coached and mentored by strong women and men in my family and professional life. It is my time to serve and give back.
DISCLAIMER
I started my first business at ~13 years of age (a small but brilliantly created plant nursery). I am a successful investor in stocks, options, real estate and am happy to share my finance and investment lessons. I am NOT a licensed financial advisor. Please do not construe my suggestions on this blog as recommendations for your situation. As an investor, you must establish your risk/loss tolerance. Investment in any asset involves risk, including complete loss.
Please seek your licensed CPA or fiduciary financial advisors for individual financial advice.
I write this weekly blog to make an impact by reaching an audience and demonstrating the need for financial literacy. I will help you get there.
To follow my daily posts on Instagram, CLICK BELOW:
