Improve Your Communication Skills, 2nd Edition

short
than five seconds. Find the headline that 
summarises what you do in a single sentence.
Use a verb
State what you do – not what you are. Your 
introduction will be more dynamic and less 
ambiguous. ‘I specialise in minor injuries at an 
A&E unit’ is much more interesting than ‘I’m a 
nurse’. ‘I run training courses in communication 
skills’ resolves the ambiguity of ‘I’m a trainer’.
Be
What marks you out from others? What’s
distinctive
different about what you do? What’s unusual 
about the way you do business? What is the 
thing you really like doing?
Provide
Use familiar language, not jargon or
hooks
technical terms. Talk about what you do in 
terms of how other people experience it. Above 
all, keep using verbs: those ‘doing’ words will 
bring you alive in the other person’s mind.
Engage
Beware the temptation to apologise for your 
existence! Smile; use clear and steady eye-
contact; avoid words like ‘just’ and ‘only’ (‘I’m 
just a secretary’; ‘I’m only here because my 
manager asked me to come’). People will 
remember your warmth, your energy and your 
behaviour more than the words you use. 
Practise in front of a mirror, or with a friend. Do 
you 
look
as if you mean what you are saying?
( c) 2011 Kogan Page L imited, All Rights Reserved.

---

174 Improve your Communication Skills
Many of us find it uncomfortable to ‘blow our own trumpet’. But 
we don’t need to play loudly or boisterously! People need to know 
what you have to offer, so that they can call on your talents. Quiet 
confidence and self-assurance are often more effective than 
blatant advertising.
Practice makes perfect. Practise being confident and 
professional; think about how to display your enthusiasm and 
energy. Try out your self-introduction at every opportunity. Ask 
trusted colleagues how you are doing. You are your own best 
public relations consultant. You know what you have to offer, and 
how good it is. You need to make it visible.