Build Your Brand Through Positive Verbal Communication

As stated in my past post the ultimate goal of building a positive personal brand is to gain “followers” that trust, respect and have confidence in you. To them, your brand should convey intrinsic value, expectation of performance, trust, reduced risk, and predictability.

One of the most important ways to keep your brand positive is to have an active, knowledgeable and conscious role in your own branding through positive professional business communications.

Verbal communication is used in almost every aspect of a business situation. From one-on-one and face-to-face group meetings, to virtual Skyping, to phone and voice mail – these all entail using speech to communicate and share information.

Those who have developed strong verbal communication skills are usually viewed as having a higher personal brand than those who do not develop these important skills.

This is because individuals who have good verbal skills are perceived as being optimistic, calm, confident and charismatic - qualities that are often endearing or appealing to others.

Through awareness of how you verbally communicate with others, and with practice, you can improve your interpersonal skills and raise your personal brand reputation among others.

Effective spoken communication requires being able to express your ideas and views clearly, confidently and concisely in speech, tailoring your content and style to the audience and promoting free-flowing communication. 

People make judgments based on how we behave and what we say. Therefore, the words we use and how we say them are a vital part of positive communication skills and building ones positive brand. 

Confidence in verbal communication involves expressing your thoughts and opinions and knowing you have the right to do so. It also means expressing your needs, feelings and wishes in a non-judgmental and non-threatening way.

Confident people are able to communicate verbally in an assertive and positive way because they

1. Never try to dominate the conversation and know that active listening is a skill as essential as speaking. 

2. Know that assertive verbal communication is a way to ensure their needs are met while still paying attention to the needs of others. 

3. Express their needs and wants in a clear and concise way. Frustration and anger most often occurs when people are confused, unsure or have misunderstood something during a conversation or discussion. With clear communication, conflicts rarely occur.

4. Use language effectively and assertively but with an awareness of how their words can affect others. They never using bullying or obnoxious language to insult or belittle people. 

5. Do not de-value their words by linking them with hesitancy, contradiction or uncertainty. 

Assertive, confident communication often involves the use of the word “I” when it is followed by your opinion, thought or feeling. It shows that you are taking responsibility for those thoughts and feelings, rather than implying someone else is behind them. 

It can be hard for a person lacking confidence to assert themselves in this way and to make requests, especially if they feel that they do not deserve to have their needs met. This is very common in many people and hinders them and their brand. 

Along with voicing opinions and requests, confident verbal communication also requires being able to say “no.”

Refusals are often seen as negative, yet they are essential. A confident person will not overburden themselves by accepting a project or extra workload they know they will struggle to accomplish. 

The confident communicator will know that it is far better to be honest and refuse someone’s request than to initially accept and later fail to complete the task, therefore causing disappointment and frustration. 

When refusing a request, it is best to keep your answer simple and give a quick explanation. Your honesty will be appreciated and respected. Do not feel you have to apologize for refusing a request or disagreeing with someone. 

Remember that verbal confidence requires respect, not only for other people but also respect for yourself.