Say it like you mean it. How influential professionals say words like it matters

What makes an outstanding professional?

1) Great technical talent and skills

2) Being ethically innovative

3) Being able to get people to notice points 1 & 2

What makes us listen to people of influence?

Many professionals miss one ridiculously simple thing when it comes to speaking influence.

Sounds bonkers... but you’ll notice your favourite people of influence do this all the time, and to be honest, much of it without noticing.

I always ask my clients this:

What does this so called 'professional/executive presence' mean, and who has it?

Answers usually include CEOs, colleagues or well known industry speakers.

Ok, I say - what's so special about them?

Answers range from:

• What they say matters
• They command attention - but don't ask for it
• They have an 'energy' to them - not aggressive and not over the top... something that makes you watch them.
• You know they have POWER (how? I ask.. "You just do")

or even the much more simple "I just like hearing them speak".

How you say it matters

Along with a background in finance and accounting, I also have a professional background in musical theatre. Strange combination I realise - but rather essential experience for an impact and influence coach!

Any performer; singers, actors, comedians or musicians, all learn in excruciating detail how to use their voice and breath as the means to connect to an audience.

This is of course, their entire purpose - to get a message across with feeling, emotion and energy.

This now spills into realms of what makes professionals successful.

The simple performer lesson 101

Do you know the musical song “Pick a Pocket or Two?”

I’m sat watching Oliver! the musical with my young one, and remembered a vital lesson I learned about how important HOW to speak so it matters.

I was doing the musical at school, and sang the lines “pick a pocket...”

“NO!” The teacher yelled at me in front of EVERYONE.

Apparently I wasn’t enunciating the words to their full impact. It was sloppy with sluggish energy.

Those writers had chosen P P P for a reason in the line, I was sternly told.

I tried it, puh puh puh!! Bigger energy at the start, and I make proper use of the alliteration.

Wow. Ok, the teacher was right. It took me 30 mins of repeating, and playing and trying it out so that it sounded like it was intended to.

The line now packed a punch that makes the meaning of the song come to life.

Very simple: There's a reason why you're presenting something and not emailing it

Imagine this- the words were chosen for a reason- and as a singer I had to bring them to life to make an impact and help them stand out to an audience.

In this case... with short, sharp and crisp sounds

“Pick/A/Pocket/Or/Two!”

Listen to the most influential speakers you know- someone you work with or online- listen to the way they deliver words.

It might be natural talent OR they work on it, they play with their voice using the 3 P's of public speaking (pitch, pace and pause) like a performer to efficiently speak the words so that people listen.

It’s authentic but deliberate. To speak in a way that makes those important words stand out, just for you - the intended audience.

A habit worth getting into if you really want to make in impact in finance.

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About Me

I am an Executive Speaking and Impact Coach, known for working with accountancy and finance professionals, a leading writer on presentation skills and presence in finance, host of Presenting Accountants podcast.

I coach accountants and finance professionals to remove limitations, to become clear confident speakers, and have a stronger sense of their professional presence so that they can make waves in their role.

If you have something holding you back from being influential and making an impact with finance, you can take my free account's impact assessment to help you get an idea of which soft skills to develop.

Take the 2 minute assessment here