Were the greatest masters of communication born with talent, or did they develop their skills? The secret to communication mastery – new insights after a stay in the USA.
I just returned from a two-week stay in New York, where I conducted a series of workshops for NBCUniversal, one of the largest media companies. The workshops were titled “Presentation Mastery,” and they were particularly interesting for me because I was delivering them in a country widely recognized for having top-tier communication skills.
Did my observations confirm this reputation? Absolutely. The participants in my presentation training sessions were all Americans, and almost all of them had a natural ease in articulating their thoughts. They spoke fluently, engagingly, and creatively.
The American Communication Advantage
From an early age, American students are encouraged to express their thoughts boldly. Speaking in front of a group is common practice. That doesn’t mean they don’t feel nervous before speaking in public—of course, they do. But their communication skills are undeniably strong.
However, like most people, they fall into two common communication traps.
Trap #1: Speaking on Autopilot
Most people speak in an unstructured way. They rely on whatever phrases their mind comes up with in the moment, which often leads to a scattered message. The most important information gets diluted among less relevant details, making the entire message lose clarity.
Trap #2: Stiff Business Communication
I see this everywhere, across all countries and industries: Employees laugh, talk naturally, and express themselves freely while chatting over coffee in the breakroom. But the moment they enter a conference room to deliver a presentation, their language stiffens. They start speaking in long, complicated sentences, stop smiling, and slip into corporate jargon. Their message becomes vague, emotionless, and difficult to understand. As a result, it lacks both clarity and persuasive power.
The Key to Effective Business Communication
Falling into these traps—no matter how strong your individual communication skills may be—will make your message ineffective. Successful business communication requires two things:
1. Speak in a Structured Way
Don’t trust your autopilot. Before saying the first word, take a two-second pause, think about the best structure for your message, and then start speaking. The two most effective structures are:
- General to Specific – When you want to inform someone
- Problem to Solution – When you want to persuade someone
Always keep these two formulas in mind. They’ll help you express your thoughts in a clear, organized, and impactful way.
2. Remember: Business Communication Is Still Human Communication
Companies don’t communicate—people do. Whether you’re chatting with friends over coffee or discussing million-dollar deals in a business meeting, speak the same way: with a smile, using simple words, and in a natural, relaxed manner.
Think about it—when you’re having coffee with friends, do you use words like synergy, conceptualization, leveraging efficiencies, or implicational adaptive processes? Of course not. So why use them in a presentation?
If my words don’t convince you, maybe this video will: Watch here.
In it, Lawrence Bernstein explains that effective presentations don’t need to be overly serious. What truly persuades people—even those in suits—is a natural, human approach and simple, conversational language.
My Wish for You
- Structure your communication
A simple rule: If you’re informing, use the general to specific formula. If you’re persuading, use the problem to solution formula. - Speak like a human being, not a robot
Speak in business meetings the same way you do with friends over coffee – naturally, freely, and with a smile.
If you’re ready to take your communication skills to the highest level, check out my presentation and communication training HERE.
Piotr