You want to be one of those people who are professional in your ability to communicate. Say it simply, don’t offer the kitchen sink. Don’t go on and on. Keep on speaking in a very simple and clear way. Clarity does produce mastery. The more clear and precise you can be, the better a communicator you will become. The second element, say it thoughtfully. So I want you to start thinking through what you want to say on a consistent basis. Say things in a thoughtful way. Take the time. If it’s a sales presentation, be super prepared. Let’s say it’s a meeting, be over prepared for a meeting. Very few people are incredibly prepared for meetings. I want you to be one of those rare air performers that is so prepared that when you speak it’s thoughtful. One of the best ways to be a thoughtful communicator is to read great books. Read the speeches of histories great presenters, and read great books from the greatest minds. The more you read, the more you can increase your vocabulary. Be a great reader, you will be an excellent communicator. Third idea. You can say what you want so long as you say it with respect. I encourage you to speak your truth even if your voice shakes. That’s what brave people do. That’s what excellent communicators do. So if you walk into a restaurant and they were going to seat you in a place where you don’t like, maybe it’s next to the cash register. In a polite way, say it with respect, say, “Would it be possible for me to sit next to that window in that quiet table?” If that’s where you want to be. In your intimate relationship if there is something you need, something you are longing your partner would give you. What do most people do? They don’t say anything. They’re frightened of being rejected. They’re frightened of looking silly. Say it with respect. So the third point in communicating like a virtuoso is to say it respectfully. You can have whatever you want so long as you say it with respect. The fourth element, say it positively. We live in a world right now where people swear. I think every word has vibration. We live in a world right now where people say, “Oh, you like those sneakers or the way you’re dressed, it’s sick.” Or they say, “Oh, I saw you in that presentation. You murdered it.” Or they say, “Oh wow, the way you did that at work, you killed it.” And you have all these words that are part of the language of the majority that I don’t think are positive. And the words you use determine the way you feel. The words you use have a dramatic impact on the people around you. There are so many people who use victim speak, “I can’t. I can’t do this.”I remember giving a presentation in a country and the young gentleman who was driving me and my teammate to the airport after the presentation said, “I want to go live in Canada, but I know I can’t and I can’t…” And a few minutes later he said, “And I’d like to work there, but I can’t.” And everything was can’t. And the language you use reveal the beliefs that you have. I’ll repeat that again because it’s so important. Your language reveals your mentality and your belief system. And he was just someone who was operating in victim mode. I’m not saying he was a bad person at all. He was a very good person, but he was stuck in victimhood. Don’t use victim speak, don’t use the language of can’t. Don’t use negative words. They’d not only seduce yourself into thinking you can’t do anything, but they also reduce your energy and your performance. Speak the language of leaders and speak the language of heroism. And that’s being a possibilitarian. It’s using excellent language so that you become a virtuoso communicator.
