Speak by Design

The leader's message must be understood. When it isn't, your audience stops trusting you.

Build the habit of speaking clearly and concisely - because when you confuse, you lose. And when you ramble, they scramble.

Learn tips and tricks to help you simplify the complex. Get your bottom line upfront so there is no risk of confusion. Keep your responses short so that you maintain your listener's attention span.

Senior audiences will not tolerate confusing ideas and indirect responses to questions. Listen in for ideas that immediately help you be clear and concise.

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If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

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Leaders must have showmanship and know how to "perform" a message. It is part of the role. Great delivery balances three tensions:

• Strength and Vulnerability

• Fitting In and Standing Out

• Distance and Intimacy

When you put all of the opposites into your body language, vocal presence, and content - you naturally will have a better delivery. People often resist the idea of acting in a business setting. Instead, see this as an invitation to bring all your energy, emotion, and creativity to captivate your listener.

Listen as I walk through visual cues, vocal presence, strong starts and closes, provocative transitions, storytelling, use of data, and strong closes. Apply these tips with your next large audience and increase the impact.

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If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

Interested in bringing an event to your office or virtual team, email [email protected].

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

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When you sound confident, the audience hears that and listens better to you.

Your voice is just like a muscle. Without daily conditioning, the voice will weaken. A strong voice is a leader's best way to convey conviction, confidence, and commitment.

The perfect daily warmup includes exercises in this order:

1. Relaxation

2. Breathing

3. Articulator Stretches

4. Touching Sound

5. Resonance

6. Projection

7. Articulation Agility (Tongue Twisters)

When the speaker's voice is warmed up, it is much easier to speak with confidence.

Listen to the creative ways to warm up the voice. Do these exercises with me to feel the immediate impact of a stronger voice.

If you want to work with a voice and speech coach privately, join our coaching program at https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/monthlyvoicecoaching.

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do you use your voice to get people to listen? There are three vocal styles every leader needs.

1. The Assertive Voice

2. The Motivational Voice

3. The Consultative Voice

When you have a strong recommendation or solution, the assertive voice heightens the credibility.

When you want to excite the room, the motivational voice builds passion for the idea.

When you need to calm down the room, the consultative voice creates a safer atmosphere.

Learn how to match your intention to your vocal tone and master your version of the 3 Vocal Styles.

Interested in working with a private voice coach? Join our monthly coaching program for a combination of self paced lessons, plus two private coaching sessions per month. https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/monthlyvoicecoaching

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What kind of voices do you gravitate toward? Why do you like that vocal style?

We make a lot of assumptions about a person by the way they sound. We make assumptions about their knowledge, capabilities, competence, leadership potential, and motivation.

How can you create a vocal presence that conveys both confidence and credibility?

Vocal Presence, as a study, includes 6 elements of voice: pitch, pace, volume, variety, weight, and direction.

You have to be heard. A strong vocal presence helps your ideas be heard. It helps you keep people's attention.

Design the voice YOU want. If you don't like your voice, change it.

Learn how to use your voice to convey confidence, credibility, and connection in this lesson on Vocal Presence.

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Would you like to work on your voice with a private coach? Join Speak by Design University to go through our Vocal Presence course while working with a private coach. www.speakbydesignuniversity.com/monthlyvoicecoaching

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Why do you need a strong network?  It helps you navigate through challenging moments, helps increase visibility around your initiatives, helps grow business. These are the people who become your personal board of directors. 

Over time, people start making excuses for why relationship building is not a priority.

What if you approached this differently?  Get more excited and better at networking.

Little actions yield great results. Listen to learn what small steps you could start taking immediately.

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If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Senior leaders need to be able to connect with anyone. How does that work?

This lesson explores how you can open yourself to new ways of building relationships. What do the best talk show hosts do that helps their guests shine and mesmerizes audiences.

Explore the mindsets and conversation strategies that help you establish the foundation of a relationship swiftly.

Want to bring a half day group training to your team on this topic or other leadership communication topics, email [email protected].

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How do you inspire others?

You can inspire others from any seat at the table.  You can inspire even if you just joined the team yesterday. You can inspire in an interview.  You can inspire people by the way you answer a question - - - even by the way you listen.

The mark of a great message is that it drives action. The mark of a great leader is that they earn followers. Great leaders inspire others.

Reflect on what personality traits inspire you. What behaviors in others inspire you?  What types of messages inspire you?

We inspire others through our attributes, actions, and messages.  I cover all of three topics in this lesson.

Interested in bringing Speak by Design training to your team, send a request to [email protected].

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

People are most interesting... when they are interested.

Could you be a degree more fascinated in your own status update?

Could you marvel at the team's achievement more?

Could you show more interest in other peoples' ideas?

What else makes a person interesting? Deep dive into your delivery style and your way of structuring your ideas. Maybe a quote, story, analogy, or humor bit could grab peoples' attention faster.

When you share something unexpected, the audience leans in. When you are an interesting person, you also get talked about. It helps you expand your network and increase visibility.

Learn how to "Be Interesting" in Lesson 7.

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Are you looking to develop a more senior presence in meetings? Are you spending more time with senior leaders and need to act more peer-like? Research suggests that these 4 behaviors are a sign of maturity.

1. Are you calm under pressure?

2. Are you able to put out a contrary opinion?

3. Can you make a decision and move on?

4. Do people know you care about them?

   
   

When you can answer yes to all of these, you have gravitas.

Explore 4 practical ways to infuse gravitas into your day-to-day communication. Leave a lasting impression of authority and confidence because of the way you behave.

Want to bring a half day or full day learning experience to your team? Contact [email protected] to schedule an event.

If you liked this topic and want to master exceptional business communication, check out our coaching program at www.speakbydesign.com/join. That is where we study great communication as a practice and build these habits. The program includes private and group coaching with self-paced lessons and networking.

🔗 Links:

Start your coaching journey: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/join
Chicago Leadership Day (July 15): https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/se2026
Get Speak by Design Certified: https://speakbydesignuniversity.com/certification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.