40: How to become a top 1% communicator

Brendan Kumarasami, founder of MasterTalk, shares his journey from studying accounting to becoming a speech coach. He discusses the importance of communication skills for STEM professionals and offers three key tips: the random word exercise, the question drill, and the video message. Brendan emphasizes the need for engineers to develop their communication skills in order to advance in their careers and become effective leaders. He also highlights the importance of motivation in overcoming communication challenges. Learn more about Brenden at https://www.rockstarcommunicator.com/ where you can sign up for a free online workshop. Or you can send him a message on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/masteryourtalk/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:06 Discovering a Passion for Communication 03:00 The Importance of Adaptability in Business 03:29 The Challenge of Open-Mindedness 04:26 The Evolution of MasterTalk 05:25 Targeting Specific Clientele 06:19 Becoming a 1% Communicator 07:33 The Random Word Exercise 08:52 The Question Drill 10:38 The Video Message 12:23 The ACE Framework for Meetings 13:42 Reflecting on Difficult Questions 14:48 Getting to the Point in Communication 17:00 The Three Balls to Juggle in Communication 19:07 Overcoming the Fear of Extemporaneous Speaking 20:14 Stepping Out of Comfort Zones 21:46 The Importance of Communication in STEM Fields 25:31 Favorite and Dream Travel Destinations 26:34 Favorite Communicator: Tony Robbins 29:19 How to Connect with Brendan Takeaways Developing communication skills is crucial for STEM professionals to advance in their careers and become effective leaders. Three key tips for improving communication skills: the random word exercise, the question drill, and the video message. Motivation plays a significant role in overcoming communication challenges. Effective communication involves acknowledging, counting, and evaluating updates in meetings, as well as actively listening and asking meaningful questions. Tony Robbins is recognized as a great communicator for his ability to engage and energize audiences. Reflecting on how your life would change as an exceptional communicator can provide intrinsic motivation to improve. Keywords communication skills, STEM professionals, speech coaching, random word exercise, question drill, video message, motivation