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How to speak so that people want to listen
Julian Treasure - TED
Sound expert Julian Treasure shares habits that undermine how we are heard and a toolbox for speaking with more impact.
Key takeaways
- Avoid gossip, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses and exaggeration.
- Speak with honesty, authenticity, integrity and love (HAIL).
- Your voice - pace, pitch, volume and tone - changes how you land.
Reflect on it
- Which habit from the list do I slip into most?
- How could I prepare my voice before an important conversation?
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Julian Treasure studies sound and how we use it. In this short TED talk he names the habits that make people switch off, then offers a toolkit for speaking with more impact.
Why it is worth 10 minutes
Whether you are presenting, chairing a meeting or giving feedback, how you sound changes how your message lands. The talk gives you a vocabulary for noticing your own habits.
The key points
- Seven deadly sins of speaking: gossip, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses, exaggeration and dogmatism.
- HAIL: speak with honesty, authenticity, integrity and love.
- Your vocal toolbox: register, timbre, prosody, pace, pitch, volume and silence.
- Warm up your voice before an important conversation.
How it links to communication theory
Treasure's talk is a practical speaking guide rather than a model. To explore how style shapes communication, read decoding the different communication styles and our guide to the PALMS model of communication.
Turn it into CPD
Watch the talk, then answer the reflection questions under the video and log it to your free Passport.
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Sign in to save what you've read - we'll create a free CPD log for you.