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Being able to communicate and connect is the not-so-secret ingredient to personal and professional success. By learning these simple yet effective techniques, you can refine both what you say and how you say it. Stand out by speaking well when it matters most.
Learn:
The MIT AgeLab is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Hartford Funds.
Watch the Video Tips:
Practicing Your Next Talk: Is the way you practice a presentation helping or hurting your performance? Find out with these insightful tips.
Reviewing Yourself on Video: Don’t like seeing yourself on video? Most of us don’t, yet there’s no better way to find areas for improvement. Learn to gain effective insights from your recordings.
How to Request Feedback: When asked for feedback, people’s first instinct may be to spare our feelings or just be polite. Find out how to get more constructive insights that can fuel big improvements.
Ensuring You're Understood: As the saying goes, it’s not what you say—it’s what others hear. Learn how to verify they’ve received your message loud and clear.
How to Motivate Yourself: When you think of the people who cheer you on, are you one of them? Learn how—and why—to get in your own corner.
Our Emotions Aren't Obvious: When we think others can tell what we’re feeling, it can make us self-conscious. This tip can help you stay focused on your message.
A Tip to Smile About: Some techniques for achieving better communication are complicated. This isn’t one of them.
How to Reframe Anxiety: Anyone can feel a bit anxious before a big event, but not everyone knows what to do about it. Learn to flip your mental script to turn anxiety into excitement.
Why Visuals Matter: If seeing is believing, why do we sometimes choose not to use visuals? Once you see this simple demonstration, you may never skip the visuals again.
Why Not to End on Q&A: Don’t let your client education event end with a thud. Learn to stick the landing with a more memorable message.
Seek Connection, Not Perfection: If we act like we’ve never made a mistake, what are clients less likely to tell us about? Their mistakes. Learn a powerful way to share mistakes made and lessons learned.
How to Keep Stories Fresh: We all have our favorite stories to tell, but how can we keep them from getting stale? This simple tip can help.
Managing Meeting Interactions: Ever ask for input in a meeting, only to hear silence? Or have multiple people start speaking at the same time? Learn a simple technique that can help.
How to Be More Approachable: We may tell others we’re always available to talk, but do our actions and appearance say otherwise? Learn to show your message and meaning are in sync.
Help Attention and Retention: In today’s increasingly virtual world, keeping clients’ attention is a challenge. Learn a simple technique that can help.
Offering VIP Options: Affluent clients expect personalized service. Make them feel like VIPs with this simple tip.
Setting Your Energy Level: There are some people who bring our energy level up, while others may do the contrary. Learn to take control—and why it matters.
Speaking More Inclusively: We want to use language that brings people together, yet may unintentionally do the opposite. Learn to be more aware and intentional.
How to Ensure Clients Listen: We can all get distracted, but there are times you need a client’s full attention. Learn phrases that will help get them focused.
How to Sound More Confident: It’s not just what we say, it’s how we say it. Learn to let your confidence and conviction shine through.
Ryan Sullivan, CFP®, CRPC®, RCC™
Vice President and Managing Director, Applied Insights
Ryan leads communication workshops and speaks on a variety of topics, with a focus on research from the MIT AgeLab. He’s provided insights to audiences in 46 states and Puerto Rico. Ryan has extensive experience coaching professionals on public speaking and applied improvisation.
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Next Steps
1 | Check out our additional communication content to keep refining your skills |
2 | Talk to your Advisor Consultant about holding a communication workshop for your team, complex or region |
Ryan Sullivan is a registered representative of Hartford Funds Distributors, LLC.
Check the background of this firm/individual on FINRA's BrokerCheck.