by Steven Maddocks | 30 June, 2025 | Authenticity, Client Skills, Communication, Pitching, Trust
In a post earlier this month, I reflected on the dangers of communicating over-certainty about the future. Naturally, if we are selling our services or asserting our credentials, we want to gain an edge over our competitors. One way of doing so is to envisage the...
by Steven Maddocks | 9 June, 2025 | Authenticity, Client Skills, Communication, Trust
“My clients expect a degree of certainty from me that I am not always able to give.” If you work in an advisory role – for example, as a consultant, lawyer or investment professional – that probably sounds familiar. The future is by its nature uncertain. Yet many...
by Steven Maddocks | 25 February, 2025 | Authority, Communication, Leadership, Q&As
In Part 1, I discussed handling challenging questions. As an example, I used Boaz Weinstein’s interview with Investor’s Chronicle. This week, let’s flip the script and explore how to ask challenging questions effectively. Challenges of Asking Questions We often...
by Martyn Barmby | 13 February, 2025 | Authority, Communication, Leadership, Q&As
Fielding Tough Questions We are often asked by clients to help them prepare to deal with tough questions in high-pressure situations. Listening to two completely different interviews over the past couple of weeks has highlighted some key lessons on this topic – not...
by Steven Maddocks | 5 December, 2024 | Authority, Communication, Fake Facts, Leadership, Q&As, Voice
Pause before answering a question. Confident speakers pause. They pause before they begin and when switching to a new topic. They pause to allow their words to sink in and when deciding what to say next. When asked a question, they pause before answering. A pause...
by Martyn Barmby | 27 September, 2024 | Communication, Public Speaking, Voice
Best Laid Plans One of my favourite hobbies is triathlon. This year I was particularly excited, as I’d signed up to do an Ironman 70.3 (a Half Ironman) in Les Sables d’Olonne, in the west of France. The setting is beautiful and the course pleasantly flat. As we...
