Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson: communication coaching for humble leaders

A key form of professional influence is speaking up, and being heard, in meetings with senior leaders. That might be really daunting, or, you’ve struggled with knowing saying the right things to get people nodding in understanding.Having been in this situation myself, and then sitting in senior leadership roles, I’ve seen and worked through these communication challenges from all angles, and I’m sharing my top tips for being heard in meetings with senior leaders.Listen in to hear:What senior leaders REALLY need when they’re receiving information by firehose from multiple sourcesHow to summarise your details into top-level information that adds valueWhy focussing on the essence of what you want to say, rather than your words, will save youWhy getting upset that someone else repeats our idea and gets the credit is NOT necessarily a bad thing (even if it’s frustrating)How to be seen as a meaningful contributor, and not just adding more noiseWant a FREE Confident Communication Coaching Session with me? Book here(https://tidycal.com/cat-matson/confident-communication-coaching-session)Other Episodes mentioned 177 - Sales Conversations That Feel Fabuloushttps://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/OThTmqIsMZb Please help me equip more humble leaders with the confidence to contribute to the conversations that matter. Rate, review and follow this podcast, wherever you’re listeningGot a question? Ask away on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they want to speak more concisely … Sure, there’s value in getting to the point, but concise isn’t as necessary as we think it is.And, if you are being concise, how do you do it in a way that doesn’t come across as cold, abrupt or uncaring?Listen in to hearThe distinction between concise and effective communicationHow you can still get to the point without being abruptMy ‘speak to your full stops’ technique for minimising the rambleWhy understanding where you’re listener is at is a powerful way to narrow your messageThe extraordinary power of intentional communicationWant a FREE Confident Communication Coaching Session with me? Book here (https://tidycal.com/cat-matson/confident-communication-coaching-session)Other Episodes mentioned177 - Sales conversations that feel fabulous - https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/OThTmqIsMZbPlease help me equip more humble leaders with the confidence to contribute to the conversations that matter. Rate, review and follow this podcast, wherever you’re listeningGot a question? Ask away on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/)

It’s hard to influence the conversation when you’re not in it.In this week’s episode of Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson I’m sharing my thoughts, from my own experience, of how to get a seat at ‘the table’, and, how to influence the conversation even if you’re not directly involved.Listen in to hear;Why we often struggle to get included in the important conversationsHow our default reaction, moral outrage and righteous indignation won’t change a damn thingThe value of building relationships with the people who ARE at the tableWhy being consistent in our messages is a key part of influencing decisions, and ultimately, getting a seat at the tableHow to create our own tablesWant a FREE Confident Communication Coaching Session with me? You’ll get practical guidance to improve your speaking impact and my listeners will get a fabulous coaching episode. Book here (https://tidycal.com/cat-matson/confident-communication-coaching-session)Other episodes mentioned177 Sales Conversations That Feel Fabulous with Caitlinhttps://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/SURwp5uoMZb 

You know your stuff. Everything makes sense when you’re thinking it through, or when you write it out.But when it comes to saying it.What (the hell) happens?This is such a common issue experience, I’m revisiting it. Why, despite our intellect, our knowledge, our insights, do the words get stuck between mind and mouth.Listen in to hearHow it’s perfectly normal to struggle with expressing your thoughts clearlyMy quick and easy to use tactic to structure your thoughts, and your messageHow you can convey a stack of information without overwhelming your listenerWhy it’s not about the words you use (and what it is, instead)How you can establish authority even if you feel like you’re thinking aloud and collecting your thoughts as you goWant a FREE Confident Communication Coaching Session? Book here - https://tidycal.com/cat-matson/confident-communication-coaching-sessionOther episodes mentioned177 Sales conversations that feel fabulous with Caitlin (this is an example of a Confident Communication Coaching session) https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zmVqExQE6rQfzOLkSJqk6?si=bD1Je6faRzi5rra_RrdWDw162 - How To Prepare In Two Minuteshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0GFcvN3qqD4dhyWI47A5H0?si=cd5ea783054440e5I would SO love it if you could rate, review or follow this podcast to help more people get the boost you’ve received today

Over-explaining and over-talking to establish credibility and authority is such a common challenge … it’s easily in the list of top 5 challenges I hear from my listeners and clients.In this episode you’ll learn WHY you-over explain, how very normal it is AND how you can establish authority without using too much detail.Listen in to hear how to:distill your knowledge into conclusions and insights, rather than giving all the background informationuse your own experiences to establish authority, so you’re not just giving a random, uninformed opinioninfer detail and knowledge rather than speak all the detail (and risk overwhelming your listener)Inform and influence your listeners, rather than overwhelming themIt might not be too late to join the FREE 7 Day Speaking with Impact Practice Series! Join us here - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-7daypracticeseries/registerPresence + Impact starts 9 February - join us - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/courses/presence-impactOther episodes mentioned:151 - How To Talk About Yourself without Sounding Too Braggyhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4WjfOXcm90Ta0v3U6F9RLS?si=lwfJ9Ru7QK-FovkD_odIIAPlease rate, review and follow this podcast to help more people like you get the skills and confidence they need to contribute to the conversations that matter

Why do you want to stop rambling, stop losing your words, be more concise or just more articulate?Because, when you speak you want to make an impact. You want to be heard, you want to be seen, you want to contribute your ideas and your expertise.It’s easy to think that in order to be heard we need to ‘speak up’, or ‘speak louder’; be more emphatic or be bolder.But none of that feels comfortable, or authentic if you’re humble, quiet and a natural collaborator.Listen to hear:Why being assertive is NOT the answer to being heard, andWhy I think ‘assertiveness’ training is the WRONG thing for most of usHow speaking with impact is more about understanding your audience than it is about speaking louderHow you can influence decisions without dominating the conversationHow you can learn how to speak with greater impact and confidenceJoin me for my 7 day Speaking with Impact Practice Series and learn how to deliver a memorable message, in any environment, so people listen and take note (https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-7daypracticeseries/register)Rate, review and follow this podcast to help get this into the ears of more people like you and get more diverse voices contributing to the conversations that matter.

How to stop rambling is SUCH a common challenge, I wrote an ebook about it! When I ask the question, ‘what’s your biggest challenge, frustration or issue when it comes to speaking’, ‘rambling is up there in the top 5 responses.So, in this episode, I’m sharing how to STOP RAMBLING and get to your point.Listen in to hear:Why we ramble and how it’s actually a sign of intelligence, knowledge and expertise How thinking in pictures often leads to rambling, and how to translate those pictures into key messagesMy simple process for collecting your thoughts and identifying your messages BEFORE you open your mouthHow to recover when you do start ramblingWhy it’s not the rambling that you really need to stop (after all, it’s how you process information), it’s how to manage it to be an effective communicatorJoin my 7-day Speaking with Impact Practice series and discover how to deliver a memorable message, in any environment, so people listen and take note.Other episodes mentionedEpisode 181 - Why Your Mind Goes Blank (it’s the episode immediately before this one)Please rate, review and follow to help more humble leaders find this podcast

I’ve asked more than 2,000 people ‘what’s your biggest challenge, frustration or issue’ when it comes to speaking, and the answers are the same, over and over again.‘My mind goes blank when all eyes are on me’ is one of the most common responses, so today I’m talking about WHY this happens, how it’s NOT a sign of incompetence or lack of smarts, and how to stop it happening to you.Listen in to hear:Why having a mental blank is SO normal and is NOT a sign of not knowing your stuffHow you can reframe, instantly, that sense of pressure, to alleviate the normal nervous system responseHow to stop the mental scramble or verbal diarrhoea that happens when we feel pressure to perform (or be right)Why ‘just backing yourself’ isn’t a strategy that will workA short practice to relieve the pressure you’re feeling in these situationsJoin my FREE 7 Day Speaking with Impact Practice series here - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-7daypracticeseries/registerOther episodes mentioned:83 - How To Stop Imposter Syndrome in it’s trackshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6lQtEPyaIMPf4GlA1nTOC4?si=prBSs_wIRyGH46jMhTD1Qw Enjoyed this episode? Please rate, review, or subscribe.

In this summer season episode I’m revisiting the most popular episode of the year - How to Get The Right Words to Come Out ….Does it ever feel like your brain and mouth are out-of-sync? You know what you want to say but your mouth just doesn’t play along?That’s exactly the experience that’s been described by a regular listenerThis is SUCH a common challenge!Listen in to hear:The biggest mistake we make when this happens, and what to do insteadWhy it’s actually not about the wordsHow to shift your focus to what your audience needs and wants from you, rather than obsessing over the perfect wordsWhy you don’t want to ‘correct’ yourself, instead, focus on connection (don’t correct, connect)Why you can trust that you know your stuffIf you’d like me to answer your question on a future episode, chat with me on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

In the summer season of Speaking with Confidence I’m revisiting some of my, and your, favourite episodes.And this one is one of my all time favourites.In this conversation with Kate Toon, digital marketing expert extraordinaire, author and most recently, bookshop owner, we unpack how to build the confidence to be DISLIKED.Yes … how to get comfortable with rejection so we can go and do our thing, anyway. Because really, when we say we’re ‘scared’ of public speaking … it’s not the fear of speaking, it’s the fear of judgement and rejection.Kate Toon has over 15 years of business experience sitting snugly in her gym tights, once completed 40 speaking events in just one year, and has been a resident expert on Kochie’s Business Builders - she has confronted this fear over and over again. And, as she explains in our chat, while she’s not necessarily ‘confident’ in being disliked, she’s got some great strategies to get herself on stages, on TV and on billboards anyway. Listen in to hear Kate’s thoughts on : Getting comfortable with being disliked Dealing with random, rude emails that are explicit in their dislike Being contrarian and authentic to stand out in the crowd The value of the mundane in building a business The role of hormones in fear, and how to manage them If you want to know about my new program, Unshakeable: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, message me here (I had to remove my email address because of the overwhelming spam emails!)To get my weekly musings on all things confidence, impact and authenticity, subscribe hereTo learn more about the fabulousness that is Kate Toon, visit her website - https://www.katetoon.com/

Welcome to the summer season of Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson, where I’m sharing some of my favourite and most popular episodes.This week I’m revisiting my interview with Denise Duffield-Thomas, a Money Mindset Mentor, author and host of the wildly popular and successful Money Bootcamp, where she has supported more than 10,000 people overcome their money mindset gremlins.Denise epitomises what it means to make an impact at scale, while still maintaining your authenticity. She is delightfully down-to-earth, honest and, well, ‘normal’ 😉I invited her onto the show to talk about how she’s built a business using speaking - on stages and on her podcast - despite the fact that she doesn’t really like public speaking! And, we had such a delicious conversation talking about all sorts of things.In this gorgeously real, insightful and authentic chat, we explore how Denise chooses to use her voice, her way, so that it works with her current phase of life and business and leans into her strengthsListen in to hear:Denise’s preparation rituals for calming her nerves before a big presentationWhy Denise doesn’t like keynotes and how instead she reframes those invitations invitations into a style that works for herDenise’s journey in moving from delivering free presentations to paid onesHow Denise stays on track in presentations, and avoids those ADHD rabbit holes Why Denise enjoys spontaneous presentations and discussions over prepped, rehearsed onesHow to trust the spontaneous presentation style will deliver value for your audience AND be safe for youWhy public speaking, in whatever format you choose, is a powerful way to share your voice and why we’re both such advocates for women finding theirsThe lessons Denise took away from our conversationResources and links mentioned in this episodeIf you’re keen to know more about Unshakeable: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, email me at cat[@]catmatson.com.auIf you're new to this podcast, and want to the quick start guide to Speaking with Confidence, listen to this 'Start Here' playlistConnect with Denise Duffield-Thomas on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/denisedt/Website - https://www.denisedt.com/ Chill & Prosper Podcast - Connect with me onInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catmatson/Website - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/

Sales conversations tend to trip up even the most confident of communicators - we don’t want to feel salesy or pushy, we don’t want to be rejected and of course, we still have our sales targets to reach.Rather than just talk about this in theory, today’s episode you’re getting to listen in on a real confident communication coaching call that I had with a small business owner.Caitlin runs a successful pet photography business; she now has a team of photographers capturing beautiful photos of families and their furry friends. And, like many small business owners, Caitlin was uncomfortable with her sales process and conversations.Listen in to hear:How to shift your mindset from sales is ‘icky’ and ‘pushy’ to sales is a form of serviceHow to use other communication techniques, like beginning with the end in mind, to reduce confusion and take your clients on a sales journey that feels goodDifferent ways to respond to objections, and anticipate objections so they can be incorporated into the conversationHow to package up your offers, and options, so they feel natural and easy for your clients to buyWhy speaking to your full stops, in full, complete sentences, rather than filling the silence with more words, is far more powerful than we realiseIf you’d like a FREE Confident Communication Coaching Session, book here.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or review, or share it with your friends and colleagues.To ask me a question, connect with me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/To have a look at Caitlin’s gorgeous pet portraits, visit her website - https://ragamuffinpetphotography.com.au/ 

"I want to stop rambling" is the number one 'problem' people come to me to solve.But what if your 'rambling' is actually how you process information, make sense of things and form your opinions.If you're a verbal processor like me, it's not a flaw that needs to be fixed, in fact, it's the very thing that helps you see what others don't. The issue isn't the rambling - that's part of your process - the issue is not confusing your audience as you think aloud.Listen in to hear:how I discovered I was a verbal processor (and how it's different to people who AREN'T out-loud thinkers)why verbal processing shows up as ramblinghow you can still 'ramble' in professional settings without losing your audienceAlso in this episode I have a little chat about my refreshed approach to content creation as I move away from algorithm-focused techniques and back to human-focused techniques.Mentioned in this episodeMy substack - https://catmatson.substack.com/ My email newsletter - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-ramblingIf want to chat with me - best way is via substack (above), Instagram or LinkedIn

Concerned your umms and ahhs are undermining your credibility?In this week’s episode I’m answering a listener question about training yourself OUT OF saying ‘ummmm’ and ‘ahhhh’, and also providing my thoughts on whether umms and ahhs are really as bad as we think.Listen in to hear:Why you might want to ‘chill out’ when it comes to your use of umms and ahhsHow silence, and ‘speaking to your full stops’ can be a useful way to stop using filler wordsSome alternative filler words or phrases that will engage your audience and give your mind time to ‘catch up’My controversial take on another key question that some speaking coaches says undermines your credibilityWhy being on message is more important than any umm or ahh you might useWant my full lesson on how to stop umming and ahhhing? Visit - Want to ask a question for a future podcast - connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram here.Join my Impact Club for high touch support, guidance, coaching and community for humble leaders.

‘How much of yourself do you share?’ and ‘how to make a speech engaging’ are the questions I’m answering in this week’s episode.Storytelling, particularly lived experience storytelling, is easily THE BEST way to make your speeches engaging. But how personal is too personal, how much of yourself do you share?Listen in to hear:How to balance the line between misery porn or self-indulgence, and stories that inspire and empowerWhy framing your stories through the lens of the audience is incredibly importantHow to tell your stories to take your listeners on an emotional journey that leaves them ready to take desired action (rather than leaving them a broken, helpless mess)How to manage that doubt of ‘do people really want to hear my stories?’Where to find other lived experience storiesJoin my IMPACT CLUB if you’re an impact-minded humble leader, looking for support on messaging, strategy and mindset as you work to make your dent in the universe, in your way.For more on how to showcase your talents in your lived experience stories, listen to episode 140.And for that episode on misery porn (thank goodness it exists!), check out episode 60, Authenticity, Misery Porn and Stories of Happiness.

Ever rocked up to speak at an event, expecting a lectern, or a certain kind of microphone, and the set-up was NOT as you expected?Or you were forced to use a headset mic that just felt weird, or a lapel mic that kept slipping?Well, in today’s episode I’m talking about how to manage just these situations!Listen in to hear:The pros and cons of using a lecternWhat you want to consider if you choose NOT to use a lecternHow to ‘show up’ if you are using a lectern, particularly if you’re ‘vertically-challenged’The different kind of microphones and how to prepare not just your presentation but your outfits so they work on the dayHow to prepare for your stage WELL ahead of presentation day!Join my IMPACT CLUB if you’re an impact-minded humble leader, looking for support on messaging, strategy and mindset as you work to make your dent in the universe, in your way. Get all the details here.

Want to know how to pitch to speak at a TEDx talk?Listen up, because that’s the exact question I’m answering today.A listener has set herself a challenge of speaking at a TEDx event and wants to know how to pitch her talk.Listen in to hear:Whether a TEDx event is the right platform for youIf it is, how to pitch yourselfHow TEDx speaker selection really happens, and what you need to do to be noticedOther events that might serve your purposes betterHow to pitch for themLinks mentioned in this episode:The Impact Club - where thoughtful business owners, community leaders and corporate hippies are supported to make their dent in the universe, in their way.Why I don’t like TED talks - episode 3.How to find stages to speak on - episode 51.How to pitch yourself for speaking opportunities - episode 135.

Are you hiding, or not speaking up, because you’re concerned people might disagree with you?Well, chances are, someone will! After all, if they already agreed with you, you wouldn’t need to say what you have to say, right?So in this episode I’m sharing some techniques to manage disagreements and conflict.Listen in to hear:Why disagreements are not as bad as you thinkHow conflict is NOT tied to your professional value, though, how you manage it could very well increase your professional reputationHow to pace out objections to dissipate conflict before it happensHow to use agreements frames to manage and acknowledge differing opinions as they ariseWhy getting comfortable with conflict is a really powerful skill to have if you want to influence changeBook NOW for the Goldilocks effect.Ask me a question here and I’ll answer in an upcoming episode.Listen to episode 97 - Building the confidence to NOT be liked, a fabulous interview with Kate Toon.

Ever feel like you’re tired of the sound of your own voice? Or the sound of your message? But you’re still not making the impact you want?Yep, I get it.Influence and making a difference is an endurance sport, so in this episode I’m sharing my top 3 ways to have making long term impact feel easier.Listen in to hear:How you can plan out your long term influence using the same techniques you might use for a presentationHow I influenced elected officials and other stakeholders through the smallest of conversationsWhy connecting your personal elevator pitch and ‘what you do’ stories to your long term impact outcomes can be a powerful way to weave your message in everything you doHow to shift from feeling like your nagging your teenagers to being powerful and impactful in your messagingWhy patience and self-compassion is required, in spades, to make long term impactBook NOW for the Goldilocks effect.Ask me a question here and I’ll answer in an upcoming episode.Episode 140 - How to showcase your talents (and make long term influence) with the storytelling canvas.

How do you recover a presentation where your slides don’t work, you’re not feeling great, and when you see audience members sleeping during your presentation?Well, that’s exactly the scenario Lauren experienced recently, and so I’m providing some guidance and answers to help her feel a little better about the whole thing … and what to do if it ever happens again.Listen in to hear:How to hack your preparation if you’ve been unwell or just don’t have time to prepareMy hot tips for slides that work that I’ve learned the hard way after years and years of tech hiccupsHow to wake up sleepy audience members - really - without sounding like a cranky school teacherEngagement techniques to beat the post-lunch, post-conference-drinks slumpBook NOW for the Goldilocks effect.Ask me a question and I’ll answer in an upcoming episode.Other episodes mentionedEpisode 164 - How to Engage Your AudienceAndEpisode 74 - the powerful frame your thinking method (how to write your speaking notes)