Impactful Communication: Matisse Hamel-Nelis and Lisa Riemers On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator
An Interview With Athalia Monae
Know your audience.
Lisa: What motivates them? Why did they get in a car, hop on a plane, or log in to this session? Will you make it worth their time? What’s in it for them?
Matisse: We always do our research up front to make sure we deliver a talk that meets their needs, not just the message we want to broadcast. We’ve seen too many speakers show up with a generic presentation that misses the mark completely. When you understand why people are in the room, you can give them something they’ll actually use.
In an age dominated by digital communication, the power of articulate and effective verbal communication cannot be understated. Whether it’s delivering a keynote address, leading a team meeting, or engaging in a one-on-one conversation, impactful speaking can open doors, inspire change, and create lasting impressions. But what truly sets apart an effective communicator? What techniques and nuances elevate a speech from mundane to memorable? As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Matisse Hamel-Nelis and Lisa Riemers.
Matisse Hamel-Nelis is an award-winning communications and digital accessibility consultant, as well as a PR professor at Durham College. Based in Toronto, Canada, she also founded and hosts the PR & Lattes podcast and is the past Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Lisa Riemers is an independent communications consultant and accessibility advocate who helps clients connect their people and tell their stories. Based in London, UK, Lisa advises large and complex organisations, including world-leading universities, charities, insurers, business-to-business (B2B) companies and the UK government.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about communication, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
Lisa: I’ve had a bit of a winding path to get here. The short(ish) version is that I started out in teaching, but then moved into the corporate world, first in training then marketing communications. I took part in a major website refresh project where the global organisation I was at was trying to move 106 different country websites into one CMS to provide a more consistent brand and user experience. It opened my eyes to the importance of making online experiences that work for everyone. I specialised in digital communications, in-house, back when digital felt like a new frontier, rather than just part of an integrated strategy. I spent several years working in and around intranet and website projects, then went freelance. I now work with organisations to help share what I’ve learned so they can improve the way they communicate to their staff, customers and stakeholders, regardless of their needs.
Matisse: Honestly? I thought I was going to be a forensic pathologist. But I quickly realized that being in a lab wasn’t for me. What I really loved was connecting with people and building relationships. That’s when PR and communications clicked as the right fit. My plan was to combine it with my science background and go into healthcare PR. Then right out of school, I landed a job at a sight-loss organization, and everything changed. Working there showed me how many barriers exist in the way we communicate. I realized that what we say and how we say it can either include people or shut them out entirely. Since then, it’s been all about making communications really clear and accessible. I work with organizations to implement best practices that ensure their messages actually reach everyone, not just some people. It turned out to be the perfect blend of my interests: the precision and care of science, applied to the way we connect with each other.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Lisa: I have so many stories and it’s hard to choose, but one that springs to mind is the time we were working on a campaign which involved our CEO addressing our organisation on camera. We managed to secure the only slot in his diary, first thing on a Tuesday morning. The only meeting room available that was booked for us was in a dark dingy basement with fluorescent overhead lighting. I was a bit nervous, as it was my first time meeting the CEO, and my director took over and said he’d do the filming and left me outside. We hadn’t booked a rehearsal with him, and he was reading the script verbatim. Afterwards, when we played it back, it looked like he was being held hostage, and we couldn’t use the footage. We may have blamed a technical hitch, but it made me realise the importance of being prepared and understanding the environment to make sure you have an appropriate set up for your video.
Matisse: This happened on my second day at the national sight-loss organization, fresh out of school. I was asked to put out a tweet, and I used the hashtag #DYK, short for “did you know.” Pretty standard stuff, right?
Within minutes, I got a call from a colleague. Being in communications, I immediately thought I’d made a grammar mistake or typo. But that wasn’t it at all. She explained that a screen reader would read that hashtag out loud as, well… “dick.” Not exactly the message a national charitable organization wants to send. That moment completely changed my perspective. It wasn’t just embarrassing; it was a wake-up call. I realized that being a good communicator isn’t just about writing well or knowing your audience. You need to understand how people actually access your content. A message that looks fine on screen can sound completely different to someone using assistive technology. That one hashtag on Day 2 set me on the path I’m on now. It taught me that accessibility isn’t an add-on or a nice-to-have. It’s fundamental to doing communications right.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Lisa: Curiosity has got me to where I am today, and continues to drive the way I work with organisations to understand what it is they do and how to communicate that better with their audiences. I made that first jump into marketing via being extremely curious about what the company I was temping at actually did. I used to read all the emails that were sent, and I asked the head of marketing what the terminology meant, and to explain the significance of new changes a bit more for me. I was extremely lucky that he was patient and answered my questions and started letting me do some of the more comms-y bits while I tempted, and eventually I got a permanent role there.
Adaptability. Over the years I’ve worked across all aspects of marketing communications, external, PR, internal, change, digital, offline and events. I’ve been in-house, agency, vendor-side and now independent, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. Different roles and differently shaped organisations have different priorities and ways of working. It’s been important for me to bring my experience while also knowing that there are other ways of doing things around here — and not to jump in and try to change things immediately.
Making connections, particularly when I was in-house, but at all stages of my career has been vital to keep my sanity, and now as an independent consultant helps me continue to help other people. I’ve found a lot of value in making connections and sharing my experiences. Whether that’s through attending conferences and events, connecting with folks when we find we have things in common — like where Matisse and I met in New York back in 2022, using online networks or just staying in touch 1–2–1, we go further when we travel together.
Matisse: I’d say curiosity, adaptability, and knowing my limitations. Curiosity has driven everything. After that hashtag incident on Day 2, I could have just been mortified and moved on. Instead, I wanted to know more. I started asking questions: What else am I missing? How do I become a better communications professional? What does accessibility really mean in practice? I made mistakes along the way while learning, but that curiosity kept me pushing forward. It still does.
Adaptability matters just as much. A good leader has no problem “sweeping the sheds,” as they say. No role or task is too small or too big for anyone on the team, including me. You need to be adaptable to any situation and make sure things get done. Sometimes that means rolling up your sleeves for the unglamorous work. Sometimes it means completely changing direction. Either way, you do what’s needed.
Knowing your limitations might be the most important trait. I’m not the smartest person in the room, and I don’t pretend to be. [Lisa: except if it’s just you and me in a room as you definitely are.] You need a good team around you because you don’t know it all, you can’t do it all, and you’re just one person. When I recognize where my knowledge or skills fall short, I can bring in people who excel in those areas. That makes everything we do better.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. How would you define an “Effective Communicator?” What are the characteristics of an effective communicator?
Matisse: We believe that effective communicators know who they’re speaking to. That sounds simple, but it’s everything. They can get their message out in a way that actually lands with their audience. They cut through the noise and focus on what their listeners truly need to know.
Lisa: We’d say effective communicators are a bit obsessed with their audience, in the best way possible. They know who these people are, what motivates them, why they’re in the room, and what they stand to gain from the conversation. That understanding shapes everything: the words you choose, the examples you use, even the format you deliver it in.
Matisse: Effective communicators also speak clearly and authoritatively about what they know. But here’s the thing: they don’t pretend to fill in gaps for things they don’t know. There’s honesty in that. When you try to bluff your way through something, people can tell. We think that owning your expertise and being upfront about your limits builds trust. And trust is what makes communication work.
How can one tailor their communication style to different audiences or situations?
Matisse: It goes back to knowing who you’re speaking to. One size fits all doesn’t work. Actually, one size doesn’t fit anyone. You need to be talking to the people in the room, whether that’s via a digital screen where you have very little feedback to know what’s landing, or a chilly conference centre full of easily distracted folks.
Lisa: One of the most important things you can do is use plain language. And we mean that in a very specific way: using the words your audience understands the first time they read or hear them. We talk about this extensively in our book, Accessible Communications. It’s not about coddling your audience. It’s about respecting their time and making sure your message gets through without them having to work for it.
Matisse: When you tailor your communication, you’re making choices based on who’s receiving it. The same message might need different words, a different tone, or even a different medium depending on whether you’re talking to executives, frontline staff, or the general public. We believe that flexibility is what separates good communicators from great ones.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt your communication style to reach a particular audience successfully?
Lisa: We’ve both had experiences with this while delivering training sessions. I remember one time when I found out just before a session that a blind colleague would be joining. Thankfully, our slides were already fully accessible, but I knew I needed to do more than that.
During the session, I made sure to describe everything on the screen. Not just reading the text, but describing what people were seeing: the layout, the images, the data in the charts. That way, my colleague could follow along just as easily as everyone else in the room. It wasn’t difficult to do, but it made all the difference.
Matisse: We’ve learned that these adaptations often help more people than you initially think. When you describe what’s on your slides, you’re helping anyone who might be looking down at their notes or struggling to see the screen clearly. When you turn on captions, you’re supporting people who are hard of hearing, people whose first language isn’t English, or people who just process information better when they can read and listen at the same time.
The key is that these aren’t special accommodations. They’re just good communication practices that make your message accessible to everyone.
How do you handle difficult or sensitive conversations while maintaining open and effective communication?
Matisse: I believe the first step is creating a safe space where everyone can speak honestly. That requires a common line of respect. You can disagree, you can challenge ideas, but you have to respect the people in the conversation. I try to stay open to different perspectives and maintain an open dialogue throughout. That means acknowledging that I don’t have all the answers. And honestly, sometimes I never will. I think it’s better to be upfront about that than to pretend I know something I don’t. People appreciate honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable. What helps me navigate these conversations is being genuinely open to learning more. When someone shares a perspective I hadn’t considered, or points out something I missed, that’s valuable. Difficult conversations can feel tense, but they’re also opportunities to understand things better and do better going forward. I find that when you approach sensitive topics with humility and real curiosity, rather than defensiveness, the conversation stays productive. It doesn’t mean everyone will agree by the end, but it does mean everyone feels heard. And that’s often what matters most.
Lisa: It can be tempting to shy away from difficult conversations altogether, or feel easier to hide behind written text, but written tone often gets misunderstood. Being open to those difficult conversations can feel scary, whether it’s one-to-one or you’re opening yourself up to questions after delivering a talk. Go into those conversations fully prepared — maybe create your own Q&A to pre-empt the difficult questions you might be asked and make sure you prepare and rehearse how things sound out loud. Don’t couch your words behind ambiguous language or confuse it with metaphors. When we consider plain language, it doesn’t have to be stark; it’s meant to be straightforward and easy to understand. Think about how you’re telling the story of what needs to be told, and the impact it might have on your audience.
In your experience, how does storytelling play a role in impactful speaking? Why do you think stories are effective in communication?
Matisse: We both believe storytelling is vital because it helps humans make sense of a series of ideas and facts. You can throw statistics at people all day, but without a story to connect them, they’re just numbers floating in space.
Stories allow people to relate to the concepts you’re sharing. When we use storytelling in our work, we see people absorb key points in a way that becomes far more memorable. People remember stories, not facts. You might forget the percentage, but you’ll remember the person it affected and why it mattered.
Stories also add that crucial human perspective that brings potentially dry topics to life. Accessibility standards, communication guidelines, policy changes: these can all sound pretty abstract. But when you tell the story of someone who couldn’t access important information because of how it was formatted, or someone who felt included for the first time because of a small change, suddenly it clicks. The why becomes clear.
Lisa: The most impactful communications aren’t the ones with the most data. They’re the ones where people see themselves or someone they know in the story. That’s when change actually happens.
What are your “5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
1. Know your audience.
Lisa: What motivates them? Why did they get in a car, hop on a plane, or log in to this session? Will you make it worth their time? What’s in it for them?
Matisse: We always do our research up front to make sure we deliver a talk that meets their needs, not just the message we want to broadcast. We’ve seen too many speakers show up with a generic presentation that misses the mark completely. When you understand why people are in the room, you can give them something they’ll actually use.
2. Use plain language.
Lisa: That means using the words your audience knows the first time they hear them. If you’re talking to a technical audience or a specific profession, use the jargon you all share. But if it’s a broader audience, you might want to avoid it.
Matisse: We’re careful with analogies too. Make sure they’re appropriate and understandable by everyone in the room. Words can have different meanings and nuances across cultures. We always ask ourselves: can everyone here understand what we’re saying? If the answer is no, we rework it.
3. Edit yourself.
Lisa: Can you say fewer things? It can be tempting to pack talks with lots of ideas, but people can only really remember three or four takeaways from a session.
Matisse: We’ve learned to say fewer things, but use storytelling to really bring them to life. Quality over quantity, every time.
4. Practice!
Matisse: No one turns up on the day and delivers a great keynote that they haven’t researched, prepared for, and learned how to deliver without needing to refer to their notes. We rehearse our presentations multiple times. We time ourselves. We practice the transitions. That preparation is what allows you to be present instead of buried in your notes.
Lisa: It’s a bit like with exams at school: anyone who claims they’re winging it and didn’t revise is probably lying. Or has no respect for the audience and their time.
5. Have fun!
Matisse: It can feel overwhelming, but the better prepared you are, the more likely you are to relax and connect with your audience. Also, in most cases, if something goes wrong, it’s really not the end of the world. We’ve had technology fail, we’ve lost our place, we’ve stumbled over words. Take a breath, laugh it off if you can, and keep going. Your audience wants you to succeed, and they’ll appreciate your authenticity more than perfection.
How do you integrate non-verbal cues into your communication? Can you provide an example of its importance?
Lisa: It’s not just about the words you’re saying. It’s about giving them, and yourself, time to breathe. We’ve learned to slow down and take pauses to let messages sink in. Those moments of silence can feel uncomfortable at first, but they’re when people process what you’ve said.
Switching up your pacing can help land your key points. If you rattle through your slides without changing your tone, it becomes monotonous. People tune out. We use pacing deliberately now. When we’re setting context, we might move a bit faster. But when we get to the crucial point, the thing we really need people to remember, we slow right down. We pause. We let it sit. Non-verbal communication, whether it’s a pause, a change in tone, or even how you move in the room, reinforces your message. It helps people stay connected to what you’re saying instead of just waiting for you to finish.
Matisse: I saw this play out in a training session recently. While explaining why alt text matters for images, I
initially just moved through the examples quickly. People nodded along, but I could tell it wasn’t really landing. So, I tried something different. I showed an image, paused, and let people sit with the fact that someone using a screen reader would have no idea what was there. That silence made the point far better than any words could have. When I finally explained the solution, people were genuinely engaged because they’d felt the problem.
Lisa: I also had a similar challenge and while I usually avoid video in a presentation, as it can really kill the vibe in a room, particularly online, I found using a video to demonstrate how fast a screen reader user might hear your website blew the audience away. I saw some amazing reactions, both in the webinar chat and using built in reactions, so encouraging that interactivity when presenting online also helps feel a connection with your audience.
How has digital communication changed the way you convey your messages? Are there any specific challenges or advantages you’ve encountered?
Matisse: Digital connections can help more people be in the same room, which is fantastic. But they can also add barriers we didn’t have to think about before. It’s harder to pick up non-verbal cues like body language when you can only see someone’s head and shoulders. We’ve had to become more intentional about checking in verbally and asking for feedback because we can’t read the room the way we could in person.
Lisa: Audio has become more important than ever. Bad sound quality can completely undermine your message, no matter how powerful your storytelling is. I learned this the hard way. A poor microphone makes it harder for people to hear you, and if they’re straining to understand, they’re not absorbing your content. I don’t rely on the built-in laptop mic — and some headsets pick up a terrible amount of background noise if they’re not designed for meetings. I’d recommend investing in a good microphone and check your surroundings. Directional mics pick up sounds from the direction you’re speaking in, which means behind you. So, if you’re up against a wall, you’re going to sound echoey. These technical details matter as much as your content does.
Matisse: The advantage of digital is that being able to share slides on a screen means it can be easier for people to follow your presentation and see exactly what you’re showing. But here’s the challenge: they can also get distracted by other notifications and be in multiple places at once. Their email is right there. Slack is pinging them. We’ve had to work harder to make sure our message is the most interesting thing going for them in that moment. That means tighter content, more engaging delivery, and being even more conscious of pacing. And making your slides available beforehand helps people who use assistive technology, too.
Public speaking is a common fear. What techniques or strategies do you recommend to manage and overcome stage fright?
Matisse: I can’t stress this enough: rehearse so you feel comfortable delivering without needing notes. Panicking because there’s a technical hitch is much more derailing if you don’t know what you’re going to say. When you’ve practiced enough, you can handle the unexpected without completely falling apart. I also recommend arriving early if you can. Familiarize yourself with the space, test the microphone, and walk around the stage or the front of the room. It helps your brain stop seeing it as this scary unknown place and start seeing it as just a room where you happen to be talking.
Another thing we find helpful is reframing nervousness as excitement. Your body has almost the same physical response to both. That racing heart and those butterflies? Tell yourself that’s excitement, not fear. It sounds simple, but it genuinely helps shift your mindset. I also think it’s important to remember that your audience wants you to succeed. They’re not sitting there hoping you’ll mess up. They showed up because they want to hear what you have to say. When you remember that they’re on your side, it takes some of the pressure off.
Lisa: The first time I spoke on stage, I thought I was going to be absolutely fine. Then I got miked up and had a full panic moment. I was given an amazing tip: scrunch up your hands into fists and scrunch up your toes. Hold yourself taut for 10 seconds, then relax, and repeat. Apparently, it makes your body feel like you got into a fight, but then won. It had an immediate calming effect for me, and I still use it.
I also like to take some time, whether I’m at my desk about to do an online call or about to step onto a stage, to just breathe. My favourite exercise is to breathe in for two seconds, out for two, in for three, out for three, and keep going. I try to get to at least five, but ideally to 10, which takes two minutes and has a transformative effect on my voice.
I recently got a group of 60 sixteen-year-olds to join me in a breathing exercise when I spoke about my career at their school. Possibly the most awkward all of us had felt for a while, but we got through it together. And honestly, if there are opportunities to volunteer at schools near you, take them. They’re great environments to hone your skills because if you can engage teenagers, you can engage anyone.
What additional resources do you recommend for individuals looking to improve communication skills?
Matisse: I’d definitely recommend our book, Accessible Communications. It’s packed with practical tips on how to have more impact and clarity in your communications, whether you’re writing, presenting, or just trying to get your message across more effectively. I’m also a big fan of Toastmasters. It’s a great way to learn how to hone your public speaking abilities in a supportive environment. You get regular practice, constructive feedback, and the chance to watch other speakers develop their skills too. There’s nothing quite like consistent practice to build confidence.
Beyond resources, I think one of the best things you can do is seek out opportunities to speak, even when it feels uncomfortable. Volunteer to present at team meetings, offer to lead training sessions, or look for community events where you can share your expertise. Every time you do it, you get a little bit better.
Lisa: I’d obviously agree 100% about our book. We wrote it specifically to help people communicate in ways that reach everyone, and I’m really proud of how practical and actionable it is. I’ve also started listening to the TED Talks Daily Podcast, which gives an excerpt or full talk which shows excellent speaking in action.
I also love Marcus John Henry Brown’s Speakery guidance. I had a brilliant time learning in a safe space at his Speakery Summit. What I appreciated most was how it focused on finding your authentic voice rather than trying to fit into a mould of what a speaker “should” sound like. That authenticity is what makes communication really connect.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Matisse: We would love everyone to commit to being more accessible and inclusive in their communications. Join us on our quest!
It’s all about progress over perfection. You don’t need to get everything right immediately. Start with one thing: add alt text to your images, turn on captions in your meetings, or use plain language in your next email. Each small step makes your message reach more people.
Accessible communications aren’t just nice to have. They reach a bigger audience, they’re clearer for everyone, and they make sure nobody is left out simply because of how information was shared. When we communicate accessibly, we’re acknowledging that people experience and process information in different ways. That’s not a limitation. That’s just reality.
Lisa: Imagine if every organization made accessibility a standard part of how they communicate, not an afterthought. Imagine if every speaker, writer, and communicator thought about who might be excluded by their choices and made different ones. The impact would be enormous. More people would have access to information that affects their lives, their work, and their communities.
So yes, join us. Make your next presentation more accessible than your last one. Ask questions. Learn. Share what you discover with others. That’s how movements start, one person and one communication at a time.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Both of us:
- Instagram: @AccessibleComms
Matisse
- LinkedIn: Matisse Hamel-Nelis, ADS, CPACC
- Instagram: @MatisseNelis
- Website: matissenelis.com
Lisa
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisariemers/
- Bluesky: @LisaRiemers.bsky.social
- Website: lisariemers.com
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Impactful Communication: Matisse Hamel-Nelis and Lisa Riemers On 5 Essential Techniques for… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.