Impactful Communication: Neil Thompson Of Teach the Geek On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator
An Interview With Athalia Monae
Be respectful of the audience, especially their time. Prepare presentations so that you convey the most important information. You don’t want to ramble. For instance, if I had 15 minutes to present, I’d practice so I finished within 13 minutes. That way, when I actually presented, I had 2 minutes buffer to play with in the event that I added something to the presentation I didn’t practice.
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 Neil Thompson.
After one too many failed presentations, Neil Thompson, an engineer who worked in the medical device industry, knew he had to improve. He did so, and now, via his company Teach the Geek, he works with technical professionals like himself to improve their presentation skills. He’s the creator of the Teach the Geek to Speak online public speaking course, geared towards those in the technical fields. He hosts a podcast, the Teach the Geek podcast, interviewing technical professionals about their public speaking journeys. He’s also author of the book, Teach the Geek to Speak: a no-fluff public speaking guide for STEM Professionals and the accompanying workbook.
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?
I worked as an engineer in the medical device industry and had to give monthly presentations in front of senior management. The first few presentations were absolutely horrendous. I didn’t know it was possible to sweat that much! It wasn’t until I had a project cancelled that I decided that giving better presentations was something I should work on. Giving more presentations and receiving feedback led me to improve tremendously. I took those learnings and created Teach the Geek, working with technical professionals so they can present more effectively, especially in front of non-technical audiences. Teach the Geek now encompasses presentation skills trainings, a book, a workbook, YouTube channel, and podcast.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
With my podcast, I interview those with technical backgrounds about their public speaking journeys. I’ve learned quite a bit from the guests, namely about how to deal with nervousness. A question I often ask my guests is if they deal with nervousness and how they deal with it. One guest says that gripping something helps when giving virtual presentations. I have since started taking that advice. I have several stress balls that I’ve collected over the years. During presentations, I squeeze them to manage my nerves. By squeezing something, I think about the squeezing as opposed to the nervousness. Works like a charm!
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?
Open to feedback: Teach the Geek started with an online course geared towards technical professionals called Teach the Geek to Speak. The first iteration of the course was me sitting at my dining room table, speaking extemporaneously on topics I thought would be useful regarding public speaking. When I showed it to a friend, she said it wasn’t good enough. She said that there was no process for the course takers to follow. I took the advice and re-created the course around a 6-step process I developed to practice and deliver any presentation. When I finally put the course out, it was well received.
Willingness to pivot: Initially, I sold the course to technical professionals. I wasn’t getting the sales I wanted, though. I ultimately realized that the course would be better suited to be sold to organizations with technical staff; it could be part of their professional development offerings. I redirected my efforts to marketing and selling to organizations and haven’t looked back.
Direct and to the point: I wrote a book that is less than 100 pages. I purposefully wanted the book to be short, since I wanted to make sure people actually read it. Before writing the book, I went on Amazon, looking at popular business books’ 1 and 2 star ratings. The most popular critique of these books was that they were unnecessarily long. I wrote my book to be direct and to the point — no fluff. Over the years, people have commented that that’s one of the things they like most about the book.
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?
An effective communicator is an active listener, is open to feedback, has empathy towards the audience, is respectful towards the audience, and is knowledgeable yet humble.
How can one tailor their communication style to different audiences or situations?
Do audience analysis beforehand whenever possible. When I worked as an engineer and had to give those presentations to management, I’d often speak with their administrative assistants to find out what type of information I’d need to include in the presentation for their boss to take notice. I’d then include that information in the presentation. Management was more likely to pay attention and ask questions afterwards, since the presentation included the information they were interested in.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt your communication style to reach a particular audience successfully?
I’ve given many webinars to technical professionals. They are keen on getting information they can use. The interactivity of the presentation is not a huge concern to them. Giving presentations to talent development professionals, interaction is way more important to them. With this audience, I incorporate more poll questions and engage in the Zoom chat.
How do you handle difficult or sensitive conversations while maintaining open and effective communication?
After calling out the fact that it may be a difficult or sensitive conversation and laying down ground rules (e.g. no interrupting, be succinct when making a point, etc.), I model the behavior I’d like to see in others. I get buy-in on the ground rules, and when people go against them, I remind them of the ground rules. It helps in keeping discussions civil.
In your experience, how does storytelling play a role in impactful speaking? Why do you think stories are effective in communication?
I’ve given many technical presentations, and from the technical presentations I’ve seen others give, they can often come down to data dumps. Data dumps are boring to listen to. Incorporating the data into stories is a great way to get people to listen, especially when presenting to non-technical audiences. Stories draw people in, and they want to know what happens next. They also want to know the resolution to the story. Stories entertain, but when the data is incorporated into them, they can educate, too.
What are your “5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator”?
1 . Be an active listener, especially when asked questions. Repeat the question back to make sure you understand the question. People want to be understood and want to feel like you’re listening to them. Answering the wrong question is a quick way for them to feel dismissed. I was a panelist once, and one of the other panelists, when asked a question, immediately started to answer. In many instances, he answered a question that wasn’t asked. Don’t be like that panelist.
2 . Be open to feedback, but run all feedback through your own filter to see if it makes sense. I was once told I need to improve my eye contact when giving presentations. I was also told that my eye contact was excellent when giving presentations. In this instance, I chose to improve my eye contact, but I had to make a choice. I had to use my own judgment to determine which feedback applied.
3 . Have empathy for your audience, especially if you’re talking about a subject they’re unfamiliar with. As someone who gave technical presentations, I had to remind myself that I wasn’t always a technical expert. I used to be in the same place as the audience — non-technical. When speaking to such audiences, I would put myself in their shoes and prepare my presentations as if I was speaking to my former non-technical self.
4 . Be respectful of the audience, especially their time. Prepare presentations so that you convey the most important information. You don’t want to ramble. For instance, if I had 15 minutes to present, I’d practice so I finished within 13 minutes. That way, when I actually presented, I had 2 minutes buffer to play with in the event that I added something to the presentation I didn’t practice.
5 . Be knowledgeable yet humble. Be confident in what you know, but humble enough to admit when you don’t know. People are more likely to trust this type of presenter as opposed to a know-it-all. When I first started giving presentations to senior management, I was uncomfortable admitting I didn’t know the answer to a question. Over time, I adopted the mindset that I may not know, but I wouldn’t stay not knowing. I’d find the answer to make subsequent presentations better.
How do you integrate non-verbal cues into your communication? Can you provide an example of its importance?
Eye contact is important in communicating with others, but some may find it distracting to look others in the eye. I suggest looking at their eyebrows instead. It’s less distracting, making it more likely that you’ll remember what you want to say.
How has digital communication changed the way you convey your messages? Are there any specific challenges or advantages you’ve encountered?
Digital communication makes it more possible to communicate with people you’d never come across. A way it has changed the way I convey messages is that I can sit while communicating digitally; I’m standing for in person presentations. I’m more comfortable sitting, which likely comes across when I’m communicating. A challenge is that it’s difficult to pick up on the non-verbal cues of the audience, since in many instances, you can’t even see the people you’re communicating with.
Public speaking is a common fear. What techniques or strategies do you recommend to manage and overcome stage fright?
Before a presentation, enter a bathroom stall and practice deep breathing. While you’re there, visualize yourself doing well giving the presentation. For virtual presentations, gripping an object like a stress ball can be helpful in calming your nerves, as you’re focused on the ball gripping and not your nervousness.
What additional resources do you recommend for individuals looking to improve communication skills?
Visit my YouTube channel (youtube.teachthegeek.com). I offer tips on giving more effective presentations.
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. 🙂
If I started a movement, it would be to encourage kids to be scientifically literate so they could better understand the world around them. By developing a greater understanding, they’d inevitably have more questions. These questions could lead to the breakthrough technologies of tomorrow. I’d want kids to see themselves in this light.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Please visit my website at teachthegeek.com. To check out my YouTube channel, visit youtube.teachthegeek.com.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Athalia Monae is a product creator, published author, entrepreneur, advocate for Feed Our Starving Children, contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media, and founder of Pouches By Alahta.
Impactful Communication: Neil Thompson Of Teach the Geek On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.