Communication Best Practices

70% use words that undermine their authority. Especially in work emails. 9 phrases I'm retiring from my emails: (and what I plan to use instead) “So sorry for the delay” → “Thanks for your patience” “What works best for you?” → “Could you do…?” “No problem/no worries” → “Always happy to help” “I was just wondering if we…” → “I propose we…” “I hope this looks ok” → “I look forward to your feedback” “Hopefully that makes sense?” → “Let me know if you have questions” “Just wanted to check in” → “When can I expect an update” “Ahhh sorry my bad, totally missed that” → “Thanks for letting me know” ”So sorry to bother you but…” → “I wanted to discuss…” —- Most don’t realize this, Our words shape perceptions. The key is recognizing ones that diminish authority. Then replace them with clear, confident language. Small changes can make a big impact. Start communicating confidently today! Do you find yourself using any of these phrases? Let me know. --- Reshare ♻ to help others communicate more confidently. And follow me for more posts like this.

The worst cold email I received this month started with: "I'd love 15 minutes to introduce myself and show you what we do." Nobody cares about your introduction. Nobody has time for a generic pitch. After analyzing thousands of outreach sequences, I've discovered a psychological shift that's doubling meeting rates for innovative sellers. The best performers aren't focusing on their product. They're focusing on buyer psychology. Here's what's actually working in 2025: 1. The Curiosity Gap When you write "Other VPs in your space are seeing X trend" instead of "We help companies do Y," you create an information gap buyers want to fill. Our brains hate incomplete information. Use this. 2. Relevance Triggers Generic outreach gets generic results. When you mention a buyer's LinkedIn post or recent initiative, you're bypassing their "sales defense system." Relevance is required. 3. Specificity Signals "This could help you grow revenue" gets ignored. "Companies like yours are seeing 22% reduction in CAC" gets attention. Specific numbers signal you actually know what you're talking about. 4. Miniature Commitments Don't ask for 30 minutes. Ask for feedback on one specific insight. Small asks lead to bigger conversations. 5. Value-First Mindset Position yourself as a resource, not a vendor. Share insights without expecting anything in return. Reciprocity is powerful. The old playbook of "smile and dial" is dead. Meeting quotas in 2025 requires understanding human psychology. What psychological principle has worked best in your outreach?

I’ve talked to 4-5 SDR Leaders that have gotten their email domains TORCHED in the last 2 months. Here’s the thing all outbound teams need to understand about deliverability: Email deliverability is a “death by a thousands paper cuts” type of situation. Stop stacking paper cuts and do these 9 things: 1️⃣ Set up secondary domains If you are still cold emailing off your primary email domain you may be in big trouble. This is crucial. Using something like Maildoso makes getting these domains and the whole technical setup super fast... more on that below. The last thing you want, especially if you DONT have a reputable domain like Salesforce(.)com is to burn your orgs primary domain. This doesn’t just affect your sales team. You don’t need your CSMS and CEO landing in SPAM. 2️⃣ Set up your DNS (DMARC, SPF & DKIM) records for ALL of your domains To skip the manual DNS headache... Maildoso automates this setup. I just set up 2 new domains in literally 1 minute with them last week. Right now we can only set up 2 mailboxes per rep in Outreach. Going to be adding a Smartlead integration soon in Common Room to run higher volume experiments based on various intent signals and double down on the ones that work with human SDRs. 3️⃣ Secondary domains should link to your primary You want to make sure your prospects are being directed to your actual company domain if they are curious and click. 4️⃣ Email Warmup - Domains should be “warmed up” for ~14 days before cold emailing Send at least 20-30 warm up emails per day per email account, with a 40% reply rate. This builds your domain reputation. 5️⃣ Email Volume - Build this over time. Start with 5-10 emails a day per account and do NOT send more than 30 emails per day per email account 6️⃣ Keep your email signature plain text. No Links. No images. No calendar links…at all Add your address in your signature and make sure you put a picture in your Outlook or Gmail profile. 7️⃣ Vary your cold email copy (i.e. SPINTAX). Sending the same template to every prospect signals that you are a spammer. Customize your first step email. For emails further in your sequence, use Spintax. Use alternate phrases “Hi, Hey, Hello”. New age sequencers do this automatically. 8️⃣ Understand that your domain gets TORCHED when people mark your email as spam. Good and relevant copy matter. 9️⃣ Constantly monitor your email deliverability. Deliverability varies across Outlook and Google servers. Get a platform that helps you land in ALL inboxes. Again, Maildoso makes this super easy...  they have daily reputation monitoring built right in so you catch issues fast. They average 98%+ inbox placement - wild. Maintaining good deliverability over time is key in the success of outbound. What would the email deliverability experts add here? #outbound #coldemail #deliverability

"I only tell my boss the risks when I’m 100% sure, otherwise I’d rather keep quiet” - a manager recently told me during a workshop: Other managers started nodding - highly relatable. This is what psychology calls the MUM effect - Minimizing Unpleasant Messages coined by Rosen & Tesser (1970). It’s the deeply human tendency to avoid delivering bad news or to soften it until the truth is barely visible. - We do it to protect ourselves from blame. - We do it to protect others from discomfort. - And in the moment, silence feels safer than honesty. But here’s the cost: - Leaders make decisions without critical information. - Teams repeat the same mistakes. - Opportunities get lost. But here’s the paradox: what feels safe for the individual is unsafe for the team. Neuroscience explains why: when we prepare to share uncomfortable truths, the amygdala - the brain’s threat detection system - activates. It interprets honesty as danger: the risk of rejection, conflict, or loss of status. So silence feels like self-protection. How can leaders mitigate this effect? 👉 1. Redefine what “good” means in your team Say explicitly: “Being good here means raising risks early, even if you’re not 100% sure.” 👉 2. Reward the messenger, not just the message Thank people for speaking up, regardless of whether the risk turns out real. This rewires the brain to see honesty as safe. 👉 3. Ask better questions Replace “Any questions?” with “What’s the toughest risk we might be overlooking?” or “What would you challenge if you were in my seat?” ✨ This is exactly what I work on with leadership teams in my Safe Challenger program and workshops, helping leaders unlearn compliance-based leadership and build cultures of courage. Because the biggest risk in teams isn’t mistakes. It’s silence. P.S.: What’s do you think is harder: speaking up with uncomfortable truths or hearing them?

What makes a decision-maker actually reply to your LinkedIn message? I wanted to find out. So we ran an experiment. At my recent Get Paid To Speak Bootcamp, I invited Brian Tee, Head of Sales at SingPost, as one of our corporate guests. Why? Because I wanted my aspiring speakers to hear directly from someone who hires speakers: what gets their attention, what turns them off, and what actually gets you booked. So here’s what we did: Everyone in the room had to reach out to Brian on LinkedIn. No scripts. No templates. Just thoughtful outreach. Brian received 95 connection requests and he took the time to go through every single one. Then he shortlisted the messages that stood out to him and shared WHY they worked. That’s what this post is about (you might want to bookmark this post!) Here are five things the best outreach messages had in common: 1. They anchored to a real, shared moment. “I really appreciated your insight at GPTS, especially when you said ‘leadership today requires empathy and adaptability.’ That stayed with me.” 2. They focused on Brian first not their pitch. “May I ask what business challenges you're currently facing? How do you envision inspiring your sales team in 2025 and beyond?” 3. They asked meaningful, open-ended questions. “What’s your take on vulnerability in the workplace? Does it have a place in leadership today?” 4. They aligned their offer with Brian’s values and goals. “Given your focus on transformation, I believe my talk on resilience could complement your vision at SingPost.” 5. They offered to add value without sounding transactional. “If there’s any way I could contribute to your work at SingPost, I’d be happy to explore how.” One big lesson from this? The best outreach doesn’t try to impress, it tries to connect. Respect. Curiosity. Relevance. That’s what opens doors. A huge thank you to Brian Tee for being so generous with his feedback, this was GOLD for every speaker in the room. And now, for you reading this: If you’re trying to reach high-value contacts, use the above five insights as your blueprint. Your turn: if you were a potential client, how should we reach out to you that will elicit a positive response? #LinkedInTips #GetPaidToSpeak

“Another Boeing plane has crashed…” That headline didn’t just inform the world. It shook it. Airlines grounded fleets. Passengers canceled bookings. Families waited in grief. And in those painful moments, everyone turned to Boeing — waiting for reassurance, compassion, and clarity. But what they received instead was silence, technical statements, and corporate coldness. ⸻ 💬 The Dialogue That Never Happened Imagine if Boeing’s CEO had stood before the world and said: 👉 “We are devastated by this tragedy. Our deepest condolences go to the families who lost their loved ones. We take full responsibility to uncover the truth, fix it, and make sure this never happens again. Every passenger’s life matters. We will not rest until trust is restored.” Instead, the company issued vague technical explanations about “software updates” and “pilot procedures.” The difference? One statement speaks to the heart. The other hides behind jargon. 📉 The Fallout of Silence Boeing didn’t just lose billions in market value. They lost something far more precious: trust. • Passengers felt unsafe. • Governments demanded groundings. • Airlines questioned contracts. • Employees lost pride. A global brand that once symbolized safety became a symbol of fear. And the leadership lesson? 👉 In crisis, your communication is your reputation. ⸻ When tragedy strikes, the human brain looks for three things immediately: 1. Reassurance (Pathos): “Do you see my pain? Do you care?” 2. Clarity (Logos): “What exactly happened? Am I safe?” 3. Responsibility (Ethos): “Can I trust you to fix this?” ⸻ Here’s a 3-step Crisis Communication Framework every CEO must remember: 1. Acknowledge Emotion (Pathos): • Show empathy immediately. • Example: “We are heartbroken by this tragedy. Lives were lost. Families are grieving.” 2. Share Facts Clearly (Logos): • State what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re investigating. • Example: “The incident involves [details]. Investigations are ongoing. Safety checks are underway globally.” 3. Commit to Responsibility (Ethos): • Show accountability and promise change. • Example: “We take full responsibility. Here’s how we are fixing it: [specific steps].” ⸻ ✅ Do’s & ❌ Don’ts of Crisis Communication ✅ Do’s • Respond quickly. Speed signals responsibility. • Lead with humanity. Speak to emotions first, facts second. • Be transparent. Say what you know and admit what you don’t. • Take responsibility. Even partial acknowledgment builds trust. • Be consistent. Updates must be regular, not one-time. ❌ Don’ts • Stay silent. Silence is filled with rumors. • Use jargon. “Software anomaly” means nothing to grieving families. • Deflect blame. Saying “pilot error” erodes credibility. • Downplay loss. Even one life lost must be honored. • Overpromise. “It will never happen again” sounds hollow if unproven. ⸻ 💡 The Bigger Leadership Lesson Crisis doesn’t just test your company. It tests your character.

If you ask (and answer) this 1 question before starting cold outreach, you'll be on track to see 2x results from your outbound in 2025. 📌 The question is simple: Does this matter to THEM? Too often, outbound efforts are built around what we want: to book a meeting, to hit quota, to close the deal. But here’s the reality: no one cares about your goals unless they align with theirs. This is where my #EarnTheRight approach comes in. Before you send an email, pick up the phone, or craft a LinkedIn message, stop and ask yourself: “Am I talking about what matters most to my prospect?” Taking the time to create email copy and phone talk tracks that align with their priorities is critical. This is not about prospect-specific personalization. This is about RELEVANCE. ➡️ Here’s why: Relevance drives response. When you speak to the challenges and goals that matter the most to your prospect, you’re no longer interrupting them—you’re engaging them. Want to stand out in 2025? Believe me when I say the bar is low and stealing this strategy will help you 2x your results this year. Most outreach is about the seller: “We offer X,” “Our platform does Y.” Flip the script by focusing on the prospect’s world instead, and you instantly differentiate yourself. Trust builds faster when your messaging reflects that you’ve done the homework. In 2025, relevance isn’t just important—it’s essential. Buyers are busier than ever, and generic outreach is the quickest way to get ignored. When your outreach centers on what truly matters to your prospects, you earn the right to their time, their attention, and eventually, their business. 📌 How are you ensuring your team’s messaging speaks to what matters most to your prospects?

76.6% open rate. 21% reply rate. 7.3% interest rate. These are the current benchmarks for recruiting outreach emails sent through Gem‎. But here's what's really fascinating: the teams consistently beating these benchmarks aren't using fancy automation or gimmicky subject lines. They're simply speaking to what candidates actually care about. At Gem, we've analyzed millions of recruiting emails, and the pattern is unmistakable. The highest-performing outreach directly addresses the core motivations driving today's job seekers: 1. Career advancement opportunities 2. Meaningful work flexibility 3. Strong, visionary leadership 4. Clear paths for skill development (especially for Gen Z, who prioritize this 36% more than other generations) One customer I was talking to challenged conventional wisdom by A/B testing short vs. detailed messages. The surprising result? While the shorter message got more opens, the longer, more detailed message that explained team impact and challenges generated more interested replies. Why? Because it spoke directly to what high-value candidates actually wanted to know. The market has shifted. By 2030, Gen Z and millennials will represent nearly 60% of the global workforce. These candidates don't just want jobs—they want growth trajectories. They don't just evaluate offers—they evaluate leadership. Here's my challenge to every recruiting team: Review your last 5 outreach templates. Count how many sentences focus on what you need vs. what the candidate gets. If it's weighted toward your requirements, you're leaving responses on the table. The best recruiting teams at companies like Anthropic, Yext, and Doordash are already making this transition, shifting from requirement-focused to candidate-centric messaging. And it's working… "We're not trying to sell anything in our outreach," explains Michael Franco at Yext‎. "We're trying to start a genuine conversation... When we understand their pain points, we know exactly what value prop to use." This isn't just feel-good advice—it's data-backed strategy. In 2025, understanding what candidates truly care about isn't just nice to have. It's the difference between hitting your hiring goals and falling short of them.

The difference between average professionals and standout leaders isn’t perfection; it’s how they handle the inevitable blunders. Mistakes at work aren’t a matter of “if”—they’re a matter of “when.” In today’s fast-paced, high-stakes environment, no one is immune to slip-ups—whether it’s a misfired email, a missed deadline, or a misunderstood client request. According to Gallup, teams led by managers who own their mistakes are 47% more likely to report high engagement and psychological safety. Mistakes handled well can build trust and credibility. Here's how you can handle mistakes like a leader: ✅ Acknowledge Quickly and Honestly: Don’t hide or deflect. A prompt, sincere acknowledgment shows maturity and respect for your colleagues’ time and trust. ✅ Take Responsibility and Apologize: Own your part without blaming others or circumstances. A straightforward apology goes further than a thousand excuses. ✅ Communicate the Fix: Let those impacted know what you’re doing to correct the issue and how you’ll prevent it in the future. This shifts the focus from the error to your proactive response. ✅ Reflect and Share the Lesson: Take time to understand what went wrong and why. When appropriate, share your learning with your team—it fosters a culture where growth is valued over perfection. ✅ Move Forward with Confidence: Don’t let a single mistake define you. Consistent professionalism and accountability will outweigh one misstep over time. Mistakes are inevitable, but they’re also opportunities to demonstrate leadership, humility, and resilience. The next time you slip up, remember that your response is what people will remember most. Own it, learn, and move on—that’s how real leaders are made. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Joshua Miller #workplace #coachingtips #leadership #professionaldevelopment

Most executives communicate constantly. Few communicate effectively. The difference isn't charisma or confidence. It's knowing which framework fits which moment. A board update isn't a team rally. A difficult feedback conversation isn't a status meeting. The best communicators match the approach to the situation. 1️⃣ 3 Levels of Listening Most leaders listen at Level 1: focused on themselves. Level 2 is focused on the speaker. Level 3 is focused on everything unsaid. That's where real insight lives. 2️⃣ What? So What? Now What? When you need to turn complexity into clarity. Present the facts, explain the significance, then define the action. 3️⃣ PREP Method Point, Reason, Example, Point. Use this when you need to be concise and persuasive. Lead with your main message, not the backstory. 4️⃣ COIN Model For delivering tough feedback that actually lands. Context, Observation, Impact, Next Steps. Skip the sandwich method. This is cleaner. 5️⃣ The Pyramid Principle When you need buy-in on a big initiative. Lead with your main message, group your reasons logically, and back each one with data. 6️⃣ Story of Self / Us / Now For rallying people around collective action. Connect your personal purpose to the team's purpose, then make the moment urgent. 7️⃣ RACI Matrix When confusion is killing momentum. Clarify who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed before the work begins. Most communication problems aren't about what you're saying. They're about choosing the wrong framework for the moment. ♻️ Repost if you believe communication is a leadership skill worth sharpening 🔔 Follow Ebony Beckwith for insights on leadership, culture, and clarity