Simon Hall, course lead for the University of Cambridge Online course in ‘Compelling Communication Skills,’ has helped many individuals and organisations to hone their skills in communication – in many cases enabling them to effectively communicate business ideas to employees and stakeholders and garner interest in what they are presenting. In this Q&A, Simon asks a past client how important harnessing the power of communication has been to him.

Mastering Communication: A Journey to Business Success with Simon Hall

Could you tell us a little about your current business?

The company is a spin out from the University of Cambridge. The technology is a novel method for making improved medical implants for a wide range of clinical applications.

What has influenced your journey in seeking communications help?

As Chief Executive, there is a constant engagement with diverse groups of individuals and firms and it is very important to be able to concisely and convincingly tell the story of the start-up proposition and in a language that is appropriate for our target audience.

What have you learned from your work with Simon that you could share?

Cutting out the noise and fat from presentations makes for better and easier storytelling. It gives more confidence to the person telling the story and engages the audience better. Probably a good life lesson as well!

If you could give one tip to an aspiring business owner or entrepreneur, what would that be?

Always, always validate your assumptions. Go out and ask questions to the experts. Put yourself in the shoes of the user of your product or technology, the audience to whom you are telling your story and ask yourself – how does this help them?

How do you think that communication skills can play a part in a person’s success?

By giving them the confidence to talk and present their ideas and knowledge in a confident and easy to understand way to people they work with.

If there was one communication skill that you think everyone should improve on, what would that be?

Find a way to not get flustered if there’s a challenging or difficult question, or if you lose your train of thought.

How has training in public speaking, presentations, and pitching supported your career?

It has helped me to overcome my mental block about my ability and confidence to present to a public and new audience.

What skills do you value in employees?

Integrity, dedication, and the ability to be nice for no reason.

What do you think most people would benefit from learning, to advance their career?

Difficult to say as it would be very individual and context dependent. But in general, I believe reaching out for support and asking for input has huge benefits in the short and long term. Some call it networking, but it’s important to remember that quality of the engagement is more crucial than quantity of superficial contacts.

Simon Hall(Opens in a new window) runs his own business communication agency, Creative Warehouse, and works as an author and business coach. He has previously worked for the BBC for 25 years as a television, radio and online news correspondent.

Do you want to hone your communication skills to support your business, professional or even personal ambitions? Discover ‘Compelling Communication Skills’ from the University of Cambridge Online(Opens in a new window): https://bit.ly/3uIs1AU(Opens in a new window)