Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect is the ultimate guide to becoming more efficient at communication in work, at home, and everywhere you go.

So what does it mean to be Pitch Perfect? The concept is all about conveying the right message to the right person with the right timing and in the right way. Getting the sweet spot here is necessary for success at home and in your job.

At work, good communication skills make you more likely to get that promotion. You only get a few small chances to impress your leaders and climb up the ladder.

Let’s say that your boss wants to get your ideas on what’s holding your company back from growing. If you’re reluctant and shy about it, you might lose a great opportunity to shine.

But on the other hand, a blunt statement about weaknesses the business has could make your boss overlook you for the promotion. Even research confirms that the biggest problem in the way of advancement is bad communication skills. Being racist, telling offensive jokes, avoiding eye contact, cursing, and crying are just a few examples.

This is why it’s so important to get things right on the first try. If you want to get results, you’ve got to have pitch-perfect communication.

A lot of people talk without thinking. I know it’s gotten me in plenty of trouble! It’s easy to get nervous and speak quickly, but you’ll make a lot of mistakes. And the problem is, once you’ve blurted out something wild, you can’t take it back. We talk rapidly and longer when we’re anxious or defensive. Our thoughts also run faster when we’re nervous and then our mouth follows. You might think you sound more convincing when you do this. But it actually makes you sound more uncertain and neurotic and you can irreparably harm your reputation. A classic example is when BP had an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The chairman at the time, Tony Hayward, commented by saying: “There’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do. You know, I’d like my life back.” His carelessness here ended up costing him his job. That’s why it’s so vital that you practice speaking slowly. Don’t be afraid of pausing and taking your time to think about what you say before speaking. Doing this will demonstrate confidence and keep you from saying something you might regret. It helps you do this by letting your brain have the time it needs to structure your thinking. Steve Jobs, for example, one time really wanted to express the massive success Apple had achieved. He slowed down significantly to emphasize: and then, after a long pause and in almost a whisper,…