Vanessa Van Edwards

Charismatic Communication: The Art and Science of Presence, Confidence and Trust 

Better communication skills pay dividends in every conversation for the rest of your life. There are no downsides to becoming a better communicator, but the upsides may be more powerful than we know. Studies show that people with high interpersonal intelligence (PQ) perform at higher levels, have higher salaries, have better immune systems, and help generate more revenue for companies they work for.

In this research-based and reflective keynote, Vanessa Van Edwards teaches attendees powerful communication strategies based on new science that they can apply at work and in their personal lives. Pulling from her bestselling books Captivate and Cues, she shares the latest research on behavioral psychology and how it can be used to improve professional relationships, make positive and lasting impressions, and better connect with co-workers and customers. Audiences are left with a better understanding of their own communication pitfalls and the knowledge and confidence to apply new tools to become more authentically charismatic in their interactions. 

Key learning objectives include: 

Improving communication across teams and organizations by understanding the hidden signs and signals embedded in day to day interactions, whether internal or external.

• Why warmth and competence cues are the keys to balanced and successful communication.
• The pitfalls of using the wrong cues and why they slow down productivity and strain relationships.
• How to strike the right balance between trust and power, likeability and productivity, collaboration and capability.
• The (surprising) science of charisma and how to use it to make memorable first impressions, craft a confident presence, and improve communication with colleagues, clients, and customers.
• Mastering the art and science of engagement across all communication modes.
• The new science of conversation and how to talk to anyone without falling into the pattern of using tired social scripts, making for more captivating conversations.

Function-Specific Topics

Communication in Leadership: The Science and Tools for Effective Communication 

Great leadership boils down to influence earned through moments of connection. Communication is the vehicle of influence. Being an effective communicator is more than speaking eloquently. It’s the ability to engage the uninspired, win trust, gain credibility, assuage worries in every interaction, and develop relationships through intentional communication. In this keynote, Vanessa Van Edwards explores the behavioral economics of leadership. She reveals how powerful communication tactics and specific learned personality strengths can supercharge our influence, equipping us to be more successful leaders. Attendees learn about the charisma scale, an effective tool for mastering balanced communication, and other applicable leadership tools that accelerate the connectedness of teams, improve individual productivity and outcomes, strengthen company culture, and ultimately advance business performance. 

Key learning objectives include:

• The fascinating neuroscience that sets great leaders apart. 
• Developing and maintaining a captivating presence, both virtually and in-person. 
• The leadership principles that extend to all areas of life and how to effectively apply them in a personal and professional capacity.
• The verbal cues of powerful communicators and how to practice inspired communication.
• Successful verbal and non-verbal techniques to project warmth and competence. 

The Science of Teams: Understanding Work Personalities Using the Science of People

Did you know that people have unique work personalities? Understanding our individual and collective work personalities can help develop quick connections with colleagues and business partners alike. As workplaces become more collaborative, effective and symbiotic work relationships are needed now more than ever, yet connectedness has become more elusive with the rise of hybrid and virtual teams. High-functioning teamwork does not happen accidentally; it is cultivated and improved by unlocking and understanding the Five Work Traits. In this presentation, Vanessa Van Edwards shows attendees how they can supercharge their people skills with their teams and in business by understanding the five science-based aspects of personality. Participants will be able to apply these concepts to nurture their collaboration, build a culture of trust, and unlock innovation that only happens with greater openness and understanding. This keynote provides an avenue for teams to reset, build rapport, and cultivate shared language and ideas.

Key learning objectives include:

• The five important traits inherent to every personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
• Understanding how openness affects a team’s willingness to consider new ideas.
• Learning about how team members’ conscientiousness affects individual efficiency and group productivity.
• Fostering better ways to connect by understanding extraversion levels.
• Understanding how increasing team agreeableness supercharges collaboration and creativity.
• Better ways to prevent and work through difficult tasks and conversations by understanding team neuroticism.

Sales Cues: Improving Sales Skills to Drive Results

Warmth and competence are two of the most important qualities of effective sales communication. Some people naturally appear warm and competent. For those who do not, the good news is these qualities can be nurtured. In this keynote, Vanessa Van Edwards shares the new research behind the science of people that helps salespeople, agents, advisors, sales support, and project managers approach any sales situation strategically and with confidence. Attendees learn how to read people, anticipate and overcome objections, make people feel comfortable voicing concern, tactically use verbal and nonverbal cues to their advantage, and ultimately create buy-in from customers. Participants will walk away with a deep understanding of how people open up and commit to relationships, ideas, products, and services, and the practical techniques they can implement immediately that will set them apart on their sales journey.

Key learning objectives include:

• Which body language cues instantly increase trust and charisma.
• Which vocal cues make us sound more confident and influential.
• Which verbal cues to use in our communications and emails to increase trust (and generate excitement about the interaction).
• How to detect emotions to gauge a person’s interest, anticipate objections, and create a sales environment that’s comfortable for the customer. 

THE SURPRISING SECRETS OF HIGH PERFORMERS:
HOW THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE USE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Vanessa will teach attendees how to maximize their relationships and streamline their communication with a simple, but powerful framework. The goal is to empower attendees to increase efficiency by connecting and collaborating in a purposeful way. This highly actionable, engaging talk will energize every audience member to look at their to-do list in a completely new way.

Highly effective people have a unique approach to productivity. Over the last decade, Vanessa has studied the patterns of successful people and found a surprising way we can all work smarter, not harder. The key is being a productive communicator.

Marketing Cues: How the Science of People Can Amplify Campaigns and Empower Brands
Cues are all around us. The best cues are strategically used to elicit desired emotions from their intended audience. Understanding how to identify and creatively use the best cues in our marketing, ad campaigns, and social profiles leaves a lasting imprint on audiences. In this presentation, Vanessa Van Edwards breaks down her analysis of the cues that marketers can use to target the right customers and amplify campaigns. Audiences are equipped with the latest research on behavioral psychology so that they can approach organizational messaging, branding, and campaign strategies with proven psychological strategies.  

Manager Cues: Communication Tools to Drive Collaborative and Productive Teams
Increasingly, employees say they quit their managers, not their companies. Effective leadership has never been as important for employee satisfaction and retention as it is now. In this workshop, Vanessa Van Edwards shares the qualities needed in effective leaders, whether they are new managers or C-Suite executives. She dives into the practical communication tools that help motivate, inspire, and build trust with in-person, hybrid, and virtual teams. When implemented, these tools lead to happier, more collaborative, and more productive teams. 

Communication and People Skills Topics

The Three Levels of Connection: Build Stronger Relationships by Using the Science of People
Our desire for community and connection doesn’t end at work. While connection with colleagues looks different from purely personal connections, having authentic and healthy connections in the workplace is one of the main determinants of productivity and workplace satisfaction. While the increase of virtual mediums presents an added challenge, creating meaningful connections is possible. In fact, there’s a science-based blueprint to fostering connections quickly and maintaining them with professional intention. In this presentation, Vanessa Van Edwards teaches the three levels of connection that build trust and rapport. These principles can be applied at work, within teams, at conferences, and while networking, with colleagues and customers alike. Each level builds on the next, providing insight and tools on how to deepen relationships. Along with gaining a deeper understanding of the levels of connection, attendees will learn the practice of creating a safe space for vulnerability and ideas. 

Key learning objectives include:

• How to start a conversation with anyone and build immediate rapport using the conversation blueprint. 
• Conversation starters that break down barriers and social scripts, encouraging openness and trust. 
• The powerful psychological concept “The Swan Effect” and how it helps stimulate connectedness through openness and vulnerability. 

Mastering Virtual Connection: Applying the Science of People to Digital Communication

Did you know that oxytocin, the hormone that stabilizes mood and makes us feel connected, still fires over virtual mediums? That means that video calls, email, and chat–when used effectively–can positively influence our moods and others’ reactions to us. Just as we can learn to master in-person communication, we can learn how to transform our digital communication skills to improve relationships, promote connectedness, and develop trust. In this keynote, Vanessa Van Edwards taps into her years of research on human behavior to teach individuals how to master virtual mediums. Through digital mastery, attendees are equipped to set the tone for each interaction, run productive meetings, and connect in deeper ways once thought unimaginable when not in-person. 

Key learning objectives include:

• How to use research-backed verbal and nonverbal cues to maintain charisma on video calls, phone calls, email, and chat.
• How to run productive and engaging digital meetings (and avoid awkwardness traps).
• How to successfully engage with different work styles on digital platforms.
• How to use digital communication strategies to prevent video fatigue and burnout.
• The best tips and strategies for effective video call setups.

Cues: The Power of Nonverbal Communication

Did you know that at least 60% of human communication is nonverbal? Yet we spend most of our time agonizing over what we say, rather than how we say it. By understanding and using nonverbal cues, we become more effective communicators virtually and in-person. Whether we’re aware of it or not, humans send each other hundreds of nonverbal signals in every interaction. Learning to control and decode these signals gives us a huge communication advantage. In this talk, Vanessa Van Edwards dives into the science of nonverbal communication. Attendees will learn how to leverage body language cues to improve their charisma, presence, and confidence, as well as vocal power–a hidden, but essential aspect of nonverbal communication. They will be equipped with people reading skills and communication strategies that will help them become adaptive, relatable, and persuasive, no matter the situation. This keynote can be delivered with a focus solely on digital communication or a mix of all communication modes–email, video, in-person, chats, phone and text.

Key learning objectives include:

• The key cues to use in every interaction.
• How to read people, uncover hidden emotions, and which body language cues can instantly increase trust and charisma.
• The external cues to use to project confidence and trust.