Do you have any tips or book suggestions to improve communication confidence?

#162 · A reliable weekly cold email SOP (step-by-step outreach)

Do you have any tips or book suggestions to improve communication confidence?

I used to read a lot of self-help and self-development books, but I’ve found that nothing is as valuable as just getting in the arena—acting and talking about a product or service you’re selling for an extended period. That practice teaches you how to articulate and naturally picks up many of the communication skills those books try to teach through rote memorization. My number one recommendation for most people wanting to improve communication is to get a door‑to‑door sales job or incorporate door‑to‑door sales into your business. While it may not be the best for pure monetary results, it’s excellent for skill building; a month or two is enough. Going door‑to‑door daily, you’ll hit 50 to 80 doors each day, which translates to thousands of high‑stakes conversations about your offer each month—enough to resolve most communication issues.

communicationconfidencedoor-to-door

Related answers

youtube ↗Mindset

How have you improved your speaking skills? Clearly it's a strength of yours — any advice?

I don't really have a straight-line path here beyond just talking constantly. I used to do door-to-door sales for a long time, where being perceived as articulate mattered a lot. I did tons of sales in the years after, cold calls, cold emails leading to booked meetings, and my Upwork application strategy required recording a large number of videos daily where I had to speak clearly on camera. I wish I had a clean two- or three-step program to give you, but in reality the vast majority of this skill just came from doing it a lot, to the point where my brain is just wired to talk in a way that seems reasonably put together.

public speakingcommunication skillspractice

youtube ↗Sales

What tips do you have for approaching your first sales call, especially the number one thing to keep in mind?

Your job is not to sell at this stage; your job is to learn everything you can about how the prospect is running their business. Approaching the call from a learning perspective rather than a sales perspective actually increases the probability of selling. Many people rush to sell too early and miss that building rapport and perceived authority is the best way to sell. You can build rapport by paraphrasing what the customer says in slightly different words, showing you understand them. Approach the call with curiosity and ask questions; genuine curiosity increases the chance of closing a deal. Set expectations at the start: let them know you're just there to learn about their business and that a firm decision isn't required by the end of the call unless they want it. Your goal is to see if you can help them, and ask a couple of quick questions to verify that. Now, to frame the conversation, ask what made them respond to your outreach, what they're looking for, where they're coming from and where they're going—think of it like a doctor diagnosing.

salesfirst calllearning perspectiverapport

youtube ↗Mindset

What’s the best way to improve speaking skills, and can you lose the ability if you don’t practice?

Speaking is a skill like any other. My door‑to‑door experience—knocking on 500‑1,000 doors a month, about 50‑80 a day—gave me the repetition that built articulation. The best way to improve is to combine that volume with some review or coaching; more volume can solve the strategic gaps others try to fix with less volume. If you can’t afford a public‑speaking class, just pick up the phone and pitch 200 people a day. Your brain is a sponge for inputs and outputs; with enough practice you’ll reach the same competence. People who win by volume tend to be more competent than those who just follow a guru. And yes, you can lose the ability if you don’t use it—use it or lose it. After a dry season, jumping back onto a sales call or seminar feels difficult, but just like a heart surgeon needs their first surgery, you need to get back into it.

public speakingskill developmentvolume practice

youtube ↗Mindset

Nick, I've watched many videos and podcasts about e-commerce, email marketing, and retention, and I want to start a business, but my lack of English speaking confidence stops me. I can read, listen, and write well, but speaking is a disaster. How can I overcome this? Should I just start a business, get on calls, and try to close deals, or practice speaking daily? How would you handle this?

The reality is you spent the last few months watching videos, podcasts, and asking ChatBT about this business model. You could have spent that same amount of time actually talking to people on phone calls and learning how to articulate the benefits of your service, which would have improved you far more. If you don't have something pushing you—like a constraint or a fire constantly scaring the hell out of you before every call to make your English better—it's just not going to get better. I'd recommend improving your English in a structured guided way: work on articulation, fluency, accent, and so on, as well as your business model. But the best way to get better at what you want to do is simply doing more of it, not reading about it. So start, get on calls, try to explain and close deals; practice will improve both your English and your business.

englishconfidencespeaking