Secrets of Persuasion: How to Influence with Integrity 

A Holy Grail communication skill, persuasiveness is admired, desired, and sought out by individuals and organizations alike. But what makes someone truly persuasive, and how can we leverage persuasion while maintaining (or even improving) good relationships with those around us? In this practical and entertaining keynote, communication expert Lauren Sergy takes you through a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what persuasion is and how it works. You’ll learn how to dial up your own persuasive skills so you can convince and compel with integrity and authenticity.

Collaborative Communication: Dialing Down Tension While Building Relationships Through How We Speak 

Description: Picture a meeting: a contentious issue is on the table, one on which there are a lot of strong opinions. People are talking – oh, they are talking. But the talking doesn’t seem to go anywhere except around in circles. It’s like they’re talking at one another instead of with one another.

It’s in these types of conversations that collaboration is both most necessary and most difficult. Collaboration isn’t about capitulation or compromise. It’s a relationship-driven approach to communication that places finding cooperative solutions ahead of everything else. It’s a willingness to let go of the need to win in favor of the need to make progress.

It’s also easier said than done – but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach!

In this frank and entertaining session, Lauren Sergy demystifies the elements of collaborative communication and shows you how apply them in real life. You will learn techniques to develop the empathy necessary for collaboration while also learning subtle strategies that help you to guide and shape the conversation. You will discover ways to increase openness and trust, diffuse tension, and engage in communication that is clear, collaborative, and productive.

Communication @ Work: Corporate Connections and Relationships In The Hybrid Workplace 

Description: Whether you love or loathe virtual, the future of work communication is hybrid. Post-pandemic workspaces are re-tooling for both in-office and remote work arrangements. Customers and stakeholders expect virtual meetings to be a standard communication option. The tools and technology are getting cheaper and easier to use. Yet many of us continue to struggle with engaging with one another via webcam. Hybrid meetings feel siloed, real engagement and connection is difficult to foster, and everyone is still being treated to an A+ view of Bob’s nose hairs.

Conversing in videoconference is different from in-person interactions, and it gets even trickier when some people are in-person while others are on-screen. To thrive with communication in the new hybrid workplace, we need more than the latest virtual space or mini ring light. We need targeted communication skills and a fresh mindset regarding how we connect in the presence of the webcam. Interpersonal communication and public speaking expert Lauren Sergy will take you on an engaging deep-dive into how virtual affects some of our most basic communication behaviours. Discover what must be done to grow relationships, strengthen business culture, and sidestep burnout in our complex communication landscape.

Executive Presence: Developing and Leveraging the Language of Leadership 

Description: We can all picture them: that leader who draws people’s eyes the moment they walk into a room, who can fill a space with their voice even when they whisper, who can inspire confidence with a perfectly timed phrase.

They have it. They have Presence.

More than just “looking the part”, Presence is powerful communication strategy that leverages the way we speak, look, and behave to help others perceive us as competent and authoritative. A person with presence can more easily overcome doubts and reservations, foster trust, and consistently represent their personal and professional brand. But what exactly constitutes “executive presence” is difficult to pin down.

In this fascinating keynote, communication expert Lauren Sergy will take you on a dive into the markers of executive presence and the deep role they play in how you and your messages are received, perceived, and interpreted. You won’t just marvel at other people’s presence – you’ll understand how it works for them, and how you can make it work for you.