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Can you say that a bit louder, please?

 

Sorry, I can't hear you. How to get a louder voice. Speak louder.

Sorry, I can’t hear you. How to get a louder voice. Speak louder.

By Maria Wilhelmsson, Vox Impact

Many of those who come to me for voice coaching want to learn to speak louder.

Tired of having to repeat themselves or seeing people lean forward and frown every time they speak, they want to know how they can make themselves heard.

It may sound like a trivial thing to do, just to turn up the volume knob a bit.  In reality, it can be quite challenging to change your default speaking volume, and to keep it at the new, louder level. Your speaking habits have been formed since the early years of your life, and are coloured by your experiences, belief systems, culture, psychology and how you inhabit your body.

If you are struggling to pump up the volume, ask yourself if any of the following may be true for you:

In your books, loud is bad

Human beings are quick to adapt to the norm in families and society at large, and to judge those who do not conform to the social rules.  Did you grow up in a family or a culture of soft speakers, where being loud equaled bad manners, lack of respect, or showing off? Were you frequently asked to be quiet and let others speak? Or were you the one to take on the quiet role in an otherwise loud family to balance it out?

A shy personality is another factor that gets in the way of loudness. If you are not comfortable being the center of attention, your voice will try to protect you from that attention by going soft. So hand on heart, do you really want to be heard?

Your ears are fooling you

When you think you are being really loud, are people still asking you to speak up? Your voice sounds louder inside your head than it does to other people. The reason is that the sound that you hear is amplified through the bone-conduction in your head, while other people only can hear the sound that is carried through the air in the space around you.

Now, if you want to communicate with other people, you will be better off trusting their ears rather than your own. To get an idea of the size of this perception gap, ask a friend – or several – for help. Speak a few sentences and ask your friend to indicate the loudness on a scale from 1-10. Compare it with the loudness level you were aiming for. If your friend gives you a 4 when you think you were at a 7, you can start to re-calibrate your ears and vocal effort accordingly.

Also remember that a larger room and a larger audience will require more volume than a face-t0-face conversation. Ask for feedback and keep adjusting your loudness to different settings.

Your mind is not clear

“That which is dimly said, was dimly thought.” (E. Tegnér)

You know how easy it is to speak up when you are certain of the facts and clear about your intention. The words flow and your strong conviction brings your voice to life. You know what you want to achieve and you want the world to hear your opinion. And then there are all the other times. The times when you wing it, when you didn’t have the time to prepare, or when you are simply not that engaged. Your voice will sense it and tactfully lower the volume, pull the sound back into your throat and relax the enunciation to minimize the potential public embarrassment.

Do you know what you are saying, why you are saying it, and do you stand for it?

You are a talking head

Does your voice get strained and tired when you have been speaking loudly for a while?
You may be doing all the speaking effort from your throat. Instead, think of your voice as a violin, with the strings being your vocal folds, the wooden body being your torso and your head, and the bow representing your breath.

All the parts are needed in order to bring out a powerful voice. Without the bow (breath) applied with the right pressure, the strings (vocal folds) will not vibrate in the way required to produce a rich sound. Without the body providing a strong frame and a resonance chamber, there will be no amplification of the sound.

You will find tips on how to engage your body and breath in my articles 4 ways to bring out the good vibes in your voice read and Breathe life into your presence.

And if your resolutions for 2017 involve getting your voice to work for you, only reading won’t do the job.
Join one of Maria’s acclaimed public workshops. The next one is in Lausanne on 7 March: ‘Showing up and Speaking with Confidence’.

By | February 21st, 2017|Guest posts|0 Comments

Communication Officer at 70-80%; APT Geneva

The APT seeks an experienced Communication Officer at 70-80%
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Deadline for application: 5 March 2017
Start date: From April 2017
Duration: Temporary contract (12-15 months)

The APT is an independent, non-governmental human rights organisation working
worldwide for the prevention of torture. The APT has 22 international staff members at
its headquarters in Geneva. For more information, please see our website: www.apt.ch.
The Communication officer leads APT’s external communication programme and
manages the implementation of the communication strategy. S/he ensures timely and
appropriate communication support to APT’s activities and projects, in alignment with
the strategic plan.

Main responsibilities
 Manage the content and coordinate APT’s communication platforms. This includes
strategic planning and development of communications, as well as day-to-day
operational tasks.
 Draft and edit articles and blogs for the APT website, press releases, public
statements etc.
 Produce a monthly e-bulletin.
 Manage and develop APT’s engagement in social media.
 Promote and disseminate publications and other resources.
 Develop and maintain media relations.
 Support the fundraising team with donor reports and materials
 Provide communication support to relevant activities and projects, including the
development of project specific communication plans.
 Ensure APT’s coherent visual identity.
 Continuously monitor and evaluate communication activities

Experience and Qualifications
 A university degree in communications, marketing, journalism or other relevant field.
 A minimum of five years relevant professional experience, including of web editing,
social media, and other online communications.
 Experience of working in an international environment, preferably with human rights
and/or non-profit organisations.
 Excellent writing and presentation skills.
 Strong commitment to human rights values.
 Ability to work with minimal supervision in an organised and structured manner.
 Ability to work on multiple tasks and under time pressure.
 Fluency in English, working knowledge of French and/or Spanish desirable.
 Knowledge of graphic design and film production is a strong asset, including the use
of editing and design software (Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Premier Pro or similar).
Valid Swiss work permit

What we offer
Salary: Average NGO Geneva rates, over 12 months.
Standard Swiss pension scheme.
Holidays total 25 days per year.

How to apply:
Applications should be sent by e-mail to jobs@apt.ch (subject line: Communication
officer Geneva) with a motivation letter, CV, short writing sample and the contact details
of two professional references.
Geneva 14 February 2017

By | February 16th, 2017|Careers|0 Comments

Communicate with Impact – Geneva Workshop for business owners

Good communication is crucial to the success of any business, we know that.

But for business owners and entrepreneurs who don’t already have strong communication skills, the cost of hiring an agency or freelancer to help plan and execute their literature, websites, social media, presentations, advertising etc. can be prohibiting.

With this in mind, our very own Melitta Campbell has teamed up with digital communications expert, Kathleen Holmlund, to create a one-day workshop that will give participants all the essential tools and knowledge they need to start producing impactful communications for themselves; thus cutting the cost of their communications, helping them achieve better results and faster, and giving them the confidence to communicate coherently and with impact across all channels – always!

The workshop will take place in Geneva at the Impact Hub on 3 March. You can get more information and register via the Geneva Impact Hub website.

*
* Early Bird discount available until 17 February **

By | February 16th, 2017|Other events|0 Comments

Workshop in Lausanne on Wednesday, 1 March: “Social media for small business”

Are you a consultant or a small business that needs some help attracting new customers? You’ve heard that promotion through social networks can be very effective, but you do not know where to start and how to choose the right platform for your business.

In this workshop, we will:

  • review the major social networks and the specifics of each
  • share with you examples of successful social network use by small companies like yours
  • give you some ideas for creating your social media growth strategy

Language: presentation will be in English with occasional French translation if required.

Date: Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Time: 19:00 – 21:00

Location: Conference room @Restaurant Le Milan, Boulevard de Grancy 54, Lausanne. The conference room has a separate entrance to the left of the main restaurant entrance. The place is a 2-min walk away from the train station.

Cost: The event costs CHF 20 per person covering administration fees, materials, and refreshments. Payments are done in advance via Paypal.

How to sign up: pay via PayPal in advance to secure your spot: https://www.paypal.me/ekatcommunication/20

This event will be hosted by GCN’s committee member Ekaterina Filippova (eKat Communication).
http://ekatcommunication.ch
https://www.facebook.com/ekatcommunication

By | February 14th, 2017|Other events|0 Comments

Evening workshop: De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats Lausanne, 28 February 2017

An interesting workshop from Clear Thinking Clear Communication:

Evening workshop: De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Lausanne, Tuesday 28 February, 18.15–21.15
For anyone curious about this powerful method and how it can help you to strengthen critical thinking, run productive and collaborative meetings, take effective decisions, and explore issues more quickly to generate creative solutions.

Further details (pdf) >>.   Registration deadline: Sunday 19 February.

By | February 12th, 2017|Other events|0 Comments

Communications Officer (up to 3-month duration), IAS Geneva

The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 180 countries. IAS members work on all fronts of the global response to AIDS, and include researchers, clinicians, policy and programme planners and public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic. More information on IAS can be found at www.iasociety.org.

Details of Employment:
The Communications Officer position will be based in Geneva, Switzerland and report to the Senior Manager, Communications. The position is full-time and to start as soon as possible up to 3 months.

Purpose of the Position:
The incumbent will be responsible for writing, editing, editorial coordination and supporting all aspects of the IAS communications needs.

Main Responsibilities:
– Write and edit regular blogs, articles, media releases, and advisories;
– Write and edit media materials such as fact sheets, scientific highlights, publications, talking points, etc.;
– Manage editorial coordination and prioritization across all IAS departments and programmes;
– Project manage and coordinate all communications activities for the department in order to meet – timelines within a smooth review process;
– Identify key communications opportunities and moments;
– Manage media monitoring and reporting to identify opportunities, track communications impact, and support overall brand management of IAS
– Coordinate the production process for publications and other communications material, including ongoing liaison with the design agency,
– Develop and manage partner agreements with external partners and suppliers including marketing and advertising outreach;
– Support media relations, contacts management, outreach lists and materials, including the media registration process for IAS conferences;
– Manage media logistics onsite at annual IAS conferences, including volunteer management;
– Support the organization of meetings and other events (media briefings, interviews, etc.)
– Provide administrative support for budget management and travel bookings.
– Perform any additional tasks and/or projects requested by the Senior Manager, Communications.

Academic Qualifications:
– Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public policy, public health or related field;
– Master’s degree or equivalent experience is a plus.

Work Experience:
– A minimum of 3 to 5 years professional experience working in communications; preferably working in not-for-profit and/or global public health;
– Demonstrated experience in the field of international communications.

Skills/Competencies:
– Excellent written and verbal communications skills; a demonstrated ability to create persuasive and clear communications in all forms, traditional and digital, and to varying audiences;
– Strong organizational skills, coordination skills and ability to multi-task;
– Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with meticulous attention to detail and tight deadlines;
– Proven background in communications and public relations;
– Knowledge of relevant international and domestic broadcast media, a keen sense of what makes and shapes the news, and the ability to make well-informed decisions in targeting appropriate media outlets and reporters;
– Stress tolerance and resilience, ability to work under pressure with multiple and shifting priorities;
– High-energy self-starter who can operate with minimal supervision but also knows when to ask for counsel;
– Ability to work well as a team member, as well as work independently;
– Technical and scientific knowledge of HIV/AIDS is a strong plus.

Languages:
– Native English or full professional proficiency is a requirement;
– Knowledge of other languages is an asset.

How to apply:
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, to recruitment@iasociety.org by Monday 20 February 2017. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Only candidates from Switzerland, from an EU/EFTA country or candidates already having a valid Swiss working permit will be considered. The IAS is committed to recruiting and sustaining a skilled, effective, diverse and gender-balanced secretariat, and to the greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA) in all aspects of its work. People living with HIV are strongly encouraged to apply.

By | February 7th, 2017|Careers|0 Comments

Lunchtime Seminar, Friday 10 February 2017, Geneva

Layla Alyanak GCN lunch seminar on blogging

The Geneva Communicators Network is pleased to announce our next lunchtime seminar on Friday 10 February 2017.

Blogging for Organizations: Are You Doing It Right?

Until recently, many organizations considered blogging suspicious, subversive even. Now, everyone is rushing to get a blog. But what exactly is a blog, and how does it differ from other web content? Who should be posting on your blog? How do you attract more readers and make sure you stand out from the crowd? Does your organization even need a blog?

Date: Friday, 10 February 2017
Time: 12h30 to 14h00
Location: The Swiss Press Club, Route de Ferney 106, La Pastorale, 1202 Geneva.
Fee: CHF 30.- per person includes drinks and snacks

Please register online>>

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For those of you who cannot make it to the event this time, we will be BROADCASTING our lunch seminar LIVE ON FACEBOOK starting at ~12:40 until ~13:45 on Friday, 10 February. Join us remotely!

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Leyla Alyanak is a freelance writer with more than 40 years’ experience as a journalist,corporate communicator (UNFPA and UNAIDS) and public relations consultant. In her spare time she runs the highly popular Women on the Road, one of the world’s Top 100 Travel Blogs.

By | January 26th, 2017|GCN lunch events|0 Comments

Content & Community Manager, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Zurich

– Start: ASAP
– Duration: 12 months, expectation of extension or permanent contract at Takeda
– Location: Zurich, CH

Breakdown of duties:

Content Strategy (10%) 

  •  Driving creation, conception, and presentation of content strategy, working with internal stakeholders and external agencies
  •  Work with Compliance, HR and Communications to shape the content strategy; and tailor it to topical or business critical matters on a global, regional and local level
  •  Develop effective engagement approach to support roll-out, uptake and continuous usage of content. This will include use of content in off-line activities

Building and Managing Stakeholder Relationships (40%)

  •  Communicating and coordinating with content submitters, approvers and production and strategy/planning teams to ensure smooth publishing process and that the strategy supports overall goals and objectives.
  •  Building and managing the ambassador network, ensuring active participation in content creation and ongoing hub optimisation
  •  Building and managing relationships with other functions and BUs ensuring active participationin regards to content creation
  •  Building and managing a network of subject matter experts, review and approve content

Content Management & Continuous Improvement (50%) 

Content creation and documentation 

  • Help define content types with subject matter experts; develop and communicate guidelines for content development
  • Set out content submission end to end processes and templates
  • Design an effective approach for content documentation and maintenance of a sustainable database
  • When necessary, writing, editing or advising on content
  • Support repurposing of content for off-line or other purposes

Content Pipelining & Publishing 

  • Create and maintain content calendars, in line with strategy
  • Support roll out of approval process of internal content, user generated and external content.
  • Run timely publishing processes

Moderation and Reporting 

  • Monitor and manage responses to comments and feedback in a timely manner ,
  • Design and implement a measurement approach
  • Utilize tools to generate insights on interest uptake and viewability, feeding back into the strategy
  • Summarize insights to create actionable reports; identify and analyze trends
  • Provide recommendations for continuous improvement. This will include presentations to the senior management.
  • Provide subject matter expertise as required

Additional duties and responsibilities

Collaborate with other Compliance teams on an as needed basis for either project-based or operational activities that pertain to off line activities and broader compliance initiatives

Further information >>

If interested, please contact:

Désirée Sauler, M.A.
Key Account Management Contracting
Recruiting experts in Life Sciences

HAYS Recruiting experts worldwide

Hays (Schweiz) AG
T: + 41 61 225 05 55
F: + 41 61 225 05 99
M: + 41 79 7675265
E: desiree.sauler@hays.ch

By | January 25th, 2017|Careers|0 Comments

Performance Web & Teknseo conferences (in French) – June 15 & 16

Early bird tickets for Performance Web conference including one-day access (12 sessions) are now available for 150 CHF. Book your tickets here.

This year’s joint conferences by Performance Web and Teknseo will be held (in French) on the 15 & 16 June 2017 in Geneva.

The two-day programme will consist of an eclectic topic mix including SEO, content optimisation, client acquisition through social media, video, adwords, algorithms and more. Teknseo conference will take place on Thursday, June 15 with 3 programme cycles to choose from. Performance Web conference will be held on Friday, June 16 with morning and afternoon sessions.

Teknseo Performances Web conference June 15-16 2017 Geneva

Here’s the French description of the programme:

Pas moins de 30 experts réputés du webmarketing se relayeront durant deux jours pour vous partager leurs meilleures techniques pour booster votre performance sur le web !

Pour un cru 2017 de haute voltige, on vous propose un programme éclectique qui mélange SEOoptimisation du contenuacquisition sur les réseaux sociaux, mais aussi de la programmatic, de l’optimisation du taux de conversion, des algorithmes. On parlera aussi de vidéo, d’adwords, et de pleins d’autres sujets passionnants autour du marketing digital !

Quelques exemples de conférences pour vous mettre l’eau à la bouche :

  • Comment reprendre le contrôle de ses données sur le web ?
  • De site de niche à site d’autorité, recette pour devenir GROS en partant de 0 ?
  • Comment dépenser intelligemment son budget publicitaire sur Facebook et les autres réseaux sociaux ?
  • Comment tirer profit de la data SEO pour sa stratégie d’acquisition de trafic.

Le programme détaillé des conférences est disponible ici : www.performanceweb.ch

Jeudi – Ateliers à thème (TEKNSEO)

Le jeudi vous pourrez participer à une série d’ateliers pratiques en groupe restreint autour du thème de votre choix parmi les trois packages suivants :

  1. CYCLE PURE DATA
  2. CYCLE BALANCED
  3. CYCLE TECH ET SEC
Voir le programme du Teknseo

Vendredi – Conférences (PERFORMANCE WEB)

12 conférences vous seront proposées dans une ambiance décontractée mais néanmoins studieuse, afin de vous aider à augmenter votre performance sur le web.

Seront également au menu : concoursgoodies, pauses et déjeuners networking. Des soirées networking sont également disponibles via supplément sur notre site internet.

Voir le programme Performance Web

La billeterie est ouverte en Early Bird !

Vous pouvez dès à présent prendre votre pass pour le jeudi, le vendredi ou les deux jours combinés. Les billets sont disponibles en early bird jusqu’au 15 avril, ensuite les prix passeront au tarif normal !

Je profite du Early Bird
Pour rappel, l’année passée, Performance Web a affiché complet avec plus de 300 participants. Nous vous recommandons de prendre votre place dès aujourd’hui afin d’être sûr d’être parmi nous.
By | January 24th, 2017|Other events|0 Comments

Communication courses on humanitarian action in Geneva

The Geneva Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action (CERAH), based in Geneva, is offering one week courses and a Certificate of Advanced Studies (7 weeks), further information:

Clear and efficient communication is essential to the success of projects carried out in humanitarian action. To succeed in their mission, it is important for humanitarian professionals to understand the different needs, stages and strategies of communication which play out during humanitarian project implementation. CERAH is one of the few institutes providing courses in communication that are specifically tailored for humanitarian action. 2 new short courses have been developed to complete CERAH’s course offering:

 Short Course – Dialogue with Communities

February 20 – 24, 2017

Develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of challenges, opportunities and limits of the dialogue with communities, including intercultural communication, accountability and strategy.

Short Course –  Media and Humanitarian Action: Approaches and Challenges

March 06 – 10, 2017

​Analyzing the media landscape, understanding the limits and constraints of media relations and developing effective messages to the media are most relevant skills for effective communication

7-weeks Certificate of Advanced Studies – Communication, Advocacy and Negotiation in Humanitarian Settings

February 13 – March 31, 2017

This diploma focuses on operational communication and enables participants to strengthen their communication competencies and develop proper advocacy and negotiation strategies in line with their humanitarian objectives and environment

By | January 24th, 2017|Professional development|1 Comment