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r/SpeakBetter

I’ve helped 400k+ people improve their articulation and communication confidence. I’m Reece from Progress Playground. Ask Me Anything!
▲ 62 r/SpeakBetter+1 crossposts

I’ve helped 400k+ people improve their articulation and communication confidence. I’m Reece from Progress Playground. Ask Me Anything!

Hey r/SpeakBetter! I’m Reece, the founder of Progress Playground. I’ve spent the last few years coaching over 400,000 followers across social media on the mechanics of speech, articulation, verbal fluence, the psychology of confidence, etc. I’ve coached folks from young professionals, to executive senior leadership and have held many workshops in person helping companies and teams get better at communication.

I've worked with high-level execs at notable companies such as Google, Rothschild, BP, multiple seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs, schools all around the UK, and have done media training for footballers. But, my proudest achievement is helping many regain their confidence; going from socially inept to hosting large seminars and talks. 

People often think that I was naturally gifted at speaking but like most folks I had similar troubles in the beginning such as speaking anxiety and trouble speaking with confidence. My career was stuck in a place where I was not moving up and I started working on my communication skills, articulating my thoughts better, and practicing speeches. I eventually started filming and documenting this process and many folks since then have reached out for private coaching to the point that I had to start turning folks down. 

I’m a firm believer that great communication isn’t a personality trait, it’s a physical skill. Just like going to the gym, you need daily practice to see results. My coaching focuses on actionable techniques for articulation, structured speaking, and pronunciation to help you sound more intentional and concise. Those that I’ve seen managed to master this skill have become more successful when it comes to career, social skills, dating, etc.

I’ll be here answering questions about how to bridge the gap between being "technically great" and being "promoted" through better communication and anything else!

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/progress.playground/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress.playground

https://preview.redd.it/smmlk2wpj1bh1.jpg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=406197ad54cea827bfbc394f77bc0c04ab9148ce

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u/Reecemor — 2 days ago
▲ 2 r/SpeakBetter

Any AI speaking partner recommendations?

Im trying to work on my general conversational skills since I have social anxiety but its not going the best with regular AI chatbots. I can only read back my answers but no way to analyze whether my delivery was good. Anyone have recs?

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u/SocksWithCrocs7903 — 2 days ago
▲ 7 r/SpeakBetter

How to speak up during meetings?

What the title says. I've always been someone who withholds my thoughts in a professional context, which has prevented me from accessing opportunities that come from being visible. I'm kinda over it now so seeking some advice here.

Anyone have any ideas or tips for mindset? Or how to practice? Thanks!

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u/synergysufferer165 — 3 days ago
▲ 2.4k r/SpeakBetter+16 crossposts

5 tips from “How to talk to anyone” that can make your conversations 10x better.

I’d always considered myself a fairly good conversationalist, until one day I noticed how people would begin to tune out. Not rudely or explicitly, but i could sense that they were now elsewhere, their answer would get shorter, and they would try to end the conversation or interaction on an abrupt note. I thought that whether you are liked or disliked by people speaks directly about your personality.

Recently I listened to an in-depth discussion on the book "How to Talk to Anyone" by Leil Lowndes on Dialogue: podcasts conversation on books. After listening, I realized that it wasn’t personality at all but a was a set of skills I had never learned.

Here’s what I took away from it:

  • People don't remember what you said. They remember how you made them feel, and that mostly happens before you even speak. The book begins with the idea that- your body communicates before you do. We do so much evaluating before someone even utters a word, from simply assessing their body language, eye contact, and the energy they exert upon entering a room, that we can’t help but make a decision about them and the potential of their relationship with us on the spot. the author argues that people decide if they like you and want to talk to you within seconds, based mainly on non-verbal signals. this is to say that the outcome of the conversation is often decided before it begins.
  • The way you make eye contact may be wrong. Many people either avoid eye contact because it feels intense or maintain it artificially to appear confident. The book describes a different type of eye contact, one that is warm and sustained and that shows genuine interest rather than just forced attention. It's called "sticky eyes." The idea is to let your gaze linger a bit longer than feels natural, it's supposed to convey that you truly find the person worth looking at, over and above what they offer. This seems to automatically translate into the person feeling seen, and people who feel seen want to continue the conversation.
  • Stop trying to be interesting. Start being interested. This is the central tenet of the entire book. We enter conversations thinking about what we will say next, how we can come across, and if we sound cool or smart. However, according to the book, this is an entirely wrong approach to conversations; typically the more engaging people are not actually doing the talking - rather they ask better questions, listen without formulating their next response, and ultimately make the other person feel as if they were the most interesting person in the room, and really genuine curiosity is just about as good as social skills can get.
  • Before attempting to change the emotional atmosphere, try to match it first. One practical idea in the book is to align or adjust your energy and mood with the person you're talking to before the conversation matures. Approaching someone who is quiet and reserved with high energy and enthusiasm creates awkwardness instead of connection. The book asks to take something called a "voice sample," which is assessing the emotional state of the person in front of you and meeting them there first. You may modify this gradually later on, but start at that same level.
  • Compliments often don't land because they are superficial. Most people compliment appearances or achievements, but these are the glittering things that are easily noticed by nearly all parties. The book argues that the best compliments usually take the form of acknowledging something about the person they value about themselves but don’t get a lot of positive feedback for, like their thought process, judgment, or how they approach a challenge. These kinds of compliments resonate more intimately because they feel like earned and deserved compliments. The person doesn't just feel flattered, but they feel understood, and that is what a good conversation should amount to.

What makes “How to Talk to Anyone” compellingly different is that it does not suggest you become a different person or “fake” confidence you do not have. It simply makes the case that the difference between good socializers and awkward ones is a relatively small set of behaviors we all can actually learn, behaviors that nobody explicitly shares. 

u/jasmeet0817 — 7 days ago
▲ 9 r/SpeakBetter

Why does no one pays attention when I tell stories?

What the title says. When my friends talk about things happening in their lives it feels like everyone is leaned in and cares bc they react. But when I try telling stories it just falls flat and feels like ppl r just half engaged :(

Any advice on how I can improve? Is it my structure or tone or are my stories just not interesting?

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u/JellyWaste7266 — 6 days ago
▲ 5 r/SpeakBetter

Hindi language Not Fluently

Hi,

My Name S 22 F , so my mother tongue is telugu ( yes i am from Mumbai I'm ashamed to say that I don't know hindi fluently i speak broken hindi ) when someone in my work ask what you do or socializing with colleagues i feel hard because i can't speak fluently although i pretend like i know hindi fluently but deep down they also know that these girl don't know hindi due to her telugu dialect.

I want to learn Hindi and Marathi but i feel very ashamed to accept that i don't know hindi and Marathi, this is problem I'm facing in my last two companies too.

Another is i can't say words " HA" and " RA " like vo ja raha hai , or vo vaha hai. Literally i couldn't even crack interviews because i sound Unconfident and my voice is not loud coming when i speak it automatically goes into anxious mode.

Two things i need Solution

  1. Hindi & Marathi to speak ( i understand Hindi and Marathi)

  2. Soft Skills ( where my voice should be deeply come and facial expressions should be good while speaking)

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u/Intelligent_Win_1630 — 6 days ago
▲ 6 r/SpeakBetter

How did you overcome the fear of speaking in groups?

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speaking in front of a group, even when it's just friends or relatives always scares me. The moment everyone looks at me, I start overthinking. I know confidence comes with practice, but I don't know where to start. Has anyone here dealt with the same problem? What actually helped you become more comfortable speaking in groups? your experiences and recommendations helps me a lot

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u/Separate-Grocery-601 — 9 days ago
▲ 3 r/SpeakBetter

If you only had one week to improve your communication skills what would you do?

I have a big event coming up in 1.5-2 weeks where I will be doing a presentation and talking to lots of people, what some high ROI things to do in the short term?

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u/Sweet-Salamander8696 — 11 days ago