Best Public Speakers: Studying Jacqueline Pieters' Communication Skills

We included Jacqueline Pieters on our “Best Public Speakers” list because of her striking energy and confidence. She's held agri-finance leadership roles for nearly three decades at Rabobank, a cooperative bank that focuses on international business and rural activities with a specialty in the Food and Agricultural sector.

by Stephanie Bickel

We reviewed Pieters' interview with Women in Food & Agriculture. In this interview, they discuss how different food and agribusiness leaders have addressed COVID-19 challenges.

Pieters' communication takeaways:

1. Energy: Pieters is extremely engaging when she has a clear point of view; this comes out best when she is expressing an opinion. Her high energy is palpable, and she appears eager and ready.

2. Confidence: Pieters shows confidence not only when she is using facts, but when she is explaining how these facts are all connected. She is driven to help her audience understand.

3. Speaking voice: A low pitch voice is often associated with credibility and confidence. However, Pieters embraces her higher range and demonstrates that it can be just as commanding.

4. Eye contact: Pieters connects well with the camera and is engaged with her interviewers. As a result, the flow of her ideas to her audience is swift and unimpeded.

How Pieters could improve her communication skills:

1. Fillers: Pieters occasionally uses “um” and “uh” while thinking. Practicing silence and strategic pauses during these moments will increase the weight and impact of what she says.

---

Great leaders and speakers start with Speak by Design. Learn the techniques and build the skills with us. Speak by Design University is the only leadership communication program in the world that gives you access to self-paced learning, group coaching and training and, most importantly, private one-on-one coaching. Learn more and register at http://www.speakbydesign.com/join