How to speak to ace your job interview

I've conducted hundreds of job interviews, so I've developed a good sense for who might make it. Spoiler: There's only one thing that separates the good candidates from the outstanding ones. The outstanding candidates create a real connection in the conversation. These five speaking tips will get you there. These are also the same tips that helped me land my dream job at Fortune 50 Giant Procter and Gamble. First, be genuinely invested. Get out of your head, immerse yourself in the conversation, and show real interest in the interviewer and the company. Don't try to fake it. People can smell fake interest. Pro-tip: Don't try to be too positive or eager to please. Deep knowledge of the company, plus a link to your own values equal genuine interest. 2: Bring relevant stories. Stories are memorable, but a lot of candidates get them wrong. Don't answer every question with a story. Don't take too long to get to the point and don't embellish the details. Use the background conflict resolution story structure and bring a clear and crisp origin story so that you always have a good answer for, "So tell me a little bit about yourself." 3: Learn to speak and observe at the same time. Watch out for the listener's micro-expressions, understanding, confusion, agreement, Adapt on the fly. If you see confusion, ask if you should clarify. If you sense boredom, ask if you should go on or skip to the next thing. Pro-tip: Practice reading people with your friends or your family. 4: Modulate your voice. Don't settle for a monotone because that way, no one is going to pay attention. When you practice, vary the tones of your voice to show different emotions, add extra energy to show excitement, drop to a whisper to tell a secret. Your voice keeps the interviewer engaged or puts them to sleep. 5: Target emotions. Your target is not to impart information, is to make the interviewer feel what you want them to feel. Be in control of what emotions you're invoking; awe, inspiration, curiosity, wonderment, resonance. Pro-tip: When you practice interviewing with your friends or your family, do a little debrief afterwards and ask them, "What did you feel while I was telling this story?" Use every interview as an opportunity to build your speaking skills and you'll always come out a winner.