Whether we are connecting with professional colleagues, other disciplines or agencies, or with patients or their families, it is crucial that we use verbal, non-verbal and paraverbal techniques to optimise our communication. Ultimately, we may need to adjust our communication when we are required to have difficult conversations with people who often feel angry, upset, or dismissed. So how do we set ourselves up to be more successful during these difficult conversations? We can look at a strategy to help manage our own verbal, non-verbal and paraverbal skills in order that other people feel like they have been listened to and ensure that the key details have been communicated and delivered in a caring and empathic way, building confidence in your professional capabilities.