At Brilliant Read Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Dr. Manisha Soni for an interview with Brilliant Read Media. To say it further, Dr. Manisha is a Communication Consultant, Patient Advocate, Author and Founder at CommuniCareRx. Let’s learn more about her background, inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Dr. Manisha:
After more than 25 years as a Dental Surgeon, what inspired you to transition into communication coaching, and how has your clinical journey shaped the work you do today?
Dentistry taught me that clinical excellence alone is not enough. Over more than twenty-five years, I realized that the biggest difference between two equally competent clinicians often had very little to do with technical skill. It came down to communication.
I watched patients accept treatment because they trusted one doctor while declining the exact same treatment from another. I saw misunderstandings create anxiety, delayed decisions, and even conflict despite clinicians having the best intentions. Those experiences made me curious about what truly builds trust.
My journey eventually led me to study voice, communication, linguistics, and behavioural psychology alongside my clinical career. Today, I combine both worlds. I understand the science of healthcare, but I also understand the science of human connection.
Communication is no longer something I teach as a soft skill. I teach it as a clinical skill, a leadership skill, and increasingly, a business skill. Whether I’m working with doctors, corporate professionals, or leaders, my mission remains the same: helping people communicate with clarity, confidence, and compassion because conversations shape outcomes.
You believe communication is often the difference between being competent and being influential. What communication gaps have you observed among highly skilled professionals?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that expertise naturally speaks for itself. In reality, it doesn’t.
I’ve worked with exceptionally talented professionals who were technically brilliant but struggled to explain their ideas clearly, influence stakeholders, handle difficult conversations, or project confidence during high-stakes situations.
Many professionals communicate to inform rather than to connect. They overwhelm people with information instead of creating understanding. Others hesitate to speak because they fear sounding imperfect. Ironically, silence often costs them more than mistakes ever do.
Today’s workplace rewards visibility, credibility, and influence and all three are built through effective communication.
I’ve come to believe that competence earns you qualifications, but communication earns you opportunities.
During your clinical career, how did you see effective communication influence patient trust, treatment acceptance, patient satisfaction, and long-term loyalty?
Every single day.
Patients rarely have the expertise to judge our clinical skills. What they can evaluate is how we make them feel.
Do they feel heard? Do they understand their diagnosis? Do they trust our recommendations? Do they believe we genuinely care?
The answers to these questions determine whether patients proceed with treatment, follow instructions, recommend us to others, or return years later.
In my practice, I discovered that communication wasn’t separate from treatment; it was part of the treatment itself.
A calm explanation could reduce fear. A simple analogy could improve understanding. Taking an extra minute to listen often prevented much longer conversations later.
Trust isn’t built through impressive qualifications displayed on the wall. It’s built sentence by sentence and consultation by consultation.
Healthcare professionals often need to explain complex medical information while managing patients’ emotions and expectations. What communication strategies can help them create clarity without losing empathy?
The first step is remembering that patients don’t process information the way clinicians do.
When someone is anxious, frightened, or in pain, their ability to absorb information decreases significantly. That’s why clarity is just as important as accuracy.
I encourage healthcare professionals to simplify without oversimplifying. Avoid unnecessary jargon, organize information into manageable sections, pause regularly to check understanding, and actively invite questions rather than assuming comprehension.
Equally important is emotional acknowledgement.
Sometimes patients don’t need another explanation. They first need reassurance that their concerns have been heard.
When empathy and clarity work together, conversations become shorter, misunderstandings decrease, and trust grows naturally.
Many capable professionals hesitate to speak up in meetings despite having valuable ideas. What causes this lack of confidence, and how can they develop a stronger and more influential professional voice?
Most people assume confidence comes before speaking.
In reality, confidence often develops because we keep speaking.
Many professionals hesitate because they’re worried about being judged, making mistakes, or sounding less knowledgeable than others. Some have spent years believing that good work alone will be noticed.
Unfortunately, visibility doesn’t work that way.
Developing executive communication is similar to building any professional skill. It requires deliberate practice, structured feedback, and repetition.
I encourage professionals to focus less on sounding impressive and more on contributing value. When your attention shifts from “How am I being perceived?” to “How can I help move this conversation forward?”, confidence begins to grow naturally.
Your voice is not just a means of expression; it is a leadership tool.
Executive presence is often perceived as an innate personality trait. Do you believe it can be developed, and what are the key elements that help professionals communicate with greater credibility and influence?
Absolutely.
Executive presence is not something people are born with. It’s something they build.
In my experience, it comes from the alignment of three elements: clarity, confidence, and consistency.
People with executive presence communicate with purpose. They think before they speak, simplify complexity, remain composed under pressure, and ensure their words, voice, body language, and actions reinforce one another.
Interestingly, many of the most influential leaders are not the loudest people in the room.
They are often the clearest.
Presence isn’t about commanding attention. It’s about creating confidence in others.
You emphasize that powerful communication is not only about what we say but also how we say it. How do voice, tone, pace, body language, and presence influence the way a message is perceived?
Research consistently shows that communication is interpreted through multiple channels, not words alone.
Two people can deliver exactly the same message yet create completely different reactions depending on their delivery.
A calm voice creates reassurance.
A rushed pace creates anxiety.
Purposeful pauses communicate confidence.
Open body language encourages trust.
Steady eye contact signals credibility.
Our voice carries emotion before our words are fully processed. People often remember how we made them feel long after they forget the exact sentences we used.
That’s why I often say communication is experienced before it is analyzed.
When verbal and non-verbal communication work in harmony, influence becomes effortless.
In an era increasingly shaped by digital communication and artificial intelligence, which human communication skills will become essential for professionals and leaders who want to build trust and create meaningful impact?
Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly transform the way we work, but it cannot replace genuine human connection.
The professionals who will thrive are not necessarily those who know the most. They will be the ones who can think critically, communicate clearly, listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and build trust quickly.
Empathy, emotional intelligence, storytelling, ethical persuasion, active listening, and the ability to navigate difficult conversations will become even greater competitive advantages.
Ironically, as technology becomes more sophisticated, human communication becomes more valuable.
AI can generate information.
People create meaning.
The future belongs to professionals who combine technical expertise with emotional intelligence and authentic communication. Those are the leaders people will continue to trust, follow, and remember.
At BrilliantRead, we don’t just share startup stories; we bring you journeys that challenge perspectives, spark ideas, and fuel ambition. Every story we feature is carefully chosen to add real value, inspire action, and ignite possibility within our growing community of entrepreneurs and dreamers.
If you have a powerful story, one that can inspire, educate, or create impact we want to hear from you.
