For every discipline there are rules to be followed to reach maximum efficacy. This is especially correct for communicating your ideas to others. I have been a public speaker for over 40 years and I know due to experience how critical it is to abide by good rules in addressing a crowd or one on one. There are lots of rules that apply but for the sake of space I could just list 5 that I consider to be very important:
1. Consider the reference points of your listeners and never talk over their heads
2. Take care in what you are saying (Avoid offensive statements)
3. Include details for clear understanding (Anything that can be misunderstood will be)
4. Communicate in the details of what folks need and want to grasp.
5. Explain ideas that undergird what you're talking about
Never talk over the head of your listeners:
A good rough guide is to keep your communication on about a 5th grade level. This is not intended to insult anyone's intelligence but the reality is that when you talk at that level, all will have a better chance of understanding what you are saying, while if you go higher some will understand but you may also lose some.
Never utilise a big word if there's a straightforward one that will serve the purpose. Some get the idea that high sounding words give the semblance of being very smart or educated but that isn't always true. It might give the semblance of being an inept speaker. It takes a good education and good knowledge of the language to be able to communicate complex concepts in simple terms.
The point of communicating well is not to reflect on the speaker but on the requirements of those listening. When you speak, always consider your audience and how you can best meet their requirements.
Take care in what you say:
If a presentation is offensive, it losses all effectiveness and will definitely be denied by the listeners and thus be a waste of your time for all involved. It's impossible to avoid offending everybody all of the time, but the point is to be careful and avoid using highly questionable subject matter, particularly when it is uncalled for, or adds no value to your presentation.
One thing I've noticed about some motivational speakers is that they usually add profanity to their presentation. Maybe this is to add some force to what they are sayingI don't know. But when they do so they will offend some who don't use profanity and are repelled by it. So it is much better to keep it out of public addresses. Barely ever will you hear a president or a person in high office use profanity publicly. They know it offends some and lowers their public image.
Include details for clear understanding:
I consider myself to be a pretty smart guy, after all I graduated at the top of my university class, but I have trouble sometimes understanding directions on how to perform certain jobs relating to the computer. I do not believe is often because I'm dumb but instead because the details are lacking and there is a shortage of clearness. I recently acquired Article Samaria, which is software for article syndication. I was amazed at the clearness and easiness of the instructional videos. It was not a genuine complicated issue to understand but might have been easily misunderstood had the directions been poorly done.
It's a mistake to treat disrespectfully that your audience understands your material as well as you who've spent countless hours studying and researching it. The more details you can include, the simpler it will be for all to understand. I must add here that you also can include too much detail to the point that it becomes uninteresting. So knowing the correct amount of detail for your own audience is the key.
Communicate in the particulars of what folks want and need to know :
Just today I gave my email address to get some info on a topic I was researching only to receive and advertisement to sell info and the info promised wasn't given. That was a little aggravating to say the least. To address people, who have come to get certain explicit info, on unrelated issues is a waste of time.
I have heard speeches that were meant to be informing on a certain topic wind up being nothing less than a bunch of unrelated info on private. Experiences and jokes, while perhaps entertaining wasn't favourable for what I wanted and had to hear.
Knowing your audience and what they need and want is critical. For example, you could prepare a great talk on the techniques of creating a business, but if it was on building a conventional storefront business and your listeners are all Internet marketers it wouldn't meet their needs at all.
Explain concepts that undergird what you are talking about:
Concepts are the foundation on which talk is built. If the starting point for a building is not serious then the building isn't serious either. It is crucial to include the concepts of your subject and build on them. This gives a clear understanding to your listeners.
I posted and article today on the introduction of people abilities. In the article I included the ideas on which learning new people abilities is based. Without those concepts the article would just have been informational without any practical worth. But by adding the concepts by which social skills are merged into the brain, it became an instructional street map on the right way to rather than just informing about people abilities.
Conclusion:
Improving your communication skills requires time and practice, whether it is to a large audience, little group or one on one. Learning good rules of communication and then assimilating them into your daily communication will give you the edge in time to become a great communicator.
1. Consider the reference points of your listeners and never talk over their heads
2. Take care in what you are saying (Avoid offensive statements)
3. Include details for clear understanding (Anything that can be misunderstood will be)
4. Communicate in the details of what folks need and want to grasp.
5. Explain ideas that undergird what you're talking about
Never talk over the head of your listeners:
A good rough guide is to keep your communication on about a 5th grade level. This is not intended to insult anyone's intelligence but the reality is that when you talk at that level, all will have a better chance of understanding what you are saying, while if you go higher some will understand but you may also lose some.
Never utilise a big word if there's a straightforward one that will serve the purpose. Some get the idea that high sounding words give the semblance of being very smart or educated but that isn't always true. It might give the semblance of being an inept speaker. It takes a good education and good knowledge of the language to be able to communicate complex concepts in simple terms.
The point of communicating well is not to reflect on the speaker but on the requirements of those listening. When you speak, always consider your audience and how you can best meet their requirements.
Take care in what you say:
If a presentation is offensive, it losses all effectiveness and will definitely be denied by the listeners and thus be a waste of your time for all involved. It's impossible to avoid offending everybody all of the time, but the point is to be careful and avoid using highly questionable subject matter, particularly when it is uncalled for, or adds no value to your presentation.
One thing I've noticed about some motivational speakers is that they usually add profanity to their presentation. Maybe this is to add some force to what they are sayingI don't know. But when they do so they will offend some who don't use profanity and are repelled by it. So it is much better to keep it out of public addresses. Barely ever will you hear a president or a person in high office use profanity publicly. They know it offends some and lowers their public image.
Include details for clear understanding:
I consider myself to be a pretty smart guy, after all I graduated at the top of my university class, but I have trouble sometimes understanding directions on how to perform certain jobs relating to the computer. I do not believe is often because I'm dumb but instead because the details are lacking and there is a shortage of clearness. I recently acquired Article Samaria, which is software for article syndication. I was amazed at the clearness and easiness of the instructional videos. It was not a genuine complicated issue to understand but might have been easily misunderstood had the directions been poorly done.
It's a mistake to treat disrespectfully that your audience understands your material as well as you who've spent countless hours studying and researching it. The more details you can include, the simpler it will be for all to understand. I must add here that you also can include too much detail to the point that it becomes uninteresting. So knowing the correct amount of detail for your own audience is the key.
Communicate in the particulars of what folks want and need to know :
Just today I gave my email address to get some info on a topic I was researching only to receive and advertisement to sell info and the info promised wasn't given. That was a little aggravating to say the least. To address people, who have come to get certain explicit info, on unrelated issues is a waste of time.
I have heard speeches that were meant to be informing on a certain topic wind up being nothing less than a bunch of unrelated info on private. Experiences and jokes, while perhaps entertaining wasn't favourable for what I wanted and had to hear.
Knowing your audience and what they need and want is critical. For example, you could prepare a great talk on the techniques of creating a business, but if it was on building a conventional storefront business and your listeners are all Internet marketers it wouldn't meet their needs at all.
Explain concepts that undergird what you are talking about:
Concepts are the foundation on which talk is built. If the starting point for a building is not serious then the building isn't serious either. It is crucial to include the concepts of your subject and build on them. This gives a clear understanding to your listeners.
I posted and article today on the introduction of people abilities. In the article I included the ideas on which learning new people abilities is based. Without those concepts the article would just have been informational without any practical worth. But by adding the concepts by which social skills are merged into the brain, it became an instructional street map on the right way to rather than just informing about people abilities.
Conclusion:
Improving your communication skills requires time and practice, whether it is to a large audience, little group or one on one. Learning good rules of communication and then assimilating them into your daily communication will give you the edge in time to become a great communicator.
About the Author:
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is an inspiring speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. He's a dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ and considers helping others his calling in life. His web site contains over 600 articles on preparing yourself for success through personal development and the things which go with private development.
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