Tips on being a better communicator:
No matter if we have an audience of one or thousands, whether our communication is spoken or written, take care in how you communicate so our message is received. It is critical to know the audience, balance what we have to say with what they want to hear, use simple language, use the right method of communication, share personal antidotes and illustrations, begin strongly and end with emotion, tell them, tell them, tell them and make it memorable.
Doing so will help achieve our desired result: Message Received and Understood.
Food for thought: We are all communicators. Take steps to assure that your message is getting through.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Tips on being a better communicator:
Make it Memorable.
One of the best ways to help people remember your message is through using a word picture. Winston Churchill did this when he described a communist world that lay behind an “iron curtain.” Hillary Clinton speculated about a “vast, right-wing conspiracy.” President George W. Bush spoke of an “axis of evil.” Word pictures are effective because they grab and direct attention and lock thoughts into our memory. A call to action can be greatly enhanced by the creative use of a word picture.
Other visual devices are also effective in helping us communicate. An often repeated statistic states that: people remember 40% of what they hear and see, 30% of what they see, 20% of what they hear, and only 10% of what they read. Always reinforce your spoken or written message with something that evokes a mental memory, either through a word picture or a visual image.
Make it Memorable.
One of the best ways to help people remember your message is through using a word picture. Winston Churchill did this when he described a communist world that lay behind an “iron curtain.” Hillary Clinton speculated about a “vast, right-wing conspiracy.” President George W. Bush spoke of an “axis of evil.” Word pictures are effective because they grab and direct attention and lock thoughts into our memory. A call to action can be greatly enhanced by the creative use of a word picture.
Other visual devices are also effective in helping us communicate. An often repeated statistic states that: people remember 40% of what they hear and see, 30% of what they see, 20% of what they hear, and only 10% of what they read. Always reinforce your spoken or written message with something that evokes a mental memory, either through a word picture or a visual image.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Tips on being a better communicator:
Tell them, Tell them, Tell them.
A savvy public speaker once shared his formula for effective communication with me. He said, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them you told them.” In other words:
Tell them, Tell them, Tell them.
A savvy public speaker once shared his formula for effective communication with me. He said, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them you told them.” In other words:
- Preview the message. Summarize what you have to say and why it is important.
- Present the message: Give the body or details of your message.
- Recap the message: Briefly repeat your message and restate its importance.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Tips on being a better communicator:
Begin Strongly and End with Emotion.
Jump in with both feet with your first words. It’s o.k. to appear totally sold-out to your message. Enthusiasm demands attention. Don’t worry if you appear a little fanatical. Remember, a fanatic is only someone who believes in something a little more strongly then you do. The reason people respond to such passion is because much of life is so predictable and mundane. Make them feel alive! Oh, they may think you’re a little nuts -- but that never stopped me.
As you close your talk or write the last paragraph speak from your heart. Tell them why this is so important to you. Tell them why this is the right action and why you are committed to it no matter what it takes. Let them know how you feel, why it is worth taking the risk and how things will be better. Your passion and emotion will motivate your audience to action.
Begin Strongly and End with Emotion.
Jump in with both feet with your first words. It’s o.k. to appear totally sold-out to your message. Enthusiasm demands attention. Don’t worry if you appear a little fanatical. Remember, a fanatic is only someone who believes in something a little more strongly then you do. The reason people respond to such passion is because much of life is so predictable and mundane. Make them feel alive! Oh, they may think you’re a little nuts -- but that never stopped me.
As you close your talk or write the last paragraph speak from your heart. Tell them why this is so important to you. Tell them why this is the right action and why you are committed to it no matter what it takes. Let them know how you feel, why it is worth taking the risk and how things will be better. Your passion and emotion will motivate your audience to action.
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