Five Tips To Be A Better Communicator

Share

Five Tips To Be A Better Communicator

If you want to be a better communicator, take a moment to consider these five tips, then give them a try.

1.)   Be Concise:  Don’t use 100 words to say something you can say in 50 words.  It’s easy to become enamored of your own voice, which may cause you to drone on and lessen your effectiveness as a communicator.  I’ll leave it at that.

2.)   Have A Point:  Don’t speak for the sake of speaking.  Have a point, especially when you’re trying to be persuasive or explain something.  It’s one thing if you’re having a coffee or a beer with a friend; the importance of having a point in such a scenario is diminished.  In a business or teaching situation on the other hand, it’s very important to have a point in mind before you start talking.

3.)   Don’t Have Too Many Points:  It’s tough for most people to remember long lists.  It’s even tougher if the list is comprised of complex points.  Many memory experts say stick to a list of seven or fewer points, if you want your audience to remember them.  Based on my experience, I’d suggest having a maximum of three key points you’d like your audience to remember.  Better yet, have just one and hit it from a bunch of different angles.  Obviously, this is not one size fits all, but in most instances, you’ll want to stick to a small number key points, or you will confuse your audience.

4.)   Use Words And Metaphors That Will Resonate With Your Audience:  If you’re speaking to a Board of Directors, a CEO group, or a bunch of Marketing Vice Presidents, the words you’ll use will be completely different than those you’ll use when speaking to a group of politicians or museum curators.  This is true if you are speaking to individual people from groups such as these as well. Each audience has its own buzzwords and hot buttons.  It’s key to use examples, phrasing and metaphors that resonate with your audience.  If not, you will not pass the Ethos, Pathos, Logos test and you will be far less likely to effectively get your point across.

5.)   Listen More Than You Talk:  Listening to and understanding your audience are critical aspects of being an effective communicator.  Unfortunately, often times it’s tempting to be formulating your next great thought while your audience is trying to communicate with you.  Given the difficulties with effectively multitasking, the likelihood of your being able to formulate your thoughts and process those of your counterpart at the same time are very small.  If you don’t empathize with your audience, they will sense that.  It’s a sixth sense that most people have.  Not only will they sense it, but it will make it far less likely that they listen to and understand your message.  The law of reciprocity is alive and well in effective two-way communication.

Give these tips a try and see if they help you to communicate more effectively.

I look forward to your thoughts!  Please leave a comment (“response”) below or in the upper right corner of this post.

Paul Morin

paul@companyfounder.com

www.companyfounder.com

Don’t miss an issue of Company Founder! Subscribe today.  It’s free.  It’s private.  It’s practical information for entrepreneurs and leaders interested in taking it to the next level.

Go to the right-hand navigation bar near the top of the page, enter your email and click subscribe.  We respect your privacy and will not sell your email address.  Note:  once you subscribe, if the confirmation email doesn’t arrive, check your spam filter.  It usually makes it through, but sometimes those pesky spam filters don’t know what’s good..

Share

Paul is a serial entrepreneur, strategic and risk management advisor, marketer, speaker and coach who has dedicated the majority of his career to entrepreneurship, leadership and peak performance. Paul has worked with various entrepreneurial companies in senior management roles and has led the development, review, and selective implementation of several hundred start-up and corporate venture business plans, financial models, and feasibility analyses. He has performed due diligence on and valuation of many potential investment and acquisition candidates. Paul was also the Director of a consulting operation in Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Paul has lived, worked, learned and traveled extensively in Latin America, Europe, and Asia and speaks and writes English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

6 Comments

  1. These are all great points! I feel like I have learned to use another tip for better communication – Share what will happen next. A lot of times I have a to-do list when I am communicating and so the other person understands what the next steps are, but it’s also very motivational for the person to know what is going to happen after all of the next steps happen. That way the group or person you are talking to understands what needs to be done and can look forward to future rewards/benefits. Just a interesting though:) Great article!

  2. Pingback: Regarding Your Responses! | moreaboutmydogs
  3. Pingback: Fashion PR Fridays: PR, Marketing & Social Media News 12.14.12 | PR Couture: Fashion PR, Marketing & Social Media
  4. Those tips could really helps promote communication skills. They say that a great listener is also a great speaker and I totally agree.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *