In order to be an effective communicator, you need to have strong verbal communication skills. This means being able to express yourself clearly, presenting in front of a crowd, or discussing on the phone. This chapter provides a summary of these skills and shows you how to improve yours.
Clarity
When it comes to communication, clarity is key. Whether you’re speaking to a colleague, friend, or loved one, being clear in your communication can help to ensure that your message is received loud and clear.
When you’re clear in your communication, there’s no room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding. Your listener will be able to easily understand what it is you’re trying to say, and as a result, they’ll be paying more attention to you.
Clarity is important in both written and spoken communication but it can be especially crucial in spoken communication, as it can help to ensure that the message is conveyed correctly and efficiently.
There are a number of things that can impact the clarity of communication. In this lesson, we will discuss four simple ways to help you increase your vocal clarity:
- Slow down: When you speak too quickly, you run the risk of garbling your words or speaking too fast for your listener to understand. If you’re not used to speaking slowly, it can feel uncomfortable or even unnatural, but it’s important to slow down for the sake of clarity. Remember that slowing down will give you more confidence, not less.
- Keep your language simple: Speaking in long, complicated sentences can make it hard for your listener to follow along. It’s important to use language that is simple and easy to understand. This doesn’t mean dumbing down your vocabulary, but rather using words that are commonly known and avoiding jargon.
- Take time to enunciate: If you want to be sure that your listener understands you, it’s important to enunciate your words clearly. Try to really articulate every word. This means speaking distinctly and not mumbling. It can also help to slow down your speech and make a conscious effort to form each word correctly
- .Check for understanding: After you’ve spoken, it’s always a good idea to check in with your listener to make sure they understood what you said. This can be as simple as asking them to repeat back what you said, or asking if they have any questions.
Presenting
Whether you’re delivering a presentation to a small group or a large audience, your success depends on your ability to communicate clearly and effectively. Good presentation skills can help you engage your audience, build trust and credibility, and ultimately persuade them to take action.
- Plan, prepare and practice: The first step to delivering a successful presentation is to plan and prepare. This means taking the time to understand your audience, determine your key message, and develop a clear and concise presentation. The best way to build confidence and hone your presentation skills is to practice, practice, practice. This means rehearsing your presentation multiple times until you feel comfortable with the material.
- Connect with your audience: If you smile and make eye contact with your audience and if you speak slowly and clearly, you will appear more approachable and your audience will be more likely to connect with you and your subject. Additionally, making eye contact will help you to feel less nervous when speaking to a large group of people.
- Use visual aids: Visual aids can be a great way to engage your audience and reinforce your key points. When used effectively, visual aids can make your presentation more memorable and persuasive.
- Be prepared for questions: Questions from the audience can be daunting, but they’re also an opportunity to further engage your audience and build trust. Be prepared for questions by thinking about what your audience might want to know more about.
- End with a call to action: Your presentation should have a clear purpose, and your ending should reflect that. Summarize your key points and finish with a strong call to action that encourages your audience to take the next step.
- Concentrate on your core message: When creating a presentation, you should always consider the key message you want your audience to take away. You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly. For example, you should be able to state your key message in a 30-second elevator summary or be able to write it on the back of a business card. If you are unable to do this, your key message might be too complicated for most of your listeners.
Calling
Good telephone communication skills are the key to maintaining successful business relationships. By using a pleasant and professional tone, speaking at an appropriate rate, and enunciating clearly, you can project a positive image of yourself and your company.
When speaking on the phone, we cannot use hand gestures or facial expressions to communicate. We can only rely on our voices. Have you ever thought about how your voice sounds to others?
- Pitch and tone: The pitch of your voice should be neither too high nor too low. A high-pitched voice can sound shrill and unpleasant, while a low-pitched voice can sound bored and uninterested. Instead, aim for a moderate pitch that is easy to listen to. The tone of your voice should be friendly and professional. Avoid sounding angry, sarcastic, or bored.
- Speed: The speed at which you speak is also important. If you speak too quickly, the person you’re speaking to may have difficulty understanding you. On the other hand, if you speak too slowly, you may come across as uninterested or bored. Instead, try to find a middle ground and speak at a moderate pace. It’s okay to be comfortable with silence on the phone. The other person may need time to think about what they want to say.
- Inflection: Inflection is the rise and fall of your voice during speech. It can be used to convey emotion and emphasis. For example, you might use a higher pitch to convey excitement, or a lower pitch to convey sadness.
- Enunciation: Enunciation is the clarity with which you speak. It is important to enunciate clearly so that the person you’re speaking to can understand you. Mumbling can make it difficult for the other person to understand you. Try your best to speak each word clearly.
- Energy: The energy level of your voice is also important. A flat, monotone voice can sound bored or uninterested. Remember that a lot of energy is lost when you communicate over the phone. This means you may need to put forth more effort when you are on the phone than when you are face to face.
- Attention: Paying attention to the person you’re speaking to is important. It shows that you’re interested in the conversation and that you’re not distracted. Avoid looking too much at your computer screen or notes. The other person might not be able to see you but they will easily notice if you are not listening.