Five tips to help you communicate more effectively
This is one of my favourite Hugh MacLeod cartoons. It appeals to me on different levels.
There are times when this thought is running through my head and I’d like to say it out loud. Other times, I wonder if I’m the one that needs to shut up.
Communication is the simplest of complex processes. Anyone can communicate, but not everyone does it well all the time.
It doesn’t matter how well you know your subject, or how passionate you are about a topic, if you don’t communicate it clearly, nobody else is going to be interested or responsive to what you say.
Here are some simple tips to make your communication more effective:
- Know what you want to say – Get your brain working before you start to speak. If you don’t have it clear in your own mind, it will be difficult to get the point across to a listener.
- Don’t beat around the bush – Effective communicators get to the point.
- Keep it short – Don’t waste words. Say only as much as is needed to get your message across. You don’t have to say the same thing three different ways.
- Be authentic – Let the real you come through. You’ll be more convincing and much more comfortable.
- Tell stories – Images help people visualize concepts, which can be a tremendous aid in communicating messages. The more abstract your message, the more images you need to use.
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