Whatever a person does in life, one thing remains unchanged: he has to, to one degree or another, contact with people. If there are exceptions, then they are rare. The vast majority of people are forced to communicate with others.
And even more problems arise when you have to not just communicate with a person one-on-one, but speak to an audience. Here are 14 tips to help you communicate better in person and in public:
1. Learn basic non-verbal cues
Non-verbal communication plays a big role in how your audience understands you. Watch your posture, gestures, let them help you convey information, maintain eye contact, try to fill the space allotted to you.
2. You must try very hard to get your message across correctly.
Misunderstandings are a common problem that can be encountered during a conversation. And the hardest part is that it's not always easy to identify misunderstandings.
You need to put in a lot of effort to get your message across, so work on clarity and clarity in your speech. Ask questions that will help you understand if your interlocutor understood what you said correctly.
3. Avoid visual aids
Presentations are more likely to hinder communication than help. Use speech, persuasive stories, and non-verbal cues instead. This will help you communicate your point of view to your audience more effectively. Avoid visual aids unless absolutely necessary.
4. Look for constructive criticism
As with any skill, you need criticism. Seek feedback from colleagues, friends, or family members. For example, if you are going to give a presentation, rehearse it with friends or family, find out what points they feel are not fully revealed. It will help you become better.
5. Engage your audience in discussion
This will increase the interest of the audience, improve the perception of information and give you an understanding of whether the information is reaching the audience correctly.
6. Start and end with key points
People remember the beginning and end of speech best. Therefore, start by identifying the main themes and issues and end with a summary.
7. Set a goal before starting a story
Why are you telling something? What is your goal? Why should people listen to you? First of all, state the purpose of the story, the possible consequences, and the results. Then move on to listing the main topics.
8. Record important presentations
Do you have to run the same presentation regularly? Instead of wasting time every time, just write it down. You will be able to edit the post so that only useful information remains on it.
9. Master the sense of the "right moment"
Comedians are an example. They feel their audience and know when to say a joke.
You, too, must learn to connect with the audience and voice ideas or translate topics at the right time.
10. Get to know the audience
This will help improve your performance. Find out who you are speaking to. They may not know what you want to tell them about at all. In this case, you will need to switch to simpler concepts in order to convey information even to an unprepared public.
11. Don't memorize what you want to say
Nothing good will come of it if you just try to memorize a speech. The audience will quickly lose interest in you, because they will not perceive you as an expert on the issue. Instead, make a plan in the form of a thesis. And go through the list, explaining each thesis in your own words.
Show the audience that you are comfortable with your own material. This will increase the level of trust in you.
12. Strive to command respect, not laughter
There is nothing wrong with humor, but you should focus on respect, not laughter. Take your business seriously. Strive to grab the attention of your audience not through jokes, but through useful and structured information.
13. Be original
You can improve your learning by using original examples. Come up with something fun and memorable, you can add a little humor.
14. Learn to listen
Learn not only to express your thoughts, but also to perceive others. This will allow you to strengthen the connection with the interlocutor, learn something new and understand what and when to say.
If you want to be more effective, develop your communication skills. This will help you not only to convey your own thoughts more clearly and clearly, but also to better adopt the knowledge and experience of others.
