HOW TO DAZZLE ANY AUDIENCE WITH AN ENTERTAINING INTRODUCTION
by Cara Foley

At some point in our career, most of us will be asked to introduce a speaker, often at a major
event where our clients, customers, prospects and other influential people will be. If you’re
smart, you realize this is an opportunity to showcase not only the speaker, but your own
command of the platform.

It’s tempting to rip the bio off a website and run through it briefly before the event, but doing an
introduction “off the cuff” is a recipe for disaster. Whether you’re giving an award, acknowledging a retiring professional, or bringing up the keynote speaker for the main event that evening, your role is an important one.

Every speech has a purpose, and needs to be planned. There is nothing worse than watching
someone slog through a list of a person’s accomplishments, without regard to length or significance.

Bios are not written to be read. No one cares about all that detail. Your job is to capture
the essence of the person and share with the audience a few important memorable facts that
will get them excited about meeting the featured speaker.

Even the most seasoned speakers can fail the job of introductions. One of the greatest public
speakers of our time, Bill Clinton, first gained national recognition with a huge flop.

Clinton’s introduction of Michael Dukakis at the 1988 Democratic National Convention was so
long and boring that people actually cheered at its conclusion! Johnny Carson spoofed the
speech on the Tonight Show, and most political commentators at the time agreed that this was a
major blow to the then Governor’s future political plans. One disgruntled delegate observed, "He
wrote eight drafts, but forgot to throw out the first seven!” (Sam Smith, Shadows of Hope).
Constructing a brief yet interesting introduction is an extremely difficult task for any speaker.

The first thing you should know is that it takes time to write a brief introduction. You have to learn about the person, and then capture their essence.

Alan Perlman, author of Writing Great Speeches, says the goal of any introduction is three-fold:

1. First, it should give the audience a sense of the upcoming speaker’s topic.

2. Secondly, it should make known the speaker’s personality and major accomplishments, especially those relevant to the speaking topic.

3. And, lastly, and perhaps most importantly, an introduction should create a sense of audience enthusiasm for the both the speaker and topic.

Here are four helpful tips to consider when constructing your next relevant introduction:

• Finesse the Obvious
Many times, important details of the person’s biography are already well-known to the
audience. Preface these facts with phrases such as “As we all know...” or “most of us
are probably aware...”
• Watch Length
If you’re having trouble keeping length to a minimum, try to remember the task at
hand – you are to introduce another speaker, not give a speech of your own. We
usually recommend one to two minutes.
• Stay Positive
Introductions should never include anything that could be construed as derogatory,
condescending, or otherwise uncomplimentary. Even if it is a roast, be careful
with seemingly humorous anecdotes – do they reflect positively on the speaker,
as well as you?
• Build Anticipation!
With all of the above said, don’t forget to have some fun with your introduction!
Test out new techniques to build the audience’s anticipation of the speaker’s arrival.
Try to discover something interesting or quirky about your speaker, then generalize
that information to everyday life. Make the audience momentarily wonder where
you’re going and then swiftly close in on the speaker and their topic.


Clients often ask us, “are great speakers born to greatness, or did they learn this skill?” And, we
always answer in the same way – you are as good as you decide to be! Follow the above
simple guidelines when planning your next introduction, and you’ll certainly avoid the
embarrassment that Bubba experienced in 1988.

To learn more specialized techniques for writing great speeches, including introductions, the
staff and consultants of Bates Communications recommends Alan Perlman’s Writing Great
Speeches from The Essence of Public Speaking Series.

http://www.bates-communications.com/art-intro.pdf

Conquer the Fear of Speaking and Watch Your Confidence and Sales Grow
By Arnold Sanow, MBA, CSP
Oct 6, 2003 - 1:31:00 PM


One of the best marketing tools available today is that of speaking to a variety of clubs and organizations. It doesn’t cost a cent and it gives you a platform to market your products and services. If people get to know, like and trust you then working with you and buying your products and services is the next logical step.

Unfortunately, this marketing tool is underutilized because many people have an unwarranted fear of public speaking. In fact, the #1 fear of most Americans is speaking in front of a group. To help you conquer this fear and ultimately increase your sales, follow these guidelines:

1. Join Toastmasters International – My involvement with Toastmasters was life changing. Toastmasters is a non-profit organization that helps people master their communication and speaking skills. It’s easy to set up a group in your organization or join an existing one. Through a combination of exercises and positive feedback by the other participants you will see your speaking skills and confidence reach new levels. Contact their national office at 1-800-9-wespeak.

2. Get Rid of the Beliefs and Behaviors that Cause Fear. Many of our fears about public speaking come about due to unwarranted and unjustified thoughts. Here are some negative affirmations and beliefs to put out of your mind forever.

*Speaking is dangerous to my well being.
*I failed before in a speaking situation. I will probably fail again.
*A survey says that public speaking is the #1 fear, so it must be my #1 fear.
*The audience wants me to fail. The audience is my enemy.
*I don’t have the physical appearance or natural ability. My talents and looks are
limited.
*I may make a mistake. I want to be perfect.
*Jimmy Stewart, Willard Scott and Johnny Carson have feared it. Therefore, I ought
to fear it and avoid it.

As Abraham Lincoln said, “You are what you think”. Before each speaking
opportunity, think and write out positive affirmations (i.e. “I’m a great speaker”) and
you will eventually believe it and become it.

3. Practice … Practice … Practice - Learning to become a confident speaker is like learning to swim. You can watch people swim, read about it, listen to people talk about it but if you don’t get into the water you’ll never learn. Take every opportunity you can to speak!

4. Focus on a Friendly Face – Every time you speak there is always at least one person who is smiling, looking at you or nodding in agreement. Keep your eyes on them until you feel relaxed.

5. Visualize the Audience in Their Underwear - Winston Churchill used this technique to overcome those apprehensive, grim looking people in the audience. It immediately calmed his fears by realizing that everyone is just a person like himself.

6. Plan – 90% of a good presentation revolves around good planning. If you want to decrease your anxiety -- know your audience, research your topic, prepare a good outline and then follow it.

7. Visualize a Successful Presentation – Picture the opening, body and the close. Picture everyone smiling, laughing at your humor, applause at appropriate times and then coming up afterwards telling you about the great job you did.

8. Use your Own Style – Be yourself. Many fears can be attributed to a speaker trying to adapt to a style that is not their own.

9. Get to the Meeting Early – If possible, I’m always at my speaking engagements at least three hours before I’m scheduled to go on. By being early, I can check out and get comfortable with the room, practice my presentation, and get to know some of the participants.

10. Meditate – One exercise I use is a relaxation exercise, which involves tensing up parts of the body and then relaxing them. For example, I will tense my hands, and then relax them. Do this with your hands, feet, head and entire body until you feel totally comfortable.


As Walter Cronkite says, “It’s natural to have butterflies, the secret is to get them to fly in formation”. By following the formation above, your fears will be replaced with confidence.


Arnold Sanow, MBA, CSP

Arnold Sanow, MBA,CSP provides keynotes, seminars, training programs and consulting to help his clients attract customers, keep them and get enthusiastic referrals. He has delivered over 2,500 paid presentations and is the author of 4 books, to include, "Marketing Boot Camp". For information on programs for building a customer service oriented organization call 352-438-0261 e-mail e-mail or
www.ExpertSpeaker.com

My Top Ten Presentation Basics
By Bob DiPasquale
Mar 11, 2004 - 1:25:00 PM


My name is Bob, and I won Survivor when I was three. I also won Survivor All Star when I was eleven, but that's not all I want to talk to you about today. I want to talk to you about my top ten presentation basics, and what I think are some real fundamental requirements for a successful presentation.

It starts before the meeting with a couple of key preparations....

Number 1 - Don't keep your presentation with the weapons of mass destruction. Stay organized, and make sure it's all together with backups a phone call away.

Number 2 - Have your friends and family standing by to fill empty chairs, either that or double check that everything's right about your room including the room size. Empty seats can make your audience feel like synchronized bowling fans.

Moving along, let's get to introduction time...

Number 3 - If your middle name is Edmund, you don't have one. Better yet, for purposes of introductions, change your middle name to Zippy. Listeners will become hopeful that you'll at least be quick. Do what you can to try to make your intro fun.

Number 4 - Kick someone on your way to the stage. The screaming will distract the audience's attention from you, and allow you to make a stealth approach to the podium. Alright, maybe you're better off making a good first impression with an anxious walk, a smile, and a handshake.

It's time to speak....

Number 5 - Start by mentioning that you've lost 180 pounds in the last 10 months. So what if it's a bold faced lie, Jared is so popular and starting out with shock and awe will make you popular too.

Number 6 - These are not the people you called up when you were young and told them you had Prince Albert in a can. It's OK to look these people in the eye, and that's exactly what you should do.

Number 7 - Don't use a laser pointer at a Secret Service Convention. Those red dots make those guys nervous. What I mean is, know your audience, and stay away from what makes them uneasy if you can.

Number 8 - If someone asks you a question, and you don't know the answer, just use the word Hindu somewhere in your comeback. That word throws almost anyone off. Either that or be prepared for what you're expected to be expert on, and gracious with an unhelpful response outside your expertise.

Number 9 - Your humor should be like a produce department in a grocery store. Fresh, vast, and tasteful.

Number 10 - As a courtesy to the next speaker, wake everyone before you close. That's right, deliver your point. Make it, and shake 'em up.

Every story has a serious side. When I was three, I lost my Dad to heart disease, when I was eleven, I lost my Mom to liver cancer. I'm an All Star Survivor, because I learned a lot before I was 12. Keep the goal in sight, bring yourself and everyone around you along with humor, and finish strong.

Bob DiPasquale is President of Speechboosters.com, a contributing member of Toastmasters Club 4899, and the author of several humorous literary works.

Getting Over the Jitters Before You Speak
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Dec 24, 2006 - 11:07:00 AM


You're waiting your turn to make a speech, when suddenly you realize that your stomach is doing strange things and your mind is rapidly going blank. How do you handle this critical time period?

People ask me this question in all my speaking classes, but there is no single answer. You need to anticipate your speech mentally, physically, and logistically.

MENTALLY:

Start by understanding that you'll spend a lot more time preparing than you will speaking. As a general rule, invest three hours of preparation for a half hour speech, a six to one ratio. When you've become a highly experienced speaker, you may be able to cut preparation time considerably in some cases, but until then, don't skimp. Part of your preparation will be to memorize your opening and closing -- three or four sentences each. Even if you cover your key points from notes, knowing your opening and closing by heart lets you start and end fluently, connecting with your audience when you are most nervous.

LOGISTICALLY:

Go to the room where you'll be speaking as early as possible so you can get comfortable in the environment. If you will be speaking from a stage, go early in the morning when no one is there and make friends with the stage. Walk around on the area where you will be speaking, so the first time there is not when you deliver your talk.Then, during your presentation, you can concentrate on your audience, not your environment.

PHYSICALLY:

A wonderful preparation technique for small meetings is to go around shaking hands and making eye contact with everybody beforehand. For larger meetings, meet and shake hands with people in the front row at least, and some of the people as they are coming in the door. Connect with them personally, so they'll be rooting for your success. We as speakers are rarely nervous about individuals, only when faced with the thought of an audience. Once you've met the audience or at least some of them, they become less scary.

It's totally natural to be nervous. Try this acting technique. Find a private spot, and wave your hands in the air. Relax your jaw, and shake your head from side to side. Then shake your legs one at a time. Physically shake the tension out of your body.

Try not to sit down too much while you're waiting to speak. If you're scheduled to go on an hour into the program, try to sit in the back of the room so that you can stand up occasionally. It is hard to jump up and be dynamic when you've been relaxed in a chair for an hour. (Comedian Robin Williams is well known for doing "jumping jacks" to raise his energy level before going on stage.) Sitting in the back also gives you easy access to the bathroom and drinking fountain. There's nothing worse than being stuck down front and being distracted by urgent bodily sensations.


Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com 1-800 634-3035, www.fripp.com

http://www.expertmagazine.com/artman/publish/article_111.shtml

A Good Speech is Like a Good Relationship - 20 Tips for Presentation Success!
By Mariah Burton Nelson

Jul 19, 2002 - 1:56:00 PM
From ExpertMagazine.com
Presentation Skills

Mostly, you've got to care about your subject and care about the audience

Contrary to what many people think, a speech is not a performance. Rather, it's a relationship -- ideally a meaningful one -- that you create with a group of people. Like any good relationship, a speech requires caring, trust, openness, accessibility, and two-way communication.

If you already know how to be a good friend, that's a great start. Here are 20 tips to help you transfer your people skills to the platform:

1. Clarify the expectations. Who asked you to speak? What does that person expect? Ask direct questions beforehand, such as, "What do you hope I'll talk about? What problems or concerns might I address?"

2. Speak from the heart -- and the head. Choose a topic that you a) care about and b) know about. If you can't establish expertise, they won't believe you. If you don't care about the topic, they won't care either.

3. Plan before you speak. Practice the speech, using an outline, to get a sense of timing and phrasing - and to help you feel prepared, which will do wonders for stage fright. Take the outline to the platform with you, if you want (I do this as a security blanket, even when I don't need it) but do not memorize or read the speech word for word. People want you to relate to them, not read or recite from memory.

4. Dress appropriately. Wear an outfit that is slightly nicer than what you expect the audience to be wearing; you're the guest of honor. But keep it simple; don't distract them with sequins or swooping scarves or noisy jewelry.

5. Be prompt. When giving a speech, "arrive early and stay late" is a good motto. (I learned that from professional speaker Lynne Waymon.) By arriving early, you'll have a chance to check out the microphone, seating, lighting, heating, and stage before the audience enters, and deal with any problems (there usually are some). By staying late, you'll make yourself available to audience members who want to talk with you afterward.

6. Be gracious and friendly. Greet at least some of the audience members when they walk in the door, as if you're hosting a party. Shake hands. Make them feel welcome. Not only do audience members appreciate it ("Oh, you're the speaker! Wow!"), it can make you feel more relaxed.

7. Take the time to get to know your audience. Some of this can happen in advance, by asking the meeting planner about the attendees. You can also interview audience members informally when socializing before the speech, and you can poll them once you take the platform. ("How many of you have been to Alaska?") Don't ask obvious questions ("How many of you would like to be successful?"); use your questions to learn relevant information about them, and listen to the answers. Later, you can refer back to this information: "As all of you zookeepers/swimmers/Madonna fans know..."). They'll feel listened to and understood.

8. Put them at ease, literally. Straight rows of chairs are deadly. When an audience member has to turn her head to see the speaker, she'll feel neck strain and eventually even get angry. Request curved seating ahead of time, but move chairs yourself if you must. Or, if that won't work, ask audience members to stand and move their chairs themselves. Tell them you want them to be comfortable. They'll appreciate it.

9. Communicate clearly. Choose one main point. Professional speaker Vanna Novak calls this a "key overriding message." Have you noticed how many speeches lack this essential structural umbrella -- and leave listeners feeling lost and frustrated? No matter how much time is allotted, there will not be enough time to share all your ideas, insights, wisdom, experience, and humor, so you have to decide: What, exactly, do you want people to remember? Share your key overriding message at the beginning, middle, and end of the speech.

10. Be organized. Choose 3 to 5 minor points that support your key overriding message. Avoid the temptation to make this a list of 12 or 17. People can't remember everything you say, and will appreciate you for limiting your speech to three to five main points, each one illustrated with stories, facts, humor, and audience involvement.

11. Speak intentionally. Speak a little more slowly than you normally do. Emphasize certain words. Pause when appropriate. A conversational tone is good, but vocal variety -- volume, pacing -- is also good.

12. Gesture naturally. Or, if it's a big room, gesture a little bigger than you naturally would.

13. Be original. Do not tell jokes from joke books or the internet. Do not use other speakers' material. The audience wants to develop a relationship with YOU: based on your unique experience, insight, wisdom.

14. Involve the audience. Refer to a few audience members by name. Or invite someone up on stage to demonstrate a point. (During my speeches about goal-setting and success, I ask someone to come on stage and share a recent victory.) Ask them their opinion. Find simple, non-threatening ways to get them to get them involved. Ask them to think, imagine, remember, raise their hands, look at each other, or take notes. The more involved they are, the more likely they are to enjoy your presentation -- and feel connected to you.

15. Make eye contact. Maintain eye contact with one person for a whole sentence at a time, before moving on.

16. Get personal. Tell relevant personal stories that illustrate your message -- and reveal something of your humanity. As in any relationship, self-disclosure will build trust.

17. Get close. Walk out from behind the lectern. This one action will make a tremendous impression, since it will bring you physically closer, dispense with the lectern "shield," and differentiate you from most speakers. Retreating to the lectern periodically to look at notes is fine, but you'll notice a remarkable increase in the audience's interest level the moment you leave the lectern behind. Walk all the way into the audience if you want, but don't stay there long, since you don't want to lose eye contact with the people in the first rows.

18. Be lighthearted. Even if you're not spontaneously witty, you can add humor to a speech by planning ahead to share stories (relevant, inoffensive ones) that you've practiced on friends. Humor will relax the audience and make you popular; everyone loves to laugh. Deliver the punch line deliberately, to one person who has laughed before or seems ready to laugh. Since laughter is contagious, their laughter will encourage others to do the same. If no one laughs, don't worry about it; just move on.

19. Send thank-you notes. When you speak, you're not only creating a relationship with your audience, you're creating a relationship with the person who invited you to speak. Sending a thank-you note will be appreciated -- and will increase your chances of being invited back.

20. Learn from the experience. Like any relationship, a relationship with an audience can teach you a lot about yourself: your strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams. Did the experience challenge and excite you? That's a good sign; you might want to attend meetings of your local chapter of the National Speakers Association (Nsaspeaker.org) to learn more. Did you make mistakes? Fine. Perfection is impossible. Take a few notes on the process afterward, continue to practice your people/speaking skills, and you'll create increasingly rewarding relationships with your audiences over time.


Mariah Burton Nelson
Mariah Burton Nelson, a former professional basketball player and author of four books, has been speaking professionally about leadership, goal-setting, teamwork, and success since 1987. For information on her presentations call 352-438-0261 or Mariah@ExpertSpeaker.com or www.ExpertSpeaker.com

"Do What You Do So Well That People Can't Help Telling Others About You" ~Walt Disney

Tom Connellan's book "Inside the Magic Kingdom - Seven Keys to Disney's Success" is one of only 4 books that every TMS team member is required to have and read. It is an excellent, entertaining book that can enhance the success of any company.

The book uncovers the reason why almost 70% of Magic Kingdom guests are return visitors, and the principles that drive Disney's success. It reveals 7 Key Principles as to why Disney is successful, all of which you can easily apply to any business.

Among other things, in this book you will learn:

~How Disney creates and keeps up one of the most powerful corporate environment

~Who's the real competition for Disney - and how that applies to your company

~How to make all employees feel important and believe that they are an important part of the company

~There is a type of feedback that is more damaging than reprimanding, what is it,and how can you avoid it in your company

~The special way Disney cast members learn teamwork - and how you can put that into practice at your company.

Don't just take my word for it, here is a quote from Peter Johnson, a TMS team member, as to how he feels about the book:

"yeah, I know what you're thinking... another dry business book. 'Inside the Magic Kingdom' is anything but. When Keith made this required reading for everyone here at TMS I was thinking that I would have to struggle through it. Anything but! The book is inspirational, full of amazing stories and a fast read. I ended up trying to squeeze in chapters on breaks. I soaked up the motivation." ~Peter Johnson, POS tech support.

http://www.leemarketinggroup.com/magic.htm

Job Interview Tips: How to Interview Potential Employees
From Susan M. Heathfield,

Hold Fair, Legal Job Interviews

The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process in most organizations. While the job interview may not deserve all of the attention that the job interview receives, it is still a powerful force in hiring.

Other background checking and work history references provide much less personalized and more factual information, and hopefully, you have added these checks to your hiring decisions, too. But the job interview remains key to assessing the candidate's cultural fit. The job interview remains the tool you can use to get to know your candidate on a more personal basis. The job interview process helps other employees “own” the new employee who joins your organization.

How to Select Candidates to Interview

Your starting point, before scheduling a job interview with a candidate, is to review each candidate's:

Resume cover letter and

Resume.

When faced with 100-200 candidates, it's important to use tools that separate the great candidates from the many. These will help you select the candidates for the job interview. They will also help you prepare your list of questions to use to telephone screen candidates and ask during the job interviews.

Read Why This Resume Rocks.

Hold a recruiting planning meeting.

Devise a list of qualities, skills, and experience to use to screen resumes and job interview candidates.

Telephone Screen Candidates Prior to an Interview

The telephone interview or candidate screen allows the employer to determine if the candidate's qualifications, experience, workplace preferences and salary needs are congruent with the position and organization. The telephone job interview saves managerial time and eliminates unlikely candidates. While I recommend developing a customized interview for each position, this generic job interview will guide you.

How to Prepare for the Job Interview

The interview team was selected at your earlier recruiting planning meeting, so the interviewers have had time to prepare. You will want to use the list of qualities, skills, knowledge, and experience you developed for the resume screening process.

Use this list to make sure each interviewer understands their role in the candidate assessment. Review each interviewer’s questions, too, to make sure the interview questions selected will obtain the needed information.

Say What You Mean: Developing Verbal Communication Skills
from: Joe Dostal

Words are said to be man's greatest achievement. However, many people would argue that verbal communication was developed not out of want, but out of need. People needed verbal communication in order for our species to survive. This is the reason more and more people aim to develop their verbal communication skills.



Developing good communication skills can be a tough job. However, if you try to make use of the old style of "divide and conquer", you might be able to do it quite easily. How do you divide the job of developing verbal communication skills?



1) Oral –This is the area of verbal communication skills that we most often use. This category encompasses the spoken word. In focusing on this front, you will be able to improve your skills in conversation. So how do you develop this verbal communication skill? Once again, we divide and we conquer.



a) Speaking – Some people speak too much without saying anything. In order to develop this verbal communication skill, you need to be able to control your tongue. The secret to being a successful speaker is thinking about what to say before you say it. Consider the consequences of your words. We all know that no person can say the right thing all of the time. However, you should learn to realize the fact that this verbal communication skill can be developed and nurtured.



Many people take this for granted, since they have been doing it for their whole lives. This is the reason why language has deteriorated today. People have no care for grammar, reasoning that grammar is one instrument of "the man".



b) Listening – Listening is different from hearing. We do not control our hearing consciously. However, when we listen, we do so because we choose it. Listening means that you should not only hear what other people are saying, but you should be able to understand it as well. By learning how to listen properly to other people, you will be able to be a much more effective conversationalist.



2) Written – Because of technology, this form of verbal communication skills is rarely used today. People hate having to read and write, thinking that it is just too much work. However, developing this verbal communication skill is essential because you can't record and transmit everything, can you?



a) Writing – Writing is one of those activities that have changed because of technology. In the past, development of effective written verbal communication skills involves having to make sure that your handwriting was legible. Because of technology, however, we now need only to focus on grammar and spelling in order to communicate effectively through this method. In order to develop your writing skills, you should try to seek the opinion of other people. You should see if your writing transmits your message clearly.



b) Reading – When reading, try to interpret messages as clearly as possible. Each of us has an idea about what a message is all about. However, in some cases, we need to interpret them the way the writer wants them to be interpreted. This is true for memorandums, laws and other "official" written correspondence. Developing your verbal communication skill needs patience and practice. You need to read more in order to learn how to read better. In doing so, you will also be able to improve other skills.

Some Pointers in Teaching Communication Skills
from: Joe Dostal

When the term communication skills come at hand, we always tend to associate it with fluency. Fluency is hence defined as the smoothness and proficiency in the use of the language in the transmission of ideas towards the other. Fluency is one quality that must be achieved when communication skills is adhered to. To set things straight, it is important to note that communication skills does not only refer to the verbal form wherein fluency is indeed a must. The counterpart of verbal communication is the written form and so, it is vital that one must also be proficient in the written form of communication.

Whatever the form of communication is, there is only one purpose with which you are geared to and that is the intention of conveying a message to other people in order to gain a meeting of the minds. Communication skills therefore points out a person's capacity to smoothly transmit his message to the recipient. It goes to mean that the idea to be conveyed should nonetheless be vivid, precise, and unambiguous. Beating around the bush instead of going directly to the point is a manifestation of a bad communication skill.



Teaching communication skills has been an integral part of the curriculum of all academies. Academic instructors know for a fact that communication cannot be avoided instead the communication skills should be enhanced. The teaching of communication skills to the learners may be a hard task most especially if the latter lacks the willingness of the mind and when there is no motivation on the part of the facilitator.



Those who are teaching communication skills to a group of learners furthermore point out the importance of noted tips in enhancing the oral and written communication skills. The following pointers are emphasized in the teaching of communication skills:



The voice matters a lot in verbal communication. So in order to place enough impact, you must avoid using a flat tone. Your voice must be modulated so as it will go with the sentences that you utter. You must employ both the high and low pitches as needed by the delays in the gaps of the words you utter. So, you neither shout nor whisper. It stays in the middle but there must be complete audibility. Furthermore, the body gestures that you use and the facial expressions that you manifest must go along with the thought you convey.



For the written communication, it is necessary that you know the laws of unity, coherence, and emphasis. A good writing skill is required also.



Now both of the written and oral communication skills necessitate your being abreast of the language that you will use as the medium for communication. If you are also knowledgeable with the proper rules in grammar, then the sense of fluency will come as a natural thing. In teaching communication skills comes the essence of teaching correct grammar. At times the correct use of the grammar may come in as one of the flaws of verbal communication but it cannot be tolerated at all times.



If you are aware of the necessary tips to enhance your communication skills, then there will be no hesitation on your part. Reading materials and watching films that employ language you want to improve helps. Such activities sharpen your communication skills.

Developing Communication Skills through Speaking and Listening
from: Joe Dostal

Initiating a conversation is a good first step to develop good communication skills.

Developing effective communication skills, however, cannot be acquired overnight, hence it is called "skill". It needs to be learned, practiced and developed.



For project managers, journalists; public media spokes person, broadcasters and a list of other career professionals, effective communication skills are very important.



By developing your communication skills, you have to learn to speak effectively and listen attentively. These two are the most important skills you have to attain. How to do it, here are the details:



Speaking:



For one to develop good public speaking abilities, speaking skills have to be learned, practiced and evaluated over a period of time. The first rule of thumb to be able to speak effectively is planning what to say. What is the main idea of what you are trying to convey? Organize your thoughts so they lead to the main idea of the message you are trying to send across. Once you have arrived at your main idea, take a short brief and ask your audience if they are following you. By doing so, you know if you are off tangent on what you are saying or still on the right path. Ask your listeners if they understood what you were saying so that you are both on the right page. Make sure you keep your conversation focused and direct to the point.



Another point to take note when speaking is the style you use in expressing yourself. The speaking style you use has a large impact on the audience you are speaking to especially if you want to be convincing. When speaking, strive to be warm and enthusiastic. Doing this, your audience will be responsive and perfect interaction can be formed.



It is normal to expect questions during a conversation and always be prepared to answer them. When answering, take your time by paraphrasing the question to be sure you are certain of what it means. In situations where you do not know the answer to the question, do not make up an answer, instead, say you do not know the answer.



Listening:



Strive to be an effective listener by listening attentively to what the speaker is saying. To be an effective listener, you should be able to hear the words as the speaker communicates so that you can understand the entire message. Effective listening in developing communication skills is by looking at the speaker when he is communicating, maintain eye contact and nod during brief pauses. Watch the speaker's facial expression to be able to completely understand the tone of the message he is conveying.




Show open attitude to the speaker through body language and attentiveness. To be an effective listener, you must be composed when relating with the speaker. In this way, they feel more accepted when they are with you. Don't fidget or frown when looking at the speaker because he is trying to get a response from you, so giving a negative attitude makes him feel defensive, insecure and not confident.



As part of developing good communication skills, it is important to ask questions during a conversation. When asking questions, use open ended questions so that it is easier for the listener to know how to answer your questions. With all the tips given, it is obvious for us to see that communication skills is not just innate, it needs to be developed and practiced.

Hanging in the Balance: The Importance of Communication Skills in the Workplace
from: Joe Dostal

Have you wondered why most job advertisements call for who has effective communication skills? Everyone sees this statement all the time, yet few really question it. What is the importance of communication skills in the workplace? Why do you need these skills in order to do your job?

The importance of communication skills in the workplace lies in the fact that you will be working with other people. Whether you are a paper-pusher or an industrial worker, communication is a part of your job. One man cannot claim to be able to do things alone. This is impossible.



Think about it: even if you have your own company, you will still need the help of others to promote it. You need to be able to communicate to other companies to acquire the things you will need in order to produce. At the very least, you need to communicate to other people in order to persuade them to support your business.



Here are examples showing the importance of communication skills in the workplace:



1) Interoffice communication – This is the best example in showing the importance of communication skills in the workplace. In offices, people often receive memorandums, letters and other types of interoffice communication. These are used to coordinate the efforts of the people composing the company. Fast and accurate communication is required to make a company more efficient. This means that those people who send messages should have effective communication skills. However, it also means that those people receiving the messages should be able to interpret them correctly.



Whether you are a boss or an employee, this importance of communication skills in the workplace should be quite evident to you. People need to communicate inside the company. As a boss, you have to let your subordinates know what you want to accomplish. As an employee, you would want to understand what your boss wants in order for you to do it.



2) Social interaction – Despite the insistence of many companies to eliminate personal relationships within a workplace, attachments will be formed between workers. This is because of the fact that socialization is an inherent part of being human. A person's social ability often determines his or her professional success.



The importance of communication skills in the workplace is shown by how much easier it is for friendly people to get ahead in a company. A person, despite the fact that he/she is hardworking, would find it hard to be promoted if he or she does not have the support of his or her colleagues. That being said, the key to gaining support from one's colleagues is communication.



3) Company communications- Companies need other companies in order to help them out. This was mentioned on the first part of the article but let us elaborate on the subject. No company can survive on its own. Each company needs raw materials, equipment and other things that come from other people. The importance of communication skills in the workplace can be found in this fact.



More people should understand the importance of communication skills in the workplace. Not many folks understand that their jobs often hang in the balance because of this skill. Your ability to get your message across to other people does determine just how effective you are as a worker.

Business Communication Skills: How vital is it?
from: Joe Dostal

Your business communication skills should be complete and flawless. This is business and we are talking about investments. As one business entrepreneur, you should be able to decipher ways and means in order to bridge the gap that exists between you and your staff.

Or, if you are simply an office personnel who take charge of the incoming and outgoing communication based-elements, you should be in the utmost fitness so that you will be very effective in your task. The business arena is so vast and is moving at a top speed so any negligence on your part will automatically drive the customers into the midst of another business firm.

Business communication is not solely confined to the use of the office support systems such as the telephone, fax machine, computers, and so on. It extends to having to personally meet with clients and business partners. The business communication skills must therefore cover the proficiency both in the oral and the written forms.

If you lack the expertise in business communication skills, worry not because there are a lot of sources for learning its ropes. Among them are pamphlets, books, and even special courses. You can always grab any opportunity that will hone your business communication skills.

Most of the times, business communications are in written forms. So you will have to write a report, prepare the proposals, complete the staff study delegated to you, and then create a business letter that you will be sending out to whoever is the concerned individual of another business firm. So what are to be noted when writing a business communication? First, you should recognize the purpose or problem to be tackled in the letter and then to think about the content of the letter so that the goal you are into could therefore be achieved. After which, your ideas must be carefully organized so that its presentation will hence be chronological. During the writing of the draft, you must be wary in every word that you include. Editing follows. When the draft requires revisions, do it. Then a meticulous editing should again be done before the final draft is to be sent out. Business communications are formal so you should have the skill that will produce such kind of output.

Bear in your mind that business communication is the transmission of valuable ideas. Therefore, proper words must be carefully chosen and used per sentence. There must also be unity in the thought expressed in the paragraphs. Anyone who is in-charged in writing business communication letters should be well-versed with the language to be used and should possess high standards of business communication skills. An effective business communication writer is said to be able to transmit and provoke feelings and likewise is able to convey ideas and facts to the other party.

Within the company itself, business communication happens such as when going about with the conveyance of ideas and thoughts to the suppliers, employees, employers, distributors, dealers, manufacturers, vendors, customers, community groups, and the likes. It is hence a must that the communication letter is simple, formal, and well-understood or else no successful communication process can be achieved. When doing business communication orally, you have to be fluent in the medium of language you use.

It is rather necessary that your business communication skills are sharpened once in a while so that you will not lose hold of your success.

Some Myths and Facts on Effective Communication Skills
from: Joe Dostal

Communication, like so many other activities of humanity has a lot of myths surrounding it. Some have basis in the truth, but others are just blind rationalizations of people who are willing to use any excuse to promote their services. Here are some myths and facts on effective communication skills.


Myth 1. Effective communication skills can solve every problem. –The true fact on effective communication skills is that there are some problems that cannot be solved despite being understood. People say that the only reason why people have so many problems is that they cannot truly understand each other. When you think about it, this may seem true. Taking a look around, you will see that most of our problems actually do stem from lack of proper communication and understanding. However, even if all people were able to communicate effectively, we would still have disagreements.


Inherently, we are all different. Even if we all somehow started being able to make ourselves understood clearly, we would still hold our own opinions regarding different things. Here's an illustration:



You like apples and you think that they are the best fruit in the world. Another person holds the opinion that oranges are the best fruit in the world. Even if you were able to communicate effectively, you still will not be able to change his opinion.



Myth 2. Verbal communication is more effective than non-verbal – People, being used to words, have a great tendency to say that words are the most effective means of communication. And so, they tend to try and develop their verbal communication skills more. However, the fact on effective verbal communication skills is that they cannot do everything.



Sure, words can say that a person is sad, but a single teardrop does that as effectively. In fact, people say that pictures are worth a thousand words. People only think that verbal communication is the best since this is the type of communication they most commonly and consciously use. However, have you ever realized how much you are able to tell about people just by looking at them?



Of course, this does not mean that non-verbal communication is better than using words. However, we should realize that people use both verbal and non-verbal communication in their everyday lives and to ask which one is better would be like asking a bird which wing is more useful to its flight.



Myth 3. The effectiveness of communication is determined by technology – For some, this can be true. Technology today makes sure that messages do not get garbled up. The internet, specifically, was designed to let people deliver their messages with as little interference as possible. However, the true fact on effective communication skills is that people determine their effectiveness. How a person sends a message and how another receives it determines the clarity of the message. The perception of both the receiver and the sender determines just how intact the message is when it reaches its goal.



The fact of effective communication skills is that it lies within a person. No machine can help make your communication skills more effective if you do not take steps to improve it yourself. Technology can affect communication, and improve the channels through which the process flows. However, the effectiveness of communication still lies in the ability of people.

Imperfection: Responding to Communication Skills Assessment
from: Joe Dostal


Not all of us are effective in communicating. In fact, when you take a look at the world today, a lot of us have trouble getting a simple message across. We all have pretty good idea about what we want to let others know, but most of us do not have the right idea about how to do it. All we need to do is to improve our communication skills and the first step to improvement is being able to see our mistakes. This is the reason for communication skills assessments.



Communication skills assessments come in two parts: verbal and non-verbal. The verbal communication skills assessment takes measure of how adept we are at the use of words. It assesses the way we use words to convey our meaning and the way we interpret meanings from words. This part of a communication skills assessment does this through written and oral exams.



Non-verbal communication skills assessment takes note of the way we say things without the use of words. These take note of how well we are able to express ourselves using gestures, drawings and other "symbolic" languages. This is usually done through observation and evaluation.



How should one respond to the results of a communication skills assessment?



1) Accept – Tests are made to be objective as possible. The results of your communication skills assessment are ensured to be free of any bias. This means that you cannot blame someone if you made some mistakes. You cannot be perfect, since no human is. Even in such a natural field as communications, people are apt to make mistakes. Do not try to blame the testers for your mistakes.



Don't rant and rave about the test, just accept the truth that you are not perfect and move on to the next step.



2) Improve – The next step is improvement. Once you have accepted the fact that you are not perfect, you must try to improve yourself. The main goal of a communication skills assessment is not to criticize you, but to improve you.



Some people, when they get bad results from communication skills assessment, sink into despair. They think that they have no hope of improvement. However, here is the truth: communication skills are not fixed from birth. This means that you can take steps to improve them.



There are two ways to do this: by yourself or through another person's help. If you choose the former, there are a lot of resources available out there for you to use. This means that you only need the will to improve. If you choose the latter, some professionals are ready to help you. More often than not, the ones who conducted the communication skills assessment will provide you the help that you need.



3) Observe – Once you have improved yourself, you need to be observant. We always need continuous improvement so be vigilant and see what improvements need to do next. If you continue to be observant about your communication, you increase the chances that you will never need a communication skills assessment again.



Communication skills assessment is like a mirror, letting you see what parts of you need improvement. However, this instrument alone is not enough to make you better. You need to have the right attitude in order to actually improve. Always remember that in life, having the right attitude is everything.

Communication Article

Tips to Improve Your Effective Team Communication Skills

from: Joe Dostal

You may have in your mind several valuable and brilliant ideas but then if you lack the prowess to share it with your team, then it is evidently useless. Your idea will just be dumped and wasted. It is for this rationale that effective team communication skills are essential. You are in a team therefore you must work as a team. But how can that be possible if you cannot even share to them your thoughts? How can your organization be empowered if you as the leader have insufficient effective team communication skills?

The truth is that not all people are gifted with effective communication skills. Some communication skills come out naturally from an individual while there are people who happen to take time to learn it. But more so, for the communication skills to be effective, practice is needed. How can that be? It is by means of exuding the communication skills that you have. Talk, talk, talk, write, write, and write.

Even before you were able to walk as a child, you've already had your own dose of learning the art of communication. As a baby you've cried to catch the attention of your parents. At some point, you've learned to imitate words you always hear, and then finally you've managed to straighten your oral communication skills as time passed by.

For you to be able to go about with effective communication skills there are tips that you can follow and they are:

Learn to organize the thoughts that are rushing in your mind. Before you finally utter anything, be sure with what you have to say. Do not stay in front as if dumbfounded because you do not know where to begin. If you know how to organize your thoughts, you can surely create an interesting motivation for your listeners. Furthermore, the details in your message will be easily grasped too.

Communication is to express and not to impress. This is the common fault of many. They perceive that being able to use deep and high sounding words give the impression of one's being an intellectual. It is actually a fallacy. A person with good communication skills is someone who uses the language in a manner that everyone will be able to understand his message.

Communication is a two-way process. An effective team communication skill is not only a thing of conversing with your members but it is also addressing their concerns and letting them speak up. Both parties should listen to one another and then offer ways to improve the condition faced by each other.

Get to know and understand the members of your team. As a leader, you should be able to study the profiles of your members. How can you reach out to them if you know them less?

Sharpen your memory. It is not only getting a good memory when it comes to remembering the names of your staff but it is more of sharpening your memory with the things that concern both of you.

An effective team communication skill is worth developing. You can get a proper training ground by taking up communication skills training courses. There is no age limit for such course as several of these are devised for the benefit of the professionals. You can always lessen the risk of misunderstandings with an effective team communication skill.