Having clean speech and communication can make or break your business presentation, either written or spoken. Speaking clearly and concisely is largely responsible for determining whether or not you grab your audience’s attention or if you keep their interest.
Everyone is busy and we are all inundated with information every day. To stay competitive in this information age, business owners and managers must recognize the importance of getting their message out in the most powerful but most succinct way possible. Every word must count!
Some people may be hindered by physical difficulties that impede their speech. If so, speech therapy, cd’s or online aids may help improve speech patterns or pronunciation issues. Others may suffer from emotional obstacles like shyness or fear. These are common and can be improved with skill-building and practice. To increase the value of your speech, the following suggestions are offered:
- Build your vocabulary – read a variety of books or actively learn a new word each day.
- Know the words you use. Look them up to ensure proper usage in grammar and context.
- Take an interpersonal communication course to sharpen your conversation and listening skills.
- When speaking, use notes to keep your thoughts focused and on point.
- Use pauses for emphasis. Don’t interject useless fillers like ‘um’, ‘uh’, ‘ok’, or ‘you know’.
- Review, edit and revise. Always.
- Speak slowly and pronounce words clearly.
- Keep sentences short. Limit use of words such as: actually, basically, generally, for example.
- Speak up – don’t mumble.
- Use the acronym TIES1:
- T: State the Topic
- I : Introduce the Information
- E: Give Examples
- S: Summarize your thoughts
You want your communication to be read or listened to. Otherwise, why bother? Communicating on purpose is necessary to have an edge over your competition. Grab the attention of your audience with the first word and draw them in to the finish. Your impact can’t help but improve.
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