How to Communicate with Impact
80% of your communication is not what you say, it’s how you say it.
To have more impact and engage your listeners, communicate with:
-Feeling
-Emotion
-Expression
To communicate more effectively, use the following 5 step process and learn it for KEEPS
Step 1: Know
Before you speak, know what your key message is. So many people jump into their communication without thinking about the message they want to convey. This leads to the person who is communicating the message becoming confused and the listener being even more confused. This runs the danger of the other person simply switching off. They can’t follow what you are saying, so it is easier to give up and start thinking about something else. To know your message, ask yourself ‘Why is this message important? Why do I want to talk about it?’
Motivate
Inform
Persuade
Entertain
Action
Keep MIPEA imprinted in you mind and remember why you are communicating.
Step 2: Express
When you communicate, you are asking other people to listen to you. The least you can do for them is to make what you are saying interesting for them. Express your message with feelings and emotion. Use facial and hand gestures to clarify your meaning. Use vocal variety to express your voice in a way that adds interest and excites. Exaggerate your point to give impact. Give your audience eye contact whether to one, two or over a hundred people. Remember to smile and be sincere when you express yourself.
Step 3: Explicit
As Shakespeare says “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
Why say ten words when two will do? Say what you mean. Get to the point, keep it simple. Don’t be too technical or complex and don’t let your communication run on and on and on…….
Step 4: Position
You are the message, position yourself confidently. Don’t hide behind your message. If you are standing, position your feet shoulder width apart and firmly rooted to the ground. If you are sitting, position yourself so that you are upright and lean slightly forward to demonstrate enthusiasm.
Step 5: Stories
The best communicators are the best story tellers. Bring your communication to life with a story. No matter how serious the communication is, it will have so much more impact through storytelling or even using an anecdote or a quote. For example, if you want to communicate the importance of compliance, give a story of a situation when compliance wasn’t followed through. Emphasise the consequences of a person not being compliant. This communication is far more impactful, than giving a point by point description of why it’s important to be compliant.
Follow these key steps to communicate with Impact and remember for KEEPS:
Know
Express
Explicit
Position
Stories
NoLimis designs and conducts tailored Power Impact and Power Presenting workshops as well as one to one High Impact Executive Coaching. Contact Sandralai@nolimitsasia.com for a no obligation discussion on your organisations and leaders needs.
Comments