Transcript Enhancing Your Communication Skills

Welcome!
Enhancing Your Communication
Skills in All Kinds of Situations
May 20, 2013
Stephen D. Boyd
Welcome!
The difference between the right word, and
the almost right word is the difference
between lightning and the lightning bug.
~ Mark Twain
Intrapersonal Communication:
communication with self
The greatest problem in communication is
the illusion that it has been accomplished.
~ George Bernard Shaw
Get and hold attention
Have a “wow” factor
 Use attention-getter in opening
 Refer to recent events
 Build suspense
 Remember the magic number: three
 Consider humor when appropriate

People remember best what you
say first and last.
I Am Sold Myself
Special persuasive techniques
Tell a success story
 Show how what you advocate works
elsewhere
 Use deductive method
 Base your conclusions on clear evidence
 Use your uniqueness
 Use sources audience respects
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Handling the Question and
Answer Period
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Let the audience know up front
Start with “What questions do you have?”
Consider repeating
Avoid “loaded” questions
Handling the Question and
Answer Period (cont’d)
Don’t make the questioner look bad.
 Make your answers concise
 Perhaps limit discussion time
 “I don’t know” may be a good response.
 Make eye contact with all of your audience
 Don’t evaluate questions
 Let everyone have a chance

Understanding precedes
persuasion
Learn to listen more effectively.
From Listening Comes Wisdom
&
From Speaking Repentance.
Chinese Fortune Cookie
 Fake
attention
 Interrupting the speaker
 Respond to the wrong thing
 Distractions
 Avoid difficult material
 Daydreaming
 Superiority complex
 Uninteresting subject matter
TORTOISE-HARE COMPLEX
Tortoise talkers —
Speak 150 WPM
Hare listeners —
Think 500 WPM
Use the thought/speech ratio to
concentrate
Ask yourself, “What is the point?”
 Review what has been said
 Look for nonverbal cues
 Don’t be doing other things as you listen
 Pay attention

Empathy is a genuine concern for
the other person attained by
gaining a sense o his/her
perspective and feelings.
A nonjudgmental and nonevaluative
response
The more we know about
context, the better we can
empathize.
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Which line would the “Z” go on?
Dealing with Criticism and
Personal attacks
Perception: the way we view the
world around us
Traits of difficult people
Responding to difficult person
Do not take criticism personally
 Center your thoughts on issue
 Listen to entire message—don’t interrupt
 Evaluate the criticism
 Accept responsibility
 Some “Don’ts”
 Listen for areas of agreement

Interviews with the media
Potpourri
Small talk at the beginning is not really
small talk
 Less is sometimes more
 Never tell all you know
 Just because you can does not mean you
should
 Everything counts
 Meaning is in people, not words
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