5 Keys To Effective Communication

An important life lesson that I learnt came from one of the golden rules in public speaking - focus on the connection, not the content. What this means is that the connection a speaker has with the audience is more important than the actual content of the speech.

Sometimes life can be like that too. What we do is not as important is how we do it. The way we communicate with someone can determine how we relate to that person, or what the outcome of that communication will be. For example, if you go for a job interview, the way that you respond to questions can be more impactful than the actual answers to the questions.

So, here are my five tips for effective communication:

1.) Speak with intent– there is a massive difference between just saying something, and saying something with intention. Going back to the above mentioned example of responding to questions in a job interview, it will be far more purposeful to speak with intent than just respond for the sake of responding. Say words which are meaningful and will drive a point home easily. There are certain words which are emotionally engaging. In a job interview you could use words such as “imagine”, “create”, “focus”.

2.) Use shorter sentences – shorter sentences are easily absorbed, whether they are written or spoken. If you use longer sentences, the message or the response in your long sentence could be lost, or even worse it could be misunderstood. Let’s look at an example here. If I were to say to you “Even if you are confident in talking to your prospects face to face, you may still struggle with making cold calls because a recent survey in a sales journal revealed that cold calling is the number one fear in the sales industry today, despite ongoing training being provided to sales professional on how to make cold calls.” Let’s look at how we can make this statement easier to understand – “Cold calling still remains the biggest fear in sales professionals. Despite ongoing training programs, research suggests that many sales professionals still struggle with cold calling.” Shorter sentences are easy on the eyes and the ears, when they are written or spoken.

3.) Be yourself – there is no one more authentically you than you are. I have seen this happening in public speaking, that speakers do their best to sound and act like Barack Obama or Tony Robbins. The essence of their message is totally lost. The same thing applies when speaking to achieve a result (for example, a job interview or making a sale). When you are being authentic, you will be in a position to communicate more naturally and more comfortably. When you come across as natural and comfortable, you are more likely to make sense to the person that you are communicating with.

4.) Use questions, not statements – questions arouse curiosity, and engage the people that you are communicating with at a deeper level. This is something that I have taught while providing sales training to organisations. Instead of giving facts and figures, ask questions. For example, while communication with a prospect, you could say “This product comes with such and such features.” Now, let’s look at how you can turn that statement into a question – “Did you know that this product comes with such and such features? Can you please tell me what do these features mean for you?” In a job interview, instead of saying “I worked for ABC Manufacturing for three years and it was a very rewarding experience”, you could say “Working for ABC Manufacturing was challenging at times, yet so rewarding. Did you know that they have the largest distribution base in our state?” Facts and figures can always be incorporated into questions.

5.) Say it with a smile –when you smile, you are more inclined to be relaxed. Speaking while relaxed can put you in a very positive state. You will be more authentic, more inspired, and more likely to make the other person more receptive of your words. I clearly remember, in my financial planning career I was told to ‘smile on the phone’ by one of my sales managers. He was making reference to cold calling of course. So, smile and speak!

Quote: “The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” Tony Robbins

I hope that I have given you some simple insights into effectively communicating. If you would like me to elaborate on any of the above mentioned points, please do reply and ask me to.

Inspiring you towards your excellence,
Ron Prasad

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