The Importance Of Public Speaking Skills

Public speaking skills are often overlooked by people as being unimportant or they may think that they will never be called to speak in public, that's why they do not bother to get themselves acquainted with any public speaking skills. Truth is, more often then not, it is these people that often get tongue tied and being in a state of total meltdown when faced with the possibility that they will be asked to present a topic in public, even a topic they know inside out.

To some people, they do not put high importance or regards to the importance of having good public speaking skills because they have an impression that good public speaking skills are only for people in sales or marketing. This is untrue. Good public speaking skills are also a hallmark of good communication skills and having good communication skills is essential for any career, unless you are the only person in the entire office. For example, if you are signing up for a new job, any job at all, you will probably need to go for an interview. During the interview, the interviewer does not just judge you based on your qualifications, your ability to communicate, both spoken and unspoken, also constitutes a part of the decision making process of whether you will be accepted or not. If you are a student in college, your ability to deliver a good public speaking session will also be tested on regular basis. An example of this will be the various class presentations that you need to do over the course of the semester and the grading criteria will almost certainly have an element of "clarity of delivery" in it. By not knowing how to give a clear and effective presentation using good public speaking skills will only disadvantage yourself because if you cannot communicate clearly to your audience, it is as if you have never learnt the subject at all.

This is one of the reasons perhaps why a lot of ideas by some of the most intelligent people on the planet are only discovered many years after their death. One of the possible reasons is that although they are highly intelligent and have written very useful information, they just cannot seem to put through to people what they are thinking about due to their lack of ability to communicate to a large group of people using public speaking techniques.

Public speaking skills are not only used in situation where you have to address a large group of people. Communication skills and public speaking skills are inter-related, hence, if you improve your public speaking skills, you also invariably improve your interpersonal communication skills with your peers and family.

Therefore, if you are ever presented with an opportunity to practice public speaking or learn public speaking skills, don't shy away from it. Whether you are in class, in the office or in any kind of setting that requires you to deliver a message to an audience, pick up your courage and go for it. Public speaking is a skill and the more you use it and practice it, the better you will become. To improve your public speaking skills or even if you are a new beginner, there are a lot of public speaking audiobooks or guide books to learn from. By picking up a good public speaking skill, you will have an edge over others who don't.

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Trade Show Presentation Tips: Why Most Employee Trade Show Presenters Fail and How to Stop It

If you have to deliver presentations at trade shows, there are a few things you can do that will aid you in doing a better job. These tips will help you get "positively" noticed by your company and by others looking to hire someone with your expertise - who can also speak well. As a trade show magician, I have observed hundreds of employee trade show presenters and most fail miserably. One usually witnesses empty seats in theater areas, an ineffective communication of the message, and bored attendees, not to mention almost non-existent follow-up interest by attendees who heard the presentation.

Here are a few tips to help you do a better job and stand out as a skilled communicator:

1) Be Prepared - Write out what you are going to say and remember that trade show presentations should be no longer than 10 minutes. If you can't tell attendees what you offer in less than 10 minutes then you need to cut, cut, cut.

2) Call to Action - At the end of your presentation, make sure to include a "call to action," which is stating that you would be willing to further discuss what you've been speaking about and tell attendees where you are in the booth. This is more effective than asking if anyone has questions. Get those with questions over to your demo station where you can provide more detailed information.

3) Rehearse - So many employee presenters "wing it," and it shows - it embarrassingly shows. Rehearse your script with your power point and do the whole thing including the call to action. Make sure that everything moves smoothly and run through it, until you're sick of doing it.

4) Show Day - On the day of the show, get to the booth early. Get familiar with the microphone and do a microphone check. Run through your presentation again - complete with the power point - and imagine the seats filled with people. (Then do it again imagining the seats only semi-filled.) This is called "owning the room," and it gives you self-confidence and allows you to command the stage - which is what you want.

5) Check out Your Surroundings - What is going on in the other booths near you? Does the exhibit across from you have a trade show magician in it? Does another have a professional trade show presenter or other attraction? Be aware of your competition, because professional trade show presenters are trying to attract the same attendees you are with one major exception - they are getting paid to attract a crowd and therefore have more incentive to out draw you.

6) Show Time - Due to your following the previous steps, when it's your time to "hit the stage," you will deliver a well-thought out presentation with confidence and clarity. What is happening around you or how many seats are filled won't affect you and, due to your call to action, you will have a chance later to meet with attendees who are really interested in what you had to say.

7) Video Your Presentation - Watch it and see where you can make improvements. Also, when you have enough video, edit your work into a short 5 minute demo. Why? You never know when this "video calling card" may come in handy - should you look for another job. Doubt that comment? Please read Tip 8.

8) Bonus Time - According to a 2010 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the number one skill employers consider crucial for employment is effective communication skills. As someone who knows how to effectively communicate a message to a large amount of people, you will be noticed by your peers and executives from your company in a positive way. Additionally, other companies who regularly exhibit at industry shows and "power people" are always looking for those who know how to speak well. Therefore, the ability to do so to large groups is a skill worth cultivating.

I can't tell you how many times I have been offered a job to be a sales rep, due to my ability to speak to large groups. Can you imagine what could happen to you, should you combine your expertise in your field with effective communicative skills?

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5 Vital Public Speaking Tips

If you are a frequent visitor to my site, you have probably learnt that I was a two-time captain of the Debate Club in my university while I was undertaking my undergraduate study. Plus, I was also a Toastmasters Club member for around 3 years.

Personally, I don't consider myself an expert in the field of public speaking even though I have attended many local and international public speaking competitions and experienced public speaking to over 1,000 people in an event. Instead, I would like to call myself an experienced person in the world of presentation, public speaking and communication.

In this article, I would like to share with you guys what I think are the 5 most important Public Speaking Tips. You can take these tips to improve your Public Speaking ability. Trust me when I tell you that Public Speaking skills is crucially important and can actually lead you to the peak of your life especially if your goal is to become a leader in any of your life pursuit.

1. Positive Mental Attitude

Personally, I've never heard or seen anyone die of public speaking. So, there is nothing to be afraid of public speaking. It's easier said than done, right? It truly is, yet such fear can really be overcome.

Many people are afraid of public speaking because they don't like the feeling of nervousness when they have to stand on the stage and face with many eyes locked on them. In other words, nervousness keeps them stay away from speaking in public.

Personally, I have also undergone the feeling of nervousness in my pursuit of excellence in public speaking. Even though I have a number of experiences giving speech to a group of people, I still feel nervous whenever I am on the stage. I just know how to manage my nervousness well.

How to manage nervousness

If you have some time, please read this detailed article: How to kill your nervousness in public speaking.

But, if you don't, you should do as the follows:

a. Mentally remind yourself that public speaking can't kill you.

b. Learn to get accustomed in looking to people's eyes.

c. Start talking to people while standing whether in formal or informal settings.

2. Voice projection

Personally, I strongly believe that voice is the most important feature in public speaking. A speaker's ability to properly project their voice well is crucially important in speech delivery.

Great public speakers, in my experience, are people who speak loudly and clearly enough that can be distinctly heard by people listening to them. The voice should not be too loud as it annoys the audience and too low as it makes the audience sleep.

When it comes to voice projection, there are many things to consider such as the using of tone and etc. Usually, a speaker is recommended not to use one tone for the whole speech because it simply makes the speech boring and less emotional. If possible, the speaker should use different tones for different plots. If the plot is about something sad, the tone must be in accordance to the story; it'd better be soft and slow.

How to project voice properly

You can try the following tips:

a. Practice talking to people standing or sitting 2-5 meters away from you. Try to get them understand everything you say. This helps you to talk better with a big group of people.

b. Practice talking to people standing or sitting 0.5-1 meter away from you. Try to get them understand everything you say. This helps you to talk better with a small group of people.

c. Listen to expert story tellers and learn how they use their tone in different parts of the story. Practice narrating story using different tones.

3. Eye contact

Eye contact is usually used by professional public speakers to attract the audience attention. In general, an audience participant focuses on listening to the speaker only when they realize that the speaker speaks to them or that the speaker pays attention to them. How does the participant know that? My experience has taught me that eye contact is the means of such knowledge.

Maintaining a natural and good eye contact with audience is crucially important because it somehow determines the degree of attention the audience members give to us the speakers. Personally, I almost always maintain a close eye contact with the people who listen to me and those who seem not to be focusing on my speech. I don't have to say their name or point to them to listen to me because my eye contact says it all. Isn't that cool?

Initially, I was so scared at looking into people's eyes. I remember I took my glasses off during a classroom presentation because I was not able to undergo the overwhelming pressure of the 20-plus pairs of eyes looking at me. However, thanks to the countless speech delivery practices that I have done for years, I today don't feel the pressure anymore every time I am on the stage. I just feel at ease.

How to develop powerful eye contact

You can try the following tips:

a. Practice looking into your eyes in the mirror and maintaining the contact for some time (two or three minutes) every day.

b. Practice looking into people's eyes when you are in conversation in them. I know it's difficult especially if you come from any country like Cambodia whose societal culture doesn't promote people looking straight into other people's eyes. You can start with people that you know well before strangers.

4. Body language

Body language is also one of the most essential elements in speech delivery. Effective use of body language makes the speech lively and active while ineffective use of body language could pose great threat or embarrassment to the audience members. For example, the use of middle finger in North America is offensive. The showing of folding fist could mean either anger or power.

Body language is a bit complicated if one wants to be perfect in it. Yet, it's worthwhile to learn to use it effectively or perfectly if possible because it's generally believed that body language conveys much more message than words and tones in any communication scenario. For example, yawning means being sleepy or feeling bored even though the person who yawns tries to say that he is not sleepy or bored.

The use of body language could include such as winking the eyes, using facial expressions, using of hands or legs, posing or standing, and etc. Basically, any movement of the body can be considered as body language.

How to develop powerful body language

You can try the following tips:

a. Strongly believe that use of body language in speech delivery is not crazy or silly. It's what you are supposed to do and do well if possible.

b. Study the culture in which you are about to deliver your speech. There must be some gestures or body signs considered appropriate or inappropriate. Study them well so as not to offend your audience.

c. Practice using wide and clear body language. Use your hands widely. When you are on the stage, you shouldn't fold your hands together. Instead use them widely so that your audience can see what you are trying to convey to them.

5. Practice

"Best practices give best results," said Mr. Somboon Mongkol Sambath, one of the most experienced Toastmasters members with whom I associated during my time in Toastmasters Club. I heard the saying quite early in my pursuit of excellence in public speaking skills, and it has always become my only philosophy in speech delivery and public speaking.

There might be born great public speakers, but the number of these people is so few. Yet, there are so many great trained public speakers. The late Steve Jobs could be one of the examples. Before he passed away, he was considered one of the world's most powerful public speakers even though he was not born to be a public speaker. During his initial show-ups on the stage or via media, he was quoted as nervous and shaky delivering his speeches.

Like Steve Jobs, I am not a gifted or born public speaker. I spent around 6 years to get trainings on how to effectively deliver speeches. I joined IFL Debate Club and Toastmasters Club. Plus, I have rarely if not never rejected the opportunities to improve my public speaking ability. I even volunteer for the chance to talk in front of people on any topic.

So, if you want to become a powerful and successful public speaker too, you should have this practice mindset. Sharpen your public speaking skills with practices, as many as possible.

How to develop powerful practices

You can try the following tips:

a. Prepare what you are going to talk. Put it in writing in brainstorming or complete form.

b. Rehearse your speech as many as possible before you get on the stage. You can do it in front of pretending audience if you can find. This helps build up your confidence.

c. Practice with a partner that has similar mindset to you.

d. Get constructive feedback from people who listen to your speech after each of your practices.

e. Video-tape your speech. Believe me when I say that you will learn more if you witness your own strengths and/or weaknesses.

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Top Ten Reasons to Learn Communication Skills

Study after study shows that effective communicators have longer marriages, deeper friendships, better relationships, more successful college and career experiences, make more money and are generally happier than their less articulate counterparts. Most people know communication is important, but they don't fully understand to what degree. Eighty-seven percent of everything we do during the day is communication related; communication is far more than just making speeches or having good manners. While you may manage to live your entire life without making a speech, you will not get through one day without communicating something to someone! Here are the top 10 reasons you and your children should learn effective communication skills.

1. Your Marriage
"It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman." -Proverbs 21:19

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over half of all marriages end in divorce and the number one reason cited is lack of effective communication! By the way, that number doesn't improve if you only consider the Christian community. No two people are going to get along ALL the time. The trick in a long relationship isn't avoiding conflict, it's the successful resolution thereof! In addition, men and women communicate in completely different ways and sometimes for very different reasons. I talk about this in my book Say What You Mean Every Day, in chapter one, "How to Talk to Your Spouse 'Cuz You Must!"

2. Your Kids
"Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." -Colossians 3:21

Parents who communicate effectively with their children give them a clear sense of boundaries and security. They show them love and give them a sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Children who learn to communicate effectively can articulate their wants and needs. Those who don't are led to violent behavior in order to have those misunderstood needs met.

3. Your Ministry
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1Peter 3:15

What harm does it do if you approach someone the wrong way about Jesus? The worst they can do is say no, right? Wrong! Someone who has been told repeatedly that they are going to hell may grow weary of people spiritually beating them up. It leaves them with a bad taste in their mouth about Jesus, Christianity or Christians in general. This can apply to other Christians who don't see things exactly as you do. "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-" 1 Cor 10:32

4. Your Education
"He who answers before listening-that is his folly and his shame." -Proverbs 18:13

"Students with ineffective listening skills fail to absorb much of the material to which they are exposed. Their problems are intensified when they respond incorrectly or inappropriately because of poor speaking skills." -National Communication Association study on Why Communication is Important

5. Your College Career
"From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied." -Proverbs 18:20

College applications require several essays these days. Not only do they evaluate your student's accomplishments, which are written into the essay, but they evaluate the ability of the student to convey this effectively. Admission officers are looking for articulate and accomplished candidates. If your student is accomplished but cannot convey that to a college admissions board, he will be passed over for one who can! Even the college entrance exams are communication skills-intensive these days.

6. Your Job Interview
"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul." -Proverbs 18:7

These days, companies are looking for someone who is knowledgeable and confident without being arrogant. They ask interview questions designed to flush out your true desires and beliefs and they evaluate your appearance to help them judge which candidate is best. Not all of your interview is based on your resume; in fact, they will only grant an interview if you have a stellar resume! The resume is just the beginning of the job interview process. Interviewers will ask you things like, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Employers want a concise, but not negative reason why you left your previous employment. According to a study in 2000 done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 1000 human resource managers ranked preferred skills for being hired as follows:
1) Oral Communication Skills,
2) Written Communication Skills and
3) Listening (which is a communication skill).

7. Climbing your Corporate Ladder
"He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend." -Proverbs 22:11

People with good communication skills are more likely to do a better job which would naturally result in promotions. Here are some of the results of various studies on the impact of communication skills on job success:

* Research done by the U.S. Department of Labor concluded that the skills most needed by employers in the 21st century that tomorrow's workers must master are "listening and speaking abilities."

* Persuasion skills and the ability to interact with others result in greater career advancement and higher salaries for graduates according to a 20 year-study of Stanford University MBA's.

8. Your Business
"Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." -Colossians 4:6

Business owners have to communicate on a variety of issues including
1) How to save time and money on your supplies,
2) Creating a communication package for your business,
3) How to present yourself as an expert in your field,
4) How to effectively handle customer service, complaints and returns,
5) How to make contacts,
6) Effective use of social networking groups,
7) Handling kids and business,
8) How/when to share your faith in business,
9) How to gain support from family and friends,
10) How to motivate your employees,
11) How to train your customer service staff, and
12) How to deal with customer relations and company image issues.

All of these issues involve mastering certain communication skills!

9. Your Friendships
"An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of the citadel." Proverbs 18:19

Good communicators enjoy
1) Self Confidence,
2) Leadership,
3) Personal Presence,
4) Credibility,
5) Ability to Explain and Persuade,
6) Understanding of Others, and
7) Interaction Enjoyment.

Every one of these qualities help us to make friends and maintain relationships!

10. Your Happiness
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." -Proverbs 25:11

Studies show that effective communicators are actually happier than their counterparts. This is precisely because they have happier marriages, better friendships and relationships, better careers, make more money and are fulfilled. They know how to get the things they want and need in life because they know how to communicate those wants and needs effectively.

In today's complicated and secular world, miscommunication and misunderstanding abounds and, because of this, it takes far more communication skill to get along in the world these days. Further, each aspect of communication requires different skills and techniques in order to master. For these reasons, the Lord mentions communication skills HUNDREDS of times in His Word. Communication skills are vital for all relationships, for career success, and most importantly, are imperative in order to fulfill The Great Commission. God talks about communication skills in His Word literally hundreds of times. Isn't it about time we heeded His warnings and studied them?

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Effective Communication Skills: How To Improve

Understanding how to improve communication skills is a difficult task for many people, and in most cases it is easy to see why. Many people find interacting with other uncomfortable, and often fear going outside of their communication comfort zone. In other cases, people do not realize that they indeed require improvement in their communication skills. Therefore the improvement process requires evaluating the individuals existing skills and determining where change would be beneficial, and then more importantly, the best way to approach that improvement.

Any strategy for correction should begin with an understanding of what communication skills are. They include the tactical tenets of communication including speaking, writing, reading, and listening, however they also include more dialed-down skills such empathetic and active listening, appropriate physical reaction and response, and context comprehension. We develop our communication skills over time after countless hours of interaction with other people. During this development we unfortunately learn and assimilate bad habits that are often difficult to break.

Understanding how to improve communication skills is beneficial because in some cases a persons communication abilities suffer an arrested development during their formative years, and they enter adulthood lacking effective interaction abilities. In many cases people would argue that their personality dictates their communication style and thus their interaction skill-set, however it could be argued that our communication development in many ways influences our personality. Our communication style and skills form our public image and concept of self-identity. Improving communication skills will improve how those around you perceive you and improve your connection with them.

While a how-to template will aid you in improving your communication skills, it is important to note that any template must be tailored and customized to suit the idiosyncrasies of the individual. The final goals and objectives will remain paramount and therefore inflexible, however, there is always room to mold your own how-to plan from the basic structure of a template. For instance, some self-improvement programs call for a certain volume and type of practice that may not be compatible with your time constraints or comfort level.

Self-improvement is an important phase in the personal development process, and there are many rewards for proactively seeking to correct personal shortcomings. It is important to consider why you want to invite change before you decide how to improve communication skills. Effective interpersonal communication is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, and any effort to improve is a positive endeavor. Consider for a moment how many hours a day you spend communicating and interacting with those around you? With a loved one when you woke up this morning? With the bus driver on the way to work? The sales clerk at the morning coffee shop? Your colleague in the cubicle next to you as you discuss your most recent assignment? As you receive direction on that assignment from your immediate manager.

How to Improve Communication Skills Template

1. Take some time and care to recognize and note how you communicate with those around you. Analyze your speaking style including tone, volume, and diction. Analyze your writing style including spelling and grammar, neatness, and vocabulary.

2. Identify problems, conflicts, or contradictions in how you communicate with the world around you. These trouble areas will become the focus of your improvement plan.

3. Identify the situations where you feel comfortable and don't feel comfortable implementing change.

4. Adjust your existing objectives to include newly discovered short-terms goals.

5. Identify opportunities to "practice" and look for avenues for feedback throughout the process. Self-monitoring and review is also helpful to grade your progress.

It is important to be patient throughout the process as self-improvement on any scale can take considerable time. For those individuals that feel they need a helping hand in any of the steps that were just listed, there are assistance programs and templates available. A number of academic institutions or professional counselors and tutors offer courses and seminars that provide communication skills training. Similarly, there are various online communication tests that allow the individual to assess their strengths and weaknesses.

After taking the leap and determining how to improve communication skills, there are a few simple recommendations to aid the individual through this enlightening process;

- When speaking remember to move at a steady and appropriate pace, use pauses when needed, and try to enunciate words to avoid slurring.

- Also when speaking, focus on using appropriate volume, including volume changes for effect where necessary, and appropriate tone.

- Prepare yourself for speaking engagements or parties. If you typically experience breakdowns or prolonged pauses in these situations take the time beforehand to brush up on names and backgrounds. Practice asking and then answering questions to yourself, for example, ask yourself 'How have you been? What have you been up-to?' and then answer yourself. Recognize the context of the engagement; a formal affair dictates a different communication style than an informal, and thus these skills may need to be used in a different manner.

- For written documents, make an effort to proof read final copies.

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The Art of Public Speaking 9th Edition - Helping You to Be on Top of Your Career

An individual can definitely become a public speaker, if he possess good communication skills and can easily relate to the public. Individuals can also be in public speaking careers and one of these is becoming an expert author. A profession in public speaking is not only limited to speaking to the crowd, it can also cover publications by writers. These professionals compile all their knowledge and understanding about effective public speaking and convert them into books so the public can use for reference. Speech writing is also a branch of public speaking, wherein the speech is drafted by the writer. The job needs a high level of proficiency in drafting speeches and also good communication skills.

A public speaking profession can be the ideal option for somebody who has passion in communicating and interacting with people. Aside from the fact these types of professions are one of the high-paying jobs; there is still a shortage of effective speaking to be a part of this line of work. These experts have made a high demand in various industries, particularly in the corporate world. In the said industry, people who are excellent in establishing rapport to the public as well as brilliant in conveying ideas to the crowd are badly needed. These things can only be made by gurus in the public speaking.

In some cases, professionals who have a firm possession of language and techniques of public communication can be alternates of expert public speakers. However, there are cases where corporate people fail to handle the responsibility and resort to hiring public speakers to do it for them. Public speakers are good in gathering their idea and concept conveyed to individuals without having any single doubt. They are hired by software companies, manufacturing organizations, educational institutions, financial companies and the like.

In a software development office, they use all the references, and collate details and knowledge which should be taught to their staffs. They have seminars and lectures to convey all the knowledge about the new proceedings. In manufacturing companies, they are taught about the new technology that is explained in a simple and informative manner. All of these organizations impart the learnings to their employees in such a way that they will be completely informed.

Public speakers are also hired on contract basis in the entertainment industry which they normally perform in award ceremonies and entertainment events. These people are very in demand in the corporate world, to serve as their lecturer in trainings, seminars and other orientation. In fact, they are offered skyrocketing professional fee because of their expertise.

In addition to that, a public speaker should be excellent in decision-making and smart to be able to answer promptly in all the questions that his listeners would ask. If you are aiming to become an expert of this type of profession go through some references so you will have more ideas on its nature and the whole concept of the matter. Books such as The Art of Public Speaking 9th Edition is one of the best references that can start to read on. This will help you fully understand the essence of public speaking and what it can do to your life. The Art of Public Speaking 9th Edition is one of the latest books that is out in the market. And most experts even recommend this to those aspiring public speakers.

Public speaking professions are definitely one of the brilliant jobs that will help you improve your life. If you are dreaming to become one, you simply have to master what you want to convey to your audience and get to know them well.

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Why People Really Fear Public Speaking

An entire industry has developed around the simple skill of public speaking. Studies have shown that public speaking is more feared than death by most Americans. Of course, the greatest fear must be of public speaking to death, that would combine the worst of all evils. Why are most Americans so afraid of public speaking?

My first memories of public speaking fear tie back to early memories of school, and more importantly public speaking at school. I think many of our fears of public speaking tie back to that scenario. I recall being required to stand before the class and recite, from memory, a poem by Chaucer. I was terrified that I would not remember it, and watched as classmate after classmate forgot the poem, and stood there besieged with laughter from his classmates. When I think of my classmates, I wonder how public speaking, given this memory, affects them later in life. Did this one horrible event make everyone fearful of public speaking?

I wish that this instance was unusual, but I hear it over and over again when I ask students when they developed their fear of speaking. It is my theory that a lot of public speaking fear is really fear of memorization. That's why, in my public speaking courses; I try to eliminate all memorization. I teach speakers that in real life, nobody memorizes anything. You speak from a prepared text or, at a minimum bulleted notes. I have found that once I remove memorization from the public speaking syllabus, speakers loosen up and focus their energy more on positive delivery than negative fear. To me, memorization is the cause of public speaking anxiety. That is why I completely remove it from speaker's lives to make them happier and more effective.

Do you look stiff reading from a prepared text? Not if you practice and learn good eye contact techniques. Sure, you look more natural without looking at your notes, but you sacrifice your health and happiness. Also, the tension will eliminate any off the cuff naturalness. In the end, you really are better off, and more successful, without making memorization a part of your public speaking job.

Think back on your first bad public speaking experience. Did it include memorization? I thought so.

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Learning Great Communication Skills

To be successful in life, you need to have great communication skills, involving not only talking, but also listening. Communication allows you to make a connection to another person while gaining an understanding of what that individual has to say. Many people do not realize that communication involves many different forms, each that must be mastered, which includes oral, written, and even visual. Once you become highly skilled with communication skills, you will find that life is easier, on a personal and business level.

However, poor communication skills result in all types of problems such as:
Inaccurate messages sent or received Important directions being misunderstood Confusion over questions asked Concern regarding level of performance Trust being damaged or broken

The truth is that communication skills on any level are critical. For instance, in the business world, being able to communicate with other employees, vendors, sales staff, managers, and of course customers, means better business overall. Communication on a personal level ensures misunderstandings between couples, parents, children, and friends are avoided. As mentioned, communication is not just talking but also listening, which includes:

Passive Listening

Passive listening involves hearing spoken words but not absorbing them or taking action, if necessary.

Active Listening

Active listening involves hearing and understanding words spoken, which means you then have the ability to take any appropriate action.

In addition, every person should learn ways to use open-ended questions when trying to get someone to make a commitment. Finally, learning ways to read body language is another form of communication that is quite powerful. Some people call this "silent communication", which is a great form that should not be overlooked. Remember though that good communication does not mean confrontation.

Good personal communication boils down to breaking out of the traditional mold by making a concerted effort to improve life. Yes, this requires discipline and time but knowing how to communicate the right way is worth the investment. Once you master skills for listening and hearing, you will find that life is much easier. For you to learn good communication skills, you must have all of the following:

Respect

Remember that just because you are respectful in a conversation does not mean you are in agreement with what the other person is saying. In fact, you might have vast differences but showing respect is what helps you hear the other person's point of view and perhaps, you might learn something.

Listen

One of the hardest communication skills people have to learn is being a good listener. This is not just listening, but hearing what the person is saying so you can analyze the information. With this, you would then know the next steps to take.

Willingness

Be willing to communicate and remember that communication is often challenging but by talking and listening, you actually grow personally by being in better control and showing patience.

No two people communicate the same way. Everyone uses different words, has different skills levels, and uses different methods for getting points across. All you need to do is worry about yourself, being patient and accepting the fact that good communication skills put you in better control.

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How To Master Basic Communication Skills

I have a problem with the term 'basic communication skills'; my problem is that this term implies that these skills are very simple and that you are somehow lacking and weak if you don't have them. Certain communication skills are certainly 'basic' to the extent that they are very necessary and that a lot of the success of communication has to be built upon these foundations.

But it is by no means true to say that everyone should somehow naturally possess these skills, which is a slur on those who find communication difficult. Communication skills can be earned.

In every situation and every occupation in adult life, it helps to have certain communication skills.

Verbal Communication:

1. You should be able to speak clearly and concisely to either report factual information or convey an opinion. This is quite a straightforward skill to practice and you can even start by practising on your friends; they will be glad to hear your opinions.

2. Practice speaking to groups as well as individuals; that is quite a different skill to ensure that everyone is included and that everyone gets your message.

3. When you are thinking of improving your verbal communication skills, is it your choice of language, your style of delivery or the way you speak which needs to be worked on? You could ask the advice of a friend or trusted colleague on that as it is sometimes difficult to judge for yourself.

4. You might want to consider taking an acting class or a course on diction to help you to improve your communication skills; local colleges often offer a variety of these courses. You may also find courses in specific areas of communications skills such as customer services, hospitality and conflict management.

Written Communication:

1. Written communication is a different skill to verbal communication; getting your ideas of paper is something that a lot of people find difficult, whether they are an aspiring novelist or someone who finds it difficult to write a concise, understandable e-mail.

2. Learning how to use grammar properly is often the key to clearer written communication. Most jobs and most purposes of writing will require you to have an adequate grasp of grammar. Grammar is definitely something in which you should easily be able to find a course offered at your local college. You could improve your grammar through a business writing course or one aimed at creative writing, whichever you would prefer.

Alternatively, you can find self-help books and workbooks to learn the skills of grammar at your own pace, in your own home. You can also find online writing courses to help you a lot in this area.

Listening:

1. The ability to listen well is the key to understanding communication; in order to do that, you need to fully focus your attention on the speaker to begin with.

2. You can develop your knowledge along with your listening skills by checking out audio tapes and video tapes, perhaps ones loaned from the local library, and practicing fully attending to what is being said on them. You will soon realize that we very often only listen with part of our attention in normal life, but once you have practiced your listening skills you will be able to discern much more from what is being said to you.

Practising these speaking and listening skills will enable you to much more effectively share your opinions with others and defend what you think against their opposing ideas.

Practise your writing and you can express what you want to whomever you wish. When you have practised communicating for a while you will be able to communicate clearly and concisely and be assertive without appearing rude.

A really fun way to become good at such a skill it to listen to radio phone-ins or chat show; you can do this easily, listening to the radio on your drive into work, for instance. Listen out for how people articulate their views and how others receive the messages, depending on how they are expressed.

You will find it fun and quite easy to develop your basic communication skills once you begin to look for opportunities like this.

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Communication Skills Training Primer

We all stand to benefit from ongoing communication skills training. This is because communication skills are one of the most vitally important sets of skills a person can ever hope to acquire, in both personal and business relationships. Also, with so many forms and styles of communication possible, and so many unique personality types in any cross section of people, having good communication skills is arguable a fairly broad, ambitious goal.  

The good news is, being a good communicator is a learned set of skills. We are all born with varying levels of natural talent at any given skill - but we all have the option of getting better at those skills, and that includes communication. 

Types Of Communication

As we all know, there are many, many forms of communication taking place in modern society on a daily basis. In fact, we are constantly bombarded with communication whether we like it or not. A large percentage are marketing messages in one form or another, and they are delivered by email, mobile phones, online ads, TV commercials, telemarketers, and the list goes on. 

But, what most of us think about when discussing communication skills is that of verbal communication, whether face-to-face, or in a group setting. Arguably, it is this realm of communication where peoples' relationships, careers, and lives to some extent, are truly impacted significantly by their communication skills.  

Along those lines, here is some very interesting data courtesy of Wikipedia, regarding interpersonal communication: 

55% of impact is determined by body language-postures, gestures, and eye contact, 38% by the tone of voice, and 7% by the content or the words used in the communication process.  So, I ask you - is there anything immediately noteworthy about the above statements? Anyone? 

Yes, you are correct: Only SEVEN percent (7%) of our interpersonal communication is impacted significantly by the, well to quote, the "content of the words used in the communication process." The rest of the influence over the communication process is defined by the body language primarily, and secondarily, our tone of voice.  

In other words, what you say is a lot LESS important than how you say it - and I would venture it is fair to say, a lot less important than most of us ever would have guessed - had we not taken time to be good students of communication skills by writing and reading articles like this one =) but I digress. 

When you think about it, this does make sense. Have you ever met a person that, for example, is an immigrant with limited command over the primary spoken language, and yet launches a thriving, successful business or has the highest sales quota in their organization? That is a testament to this principal in action. And, this provides a clue for where to begin in the process of improving our communication skills.

Communication Skills Training

Knowing how important our body language and tone of voice is provides a great basis for where to begin with communication skills training. We are talking about things like having a posture that is relaxed and open, rather than tense, closed, or aggressive. Things like choosing to use a personable, interesting, rhythmic voice while talking or presenting, rather than droning on in an endless, monotone voice. And then there is perhaps the most simple, yet arguably most powerful nonverbal communication tool any of us could ever have; putting a smile on your face, like this:  =)   See how good that works?

Whether you are interested in on the job advancement and success, or improving your relationship with your spouse, investing in solid communication skills training is an investment in yourself that pays very big dividends. The good news is, there is a ton of very simple, powerful techniques you can learn to vastly improve your communication skills. It's not rocket science, and it is not an inborn "talent". It just takes some practice, and optionally, the guidance of skilled communication coach.

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