Be Understood ? Speaking Clearly and Effectively | Article Directory ...

Don?t you just hate it when someone rambles on and on with no point? Or in the opposite situation, when they say so little that you wonder what it was all about? If you would like to prevent blank stares or misunderstandings, read on.

People aren?t mind readers?you have to make sure you communicate both the ?what? and the ?why? to them. It?s really not that difficult to lead them from Point A to Point B. You just have to make a new habit of fleshing out the important parts of what you are talking about. Here are some examples of how you can do this. (Assuming that the problem is not due to a physical speech problem like talking too fast or not pronouncing words distinctly ? I do plan on covering this subject at a later time though)

Be specific

Our brains work best when we talk about concrete specific things. Nothing makes conversation more boring than using all generalities. Details are key?add them liberally!! For instance, if you are talking about the ballgame that you went to, you could talk about the exciting energy in the stadium, the sour taste of the hotdogs, the guy that sat in front of you that smelled like swiss cheese, your favorite part of the game, who won, etc. This is much better than simply saying something like ?Oh it fun. We had hotdogs and it was a good time.? Remember: generic = boring. Boring words lead to people being bored.

Speak in terms that they can understand

Everyone has different levels of experience. The best communicators know this and adapt the level of conversation to the listener?s understanding. For example, I am a guitar player. The way that I discuss what I love about music is very different when I am talking to a fellow musician that it would be talking to anyone else. It would be pointless to refer to music theory and different sonic techniques if they don?t know about them. Whomever I talk with, I try to make sure that what I talk about is in terms that they can understand. I do this by relating what I know to something that I am positive that they already know about. Sometimes it means that I put a little extra effort in relating to them, but it?s easy and helps us understand each other.

Make your point obvious

I am not someone who tends to ramble on and on, but I have friends who do this, God bless em! They move from subject to subject in such a rapid fashion that you have no clue what they are trying to get across. After about the 3rd or 4th topic change I begin to become lost in their maze of thinking. I?m sure what they are saying is valid?it would just be nice if they explained the point of it all! It makes conversation much easier if you throw in sentences that bluntly say what you are feeling or thinking. What is the main drive behind your conversation? We cannot always read minds?it helps others if you make your point obvious. You may think that it may insult their intelligence to do this, but that is a false belief. They will appreciate it. They know where you are going with the conversation and will follow you with renewed vigor.

For those who tend to be more reserved or shy, they also make the same mistake of not explaining their thoughts enough. Again, we cannot read minds! If this describes you, add a few sentences that explain things better so that others can understand you. It is better to explain what and why you think something than to make others guess.

Check in with them

Do a quick check to make sure that they really have understood what you were talking about. Are they reacting appropriately? Are they staring blankly at you with a deer in the headlights look? Do they immediately talk about something that isn?t even connected to what you are trying to say? These are big clues that you lost them somehow. Back up and make things more obvious to them.

Basically these all boil down to talking more and being more descriptive with what you do say. When in doubt, err on the side of talking too much rather than not saying enough. You?ll find that others will appreciate it and listen to you more intently.

Source: http://blog.articledirectoryusa.com/2012/03/03/be-understood-speaking-clearly-and-effectively/

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