48 better communication

8/11/2019 48 Better Communication

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Here are a few tips

Better Communication



1. Watch your word count.

Generally speaking, the more words youuse, the better the chance that you’ll

confuse things. If you talk for half an hour,people might remember that you gave aspeech, but if you speak for only five

minutes, they’ll remember what you said.This is the secret to the Gettysburg address:

make your points brief, simple and to thepoint, and put it in language the audience

will relate to.



2. Write less, say more.

• As a corollary to #1 above, write withclarity and economy. As a rule, keep all

memos to one page or less. If you feelthat you need more space to waxeloquent, write a one-page summary and

include the rest as an appendix. Chancesare nobody will read past the first pageanyway, so write accordingly.



3. Let your drawings andmodels do the talking.

• It’s true that a picture is worth a thousandwords; use this to your advantage.

Instead of explaining all the details, say “as you can see on the model (or in theplan)…” Your drawings and models will

say far more in a glance than you can inan hour, and much more eloquently.



4. “Present in reverse.”

• Before starting any presentation, decide whatyou want the outcome to be, then design yourtalk backwards from that. Take as little time as

necessary to get to your point. As you speak,trade places with the audience in your head —besensitive to how they are responding. Are yougetting good eye contact? Are they paying

attention or are they listless? Do theyunderstand what you are saying? Are theyconvinced? How do you know?



5. Avoid inconsistency andexaggeration.

• Don’t say one thing if the drawings ormodels say something else. Speak the

facts plainly and let the audience draw itsown conclusions; they’ll appreciate yourconfidence in their judgment. And while

it’s OK to be dramatic to make a point, ifyou blow things out of proportion, nobodywill believe the next sentence out of yourmouth.



6. Watch the visuals.

• Your posture, your clothing, and yourpresentation material do make a difference. Aneloquent speech can easily be derailed by visualdistractions. Remember that presentation is a

performance art —you are literally doing theater.Control what your audience sees as much aswhat it hears. Graphics are important. Payattention to the design of your letterhead,brochures, drawing layouts, proposal formats,etc. Make sure they’re attractive and easy toread. Like the clothes you wear, they tell a storyabout you whether you like it or not.



7. Go for closure.

• The two main purposes of a presentation are toshare information or make decisions. You’llnever arrive at a conclusion unless the audience

says “yes.” Make this easy on them by having allthe relevant and required information at hand —

“decision-ready information” —then don’t beafraid to ask for an answer. If the client can’t

commit, find out why. Remember that thelargest part of being a good communicator isbeing a good listener.



8. Know when to stop.

• Many a cake has been ruined by being left in theoven too long. If you plan to speak for five

minutes, don’t take seven. Remember ThomasO’Neill’s famous dictum that “when you’ve gotthe votes, count the roll.” Your audience willappreciate your brevity and will reward you with

their confidence (and their votes). “Over-communicating” can be just as dangerous as

“under-communicating.”

48 better communication

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