Posted by How to talk so people listen? Everyone wants to be heard when they speak, to have their points sent across and to be well understood by many. However, as we fly into the future, communication isn’t as easy and straightforward as it used to be. Many have yet to understand the revolution of communication, what’s happened to the current society and how we have changed our form of communication. This eventually leads to one feeling undervalued and misinterpreted as communication is after all the foundation that builds all human relationships.
Nonetheless, what you may not realise about communication and to send your points across is often counter-intuitive. The core aspect of communication is to understand who you are speaking to. Analysing your audience and knowing the techniques that need to be used will assist in delivering your message effectively.
To master your communication in a workplace you will first need to understand:
1) How people listen, learn and speak in the twenty-first century.
2) Comprehend what motivates and drives people to listen.
3) The other factors that influence the way people communicate with each other in a workplace.
Even with all our mesmerising inventions to date, personal and live communication still plays a key role for many great businesses. Remember to reclaim and enhance past and traditional communication tactics with a touch of your own twenty-first century “get-to-them-point” approach.
Adding your personal qualities and touch to the conversation will immediately capture the attention of your listeners. Whether or not you are going for a formal or cocktail party style approach, place yourself in the recipient’s shoes to identify the type of conversation or speech qualities you would find yourself responding to best.
You will now find two lists below that describes the common speaking styles. These lists are provided to help you understand the type of qualities you would listen to and the kind that you would avoid or resist.
Based on the lists above, the preferences may vary based on your personality. However, List 2 would most likely grasp higher attention and response rate compared to List 1 due to its positive and appealing communication qualities.
Understanding what appeals to listeners would result in greater payoffs. It is natural for many to prefer polite, warm and friendly speakers over the ones that are formal and reserved, as it puts the listeners at ease and dares them to participate openly in the conversation with the speaker. Knowledgeable and humorous speakers move their audience into a comfort zone where casual conversation and questions are encouraged. Formal and vague conversations make us feel uncomfortable and often times, speaker misunderstand complex conversation for professionalism which results in your audience to not listen.
Although there are more complexed and personal styles on how every individual communicate, these are just some primary illustrations and descriptions to help you understand the types of qualities people respond to, and would rather listen to.
Many more aspects contribute to how one communicates with their audience:
1) Tone of voice.
2) Body language.
3) Choice of words.
4) Attitude.
These basic communication qualities encourage you to explore the kind of speech qualities you’d want to present and to understand your listeners better. Keep in mind that the generational group of your audience also plays an essential role in communication in a workplace.
About the Author:
Nivetha Rashni a.k.a Niv, is a Digital Marketer who writes to help readers be informed about latest tips and tricks to achieve their goals. Niv has worked in the Human Resources and Human Capital industries in most of her professional career. Niv also has a passion for art and enjoys painting during her free time.
Reach me at nivrashni@jobstore.com