I recently attended a conference wherein I observed six influential speakers share their views on a topic. The topic was rather new to me. It was interesting to see how each speaker shared their wisdom.  Each speaker delivered information through distinctive communication styles. The cultural and speaking style differences  were evident and distinct. Some speakers made more of an impact over others.

 

 

The most effective speaker:

The speaker that stood out had a good sense of humour, he was audible, he spoke with passion, which gave him a certain level of genuineness, he exuded confidence, it was clear that he had a very deep comprehension of the topic and that he was prepared to speak, he provided hand-outs, he interacted with observers, he told stories – he had the gift of the gab. Also, when others spoke, he took notes and showed interest. And he asked for feedback at the end.

 

 

The poor characteristics observed were: too self-absorbed wherein they did not interact with the audience, some were inaudible when they shared crucial information, and questions were answered with hesitation, poor posture.

 

 

I think strong communication skills come from practice and respecting feedback and constructively improving your presentations based on audiences’ comments and response.  I think observing good speakers speak can also help. Taking the good points and emulating them will provide you with a basis for how you want to present yourself.

 

Esha

 

Copyright © Esha Abrol, Canada. 2008