Public Speaking— Make Clear and To the Point

Do you want to communicate ideas clearly?  Do you want to be clear and to-the-point for presentations?  Those presentations could be any presentation, from a five-minute informal chat, to a thirty-minute formal speech using many examples. Here are some tips for expressing ideas clearly.

Being clear simply means that when you speak, write, or otherwise communicate, your listener understands your intended message.

Probably you are like most people.  You start from the point of view of “What do I want to tell my listener?”

Instead, best is to make your point of view from the listener’s side of the communication.  Try asking yourself this question:  What do I want my listener to do, think, or feel as a result of my communication?

First, be clear with yourself about what your goals are. Then have information about who the listener is, what filters are in place, and how to get through those filters so that you can be understood.

Present your ideas in an order that the listener can understand–  you want the listener to be nodding in agreement with you as you speak.

Here is one of my favorite techniques to organize your thoughts and communicate logically. The P.R.E.P. approach is great because you can use it in an impromptu fashion.  P.R.E.P. stands for point, reason, example, point.

• My point is: Exercise is energizing.
• The reason is: It makes your heart rate go up.
• My example is: After at least 20 to 30 minutes of increased heart rate, you are more energized when you leave the fitness center than when you entered it.
• So my point is: Exercise is energizing.

Another strategy is to list and number your points.  Here is an example:

I recommend that you hire the new consultant to create a plan that will

1. Increase sales.
2. Improve morale and enthusiasm.
3. Increase productivity.

Unfortunately, no one is born knowing how to express ideas clearly.  But there are clever strategies to organize your thoughts and communicate clearly?

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.