Fundamentals of Effective Communication 


Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!



ЗНАЕТЕ ЛИ ВЫ?

Fundamentals of Effective Communication



Of all the skills employers desire in employees, oral communication skills rank highest.Survey after survey reports that oral communication skills are considered even more important than writing and math skills, as well as a number of other job-related qualities, such as initiative, technical competence, and organizational abilities.

Oral communication encompasses a variety of genres: conversations, interviews, discussions, debates, and negotiations, to name just a few. Many of these speech events take place in fairly nonthreatening settings, with interactions occurring either between two people or within small groups. However, there are times in almost everybody’s life when public speaking is required. Many careers are based on a certain amount of public speaking. Take teachers, trial lawyers, politicians, broadcast

journalists, or preachers, for example. For all of them, public speaking is an integral part of daily life. Likewise, people in leadership positions are routinely asked to share their views or provide guidance in larger settings. But even for those whose careers don’t call for public speaking, opportunities for speaking in front of audiences abound.

Preparing Your Presentation

Considering Your Audience. The most important aspect of public speaking is the audience. At all times during theprocess of preparing and delivering a speech, we need to keep in mind that we arespeaking to an audience and not just to ourselves. Whether the goal is to entertain, toinform, or to persuade, we should try to reach our listeners and tailor the speech to them.

If you don’t know who will be in your audience, the answers to these questions will have to be educated guesses. If your audience is predetermined, however, you may want to gather information through surveys or other research and tailor your speech to the exact needs and interests of your listeners. Your efforts will be rewarded by the feedback you receive for a presentation that is interesting and sensitive to your audience.

Choosing a Topic. When speeches are given in political or professional contexts, speakers focus on theirareas of expertise. They may have some freedom in choosing a topic, but the broadertheme is predefined. An environmental activist at a political rally, for example, isexpected to talk about environmental issues, and a sales representative of a computersoftware company will probably discuss software.

Students in public speaking classes generally have more freedom in selecting their speech topics. In most cases, limits are set only by sensitivity considerations or taboos, usually eliminating such themes as sex, religious proselytizing, and extremist political persuasions.

Determining Your Purpose. To fine-tune your focus before you start research

and specific purpose as well as the central idea of your speech. The general purpose of a speech usually is to entertain, to inform, or to persuade; the specific purpose describes exactly what a speaker wants to accomplish; and the central idea is the core of your message.

Researching Your Topic. After you have selected a topic and determined your specific purpose, you shouldresearch it thoroughly. Your audience will expect comprehensive and up-to-datecoverage.

Selecting Support Material. Research furnishes you with information about your topic and can lead you to suitablesupport materials. These materials are essential for effective speech-making because theyarouse interest, provide substance, and emphasize important ideas.

When choosing support materials, consider the background of the audience. Some concepts and examples are more common in some cultures than in others. Make sure to choose support materials with which the audience is familiar.

 

Effective Presentation

Organizing Your Speech

Once you have researched your topic and collected support materials, the first part of your speech preparation is completed. Now, it is time to organize your ideas. The most common and versatile pattern is the division into introduction, body, and conclusion.

Body. You may be tempted to plan the introduction first. The easiest way to

organize a speech, however, is to start with the body. Look at your material and divide it into major points. In general, the fewer main points you have, the better. A relatively small number of main points makes your speech more translucent and memorable for the audience. A short speech of five minutes, for example, should not have more than three or four main points.

The next step is to arrange your main points within the body. For this purpose, you need to consider the general content of your main points. Depending on this content, your speech will probably lend itself to one of the following traditional organization patterns. Determining the content of the body will help you plan an effective introduction and conclusion for your speech. The body is best done first so that it can provide an anchor for the beginning and ending of your presentation.

Introduction. One of the most important parts of a speech is the introduction. The introduction should function as an attention-getter, create interest, motivate the audience to listen, establish your credibility, and give a preview of your main points. While there are different ways to accomplish these goals, the following pattern has been proven effective and may serve as a guideline.

How to Create an Effective Introduction



Поделиться:


Последнее изменение этой страницы: 2017-02-07; просмотров: 387; Нарушение авторского права страницы; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!

infopedia.su Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав. Обратная связь - 3.81.57.77 (0.005 с.)