How often have you had a conversation where you struggle to get your point across? Do you find yourself losing listeners while figuring out how to say exactly what you mean? Are you often knocked off course when met with resistance or interruption?
There are three core principles to achieve clear communication and we’ve spent over 35 years arming professionals with techniques to make them second nature. Whether you’re answering questions on the-spot, getting ideas across at a meeting, or trying to get buy-in on an idea, if you keep these three rules top of mind, you can’t go wrong. The best part? These ideas work in just about any situation business or casual.
Principles of Clear Communication
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Get to the core
Take a deep breath and focus on the main message. What is the one takeaway you want to share with your audience? Say that first. If you get lost you can come back to this main point, it will help you stay focused – and concise.
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Keep ideas distinct
Clearly separate one idea from the other. This will ensure your listeners have digested your first idea before you give them the second. Breaking a big idea into multiple chunks (we recommend 3) will also help you remember your facts and arguments because they directly relate to a specific sub-topic. Subheadings make any document easier to read, imagine these chunks are your verbal subheadings.
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Make your logic flow
Arrange your ideas into a sequence that flows logically into one another. This becomes powerful when each idea builds on the previous one and creates a forward moving dynamic. This movement adds energy and impact to your ideas – and helps persuade your listeners.
Together, these three principles ensure clear communication that won’t confuse or lose your audience. A set of ideas broken down into digestible chunks, clearly separated from each other, and linked by a forward-moving dynamic will lead your listeners to a well-targeted conclusion.
Our communication techniques are the foundation for all other skills:
leading, speaking, writing, selling, and managing.
