Weekly Thought Archives > Can You Hear Me Now (Part 1)

Can You Hear Me Now (Part 1)

Speaking to an audience is an awesome responsibility. When you speak to a thousand listeners for thirty minutes, you have used five hundred hours of human life.

As a lifelong student of communication, here are a few of the many principles I find helpful.

1. Check your attitude -- I ask myself these questions: Do I feel obligated or privileged to speak? Am I prepared, therefore confident? Do I know what is expected of me? Do I know what I expect to accomplish? Am I sure of my opening so I won’t be tentative or negative? Do I like the people to whom I am speaking?

2. Be prepared -- Preparation is the price we pay for the privilege of speaking. Always speak from a full cup --- the best communication comes out of the overflow. In each preparation, there must be the yeast of newly discovered truth: exciting, new, and expanding insights, as well as practical applications. But never let your preparation show â“ masters of any art make it look effortless.

3. Be believable -- Belief in the messenger makes belief in the message easier. Christ was believable because He spoke with authority. Believability comes from agreement among all the elements: style, dress, speech, vocabulary, body language, and truthful reputation.

4. Be audience oriented -- Great communicators have the heart of a servant, not a master. They are there to contribute to the audience, and grateful for the opportunity. They come to express, not impress. True communication is about speaking to an audience about a subject â“ not speaking on a subject to an audience.

5. Be personal -- Try to get direct eye contact with as many individuals as possible without seeming nervous. Good communication makes the audience feel they know the speaker ---and more importantly, the speaker knows them. Billy Graham accomplished this with his opening, "You are not here by accident. You are here by the will of God. This message is for you."

6. Be enjoyable -- Take your message seriously, but not yourself. Let people enjoy it along with you. No matter how heavy or light the material, it can be made enjoyable by a master communicator. To be truly enjoyable, both the emotions and the mind must be stimulated.

This week think carefully about: 1) When is the last time I thought this seriously about my communication skills? 2) Which point can I implement this week? 3) Who would benefit from reading this Weekly Thought from Fred?

Words of Wisdom: "Speak to express, not impress."

Wisdom from the Word: "The one who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious ---the King will be his friend." (Proverbs 22:11 NET Bible)