Speaking with the Listener in Mind

In public speaking, the listener/audience is foremost in the mind of the successful speaker, influencing:

• your content and the way it is organized,
• level of vocabulary,
• the appropriateness of any humor,
• the use of stories,
• rate of speaking,and
• volume, to name just a few.

It truly is “The Way You Say It”, that will determine if your message is received and understood. We could ask; why speak in French if your audience is listening in German?

1. Spend less time worrying about what they think of you, and

2. Spend more of your time figuring out the needs and characteristics of your listeners:

• The issues of the audience
• Their level of interest and sophistication
• Their need for background information
• How much you need to adapt to their own communication problems (noise, hearing loss, etc.)

The general principle of “Listener first” supersedes all other needs if you are serious about effective communication whether it is a one-to-one conversation or a presentation to a group.

Contrast this with “self-expression” where you let whatever comes into mind go right out your mouth. Your lack of thoughtfulness may feel like freedom to you, but may be perceived as ego-centric, ill-formed babble by someone else.

Do you know someone who just talks on and on in a stream-of-consciousness narrative with no regard to the needs of their listener? I’ll bet you do.

Have you often wanted to say,” Get to the point!” I’ll bet you have.

Will you try to become more mindful of your listeners? I’ll bet you will.

If you want to learn more about how Dr. Fleming can help you improve your communication skills, please call her at telephone 415.391.9179 or send her an email to [email protected]

Carol Fleming, Ph.D., is the author of “It’s the Way You Say It”! Becoming Articulate, Well-spoken and Clear. A comprehensive guide to vocal development and improvement of communication skills. For people who want to make their speaking more impressive.