Thanks for joining me for part two! Lastly, I would love to talk to you about delivery.
We have an exciting communication toolbox as a human being – voice, facial expressions, posture, gestures and body language.
People don’t like being communicated to in a way that doesn’t fit who they are, and their style so you might have to adapt your delivery to fit this.
How can you alter your voice? Think about the pitch of your voice, the rhythm you speak in, the tone, the pace and volume. Try and adapt to how that person speaks. If they speak slowly, slow your speech down to the same tempo as theirs. If they speak with a lot of energy and volume, try and bring the energy and volume in your voice up to match it.
Top tip: If you have an important point to make, try and lower your voice so it comes across with more certainty and weight.
Read a situation, read the person’s body language, read their gestures, read their facial expressions. These are all clues! Whatever the person puts out you have to package up and send it back to them in the same way. People don't like being communicated to in a way that doesn't fit who they are and their style.
When looking at non-verbal communication to get the best result, the key is showing your willingness to be open to share what you’re communicating. Think how you can come across as confident and open in your body language, gestures, posture and facial expressions to back up the words you are speaking.
Here are some ideas:
Posture – imagine a piece of string pulling you up from the top of your head so it raises your chest. This will help you appear more confident.
Body Language/Gestures – try to have an open body and use open hand gestures when in conversation. If you have a specific and profound point to make, use a gesture that might help back the weight of your point up physically. You might want to use a gesture you have seen the person you are speaking to do. This will help your point land with them as they are seeing a gesture that is comfortable to them and they sub consciously know.
Facial expressions – nothing makes someone more comfortable than a smile. It is scientifically proven that smiling puts you in a good mood and can also help someone else be in a good mood too. If you want the best result in a situation, it is most likely you will need that person to be in a good mood to make that decision, so this is a good starting point.
All this has to come from a place of authenticity. People can spot a fake and someone that is using techniques to manipulate them. We've all met those kinds of sales people! So, make sure it comes from a place of love, authenticity and wanting the best outcome.
Third key point: Make sure your delivery is appropriate for the person you are communicating with.
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet that is a major part of communicating is the ability to listen. Be an actively engaged listener when someone is speaking. When you listen to someone you will get all kinds of clues on how they like to be communicated back to.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it has given you some ideas on how you can communicate to get the best possible result. I’ve talked mainly on the basis that you know the person you are communicating with. Soon, I will address how you can communicate effectively when meeting someone for the first time.
I would love to know your thoughts on communicating – what do you find difficult? What have you found that has worked for you? What situations do you find most tricky to navigate through in your communication?
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If this was helpful don't forget to share it!
Wishing you all the best on your journey,
Michael
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