Having something important to say is half the battle. The other half is being able to say it. Public speaking education tells us that we cannot separate the message from the messenger. In fact, it tells us that the messenger has more influence on the listener than the message itself. So it isn’t just what we say, but how we say it. And not just what we do, but how we do it.

In essence, you can’t separate the message from the messenger. You can’t differentiate the speech from the speaker or the delivery from the message. No matter how skillful you are at speaking, you will not be an effective communicator if you have nothing important to say or if the words and phrases you choose are inappropriate for the occasion. Nor can you be an effective communicator if you do not master the fundamentals of good delivery. And as important as story telling is to the selling process, the most important element may be the development of good communication skills for the “Messengers.” 

Unfortunately, most of us have had little or no training in learning to speak well. And most of us have a fear of public speaking. The good news is that speaking skills are acquirable. If you want to become a better salesperson, a better leader, a better supervisor – become a better speaker. Learning to speak well will change your life. The realities are we all have to work to polish these skills. Most of us will not pay the price. For those who do, the reward is enormous. 

“When we pay the price of learning to speak well, we have vaulted ahead of 95% of the people who would compete with us in the marketplace.” 

Gary believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars. 

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

1. Oversimplification: Don’t feel the need to over explain. Our attention span is short (ex. remote control). A good reason to oversimplify is it puts on your listener’s shoulder the responsibility to adequately complicate it. When you can get the listener to say, “hey you have oversimplified that, let me tell you how complicated it really is,” then you really have their attention. 

2. Myth vs. Reality: This is a great technique to use in presentations. People respond to and remember myth vs. reality statements. For example; “Most people believe that such and such is true but in fact this over here is true. Or, “The Myth is……………, but the Reality is………………….  Use statistics.
    
3. Tell it by the Numbers: Your listener loves to hear it by the numbers. One reason is that it’s finite (I have 5 items to go over with you). Your listener’s energy will go up when you tell it by the numbers. It’s also a good technique to get your listener’s attention back. You may lose some of their attention when you are halfway through the first point. But as soon as you say “Now number 2,” their attention comes back.
    
4. Open their Mind: Ask your audience to open their mind. For example; “John, what I have to ask of you is to open your mind to the possibility that such and such is true.” This is a great technique to help someone that is very rigid to see your point of view.
    
5. This as That: Your audience is intrigued and stimulated when you explain the same things a little differently. Use metaphors, similes, analogies… For example; “he considers himself a jock, but really he’s just a strap” or “out of a plane without a parachute” instead of “up a creek without a paddle.” 

Gary believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars. 

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

1. Eye Contact:  If you want to improve any presentation before a group, large or small, increase your eye contact. Pick out a person’s eye. If you want to maintain control of a conversation, maintain eye contact.
2. Quick Mental Process:  Another style is the revelation, as you speak, of a quick mental process. As opposed to a stumbling style, a stuttering style, an incoherent style, a halting style, a slow style, or a disorganized style. 
3. Phraseology:  Saying it clean and clear. Say it right to the point. Be precise. Use verbs more often in a sentence than nouns. Rely on verb phrases over noun phrases. People respond more affirmatively to verb phrases. You can vastly improve the structure of your presentation by emphasizing the verb phrases instead of the noun phrases. 
4. Positive Posturing:  Use a positive posturing instead of a negative posturing. (Example of an employee telling a customer that “we don’t open until ten” when they could have said “we open at ten.” Always say it in a positive manner). 

Your Best Chance to Be Effective: 

Put the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ into your presentation as many times as you possibly can. Always turn your message towards the needs of your listener. 

• “Now, let’s look at it from your perspective…”
• “Here’s what this means to you…”
• “Here are some of the things that you can do…”
• “Here’s how you can profit from this…” 

In the next blog, we’ll go over Your Style, Part 2.

Gary believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

• Posture: Your posture is an important part of body language. Stand or sit straight with your shoulders back and your head held high. Look confident and comfortable. If you’re standing, have an open posture and face your listener. Don’t slouch or lean. Use the posture your mother was always reminding you to use.
• Gestures: Use all your body. Be expressive. Gestures are to speaking what punctuation marks are to writing. Used sparingly, they add clarity and emphasis to the message. Overused, they can be distracting to the listener.
• Voice: Think of your voice as an instrument, capable of hitting high notes, low notes and all the notes in between. You can speak loudly or softly, quickly or slowly. You can pause at appropriate times. The most important thing to remember is not to speak in a monotone style. Remember this scene; Bueller, Bueller, Bueller…
• Artifacts: What you wear and how you appear states your credibility. Clothes, jewelry, hair, etc. Compliment your listener by what you wear. Let your clothes communicate that you think they are worth getting dressed up for. Besides, if you feel that you look your best, you’ll be more confident and confidence will make you look and feel better when you speak.
• Ears: This may be your most important and least used tool. By listening, you just might learn something.

To learn how to use the tools better, watch the different hosts on entertainment shows like E News! and Entertainment Tonight. Watch their posture and the gestures they use. Listen to their vocal variety and pay attention to how they dress. They’re a great source to watch and learn from.

In the next blog, we’ll go over your style.

Through the fall Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

• Facial Expressions: Be active, not passive. Say it with your face. Use your energy, your passion and your enthusiasm. Let your listener (audience) see these feelings in your face. And remember that smiling never hurts.
• Eye Contact: Eye contact can do more to enhance your presentation skills than any other single improvement you can make. Vocal cords may carry your message, but your eyes hold your listener. In a very real sense, listening isn’t done with the ears; it’s done with the eyes. For the presenter, without eye contact, it’s impossible to tell if anyone is listening. Watching the eyes of your listener (audience) allows you to edit your presentation as you go. If you want to increase the attention span of your listener (audience), increase your eye contact.
• Hands: Your hands always need to be kept under control. The best place for your hands are at your side except when using them to make an appropriate gesture or to refer to a visual aid or to manipulate your notes. If you have a hand in your pocket, don’t rattle change or keys. Also don’t tap a pencil or pen on the table while talking. And make sure you don’t have your hand in front of your mouth when talking. All of these are sources of irritation for your listener.

To learn how to use the tools better, watch the different hosts on entertainment shows like E News! and Entertainment Tonight. Watch their facial expressions and the eye contact they make with the camera. Also pay close attention to how they hold their hands. They’re a great source to watch and learn from.

In the next blog, we’ll go over the other tools you have in your tool box.

Through the fall Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime.  Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

1. Verbal (the words we use)                    7 %
2. Vocal (the way the words are said)    38 %
3. Visual (gestures, eyes, face, body)     55 %
                                                                 100 %

The image you present to your listener(s) consists of a number of components. They are your…

1. Posture:  Are you slouchy, or straight and balanced?
2. Attitude:  Do you have a positive attitude towards yourself and towards your listener?
3. Clothing:  Is it not appropriate, or is it professional?
4. Energy Level:  Is it high, or is it low?
5. Competence:  Are you assertive, or mousey and apologetic?
6. Knowledge of Subject:  Are you reading from a script, or are you well versed on your topic?
7. Preparation:  Are you self-assured, or are you winging it?
8. Use of Language:  Are you speaking cleanly and clearly, or are you speaking complicatedly?
9. Gestures:  Are your gestures expressive, or are they rigid?
10. Voice and Vocal Variety:  Is your voice expressive and passionate, or is it monotone and flat? 

Vocal Variety – Vocal variety is the way you say the words. This accounts for 38% of how your message is perceived. Vocal variety is best defined as the antithesis of monotony, expressiveness versus flatness. 

Visual – Visual delivery is the way your body supports your words and how you say them. This accounts for 55% of how your message is perceived. An important part of your presentation is your use of your body and your gestures. Few messages are powerful when only using words. 

Through the fall Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime.  Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars. 

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

1. Verbal (the words we use)                  ____%
2. Vocal (the way the words are said)    ____%
3. Visual (gestures, eyes, face, body)     ____%
                                                                     100 %

Before clicking on “continue reading,” what percentages do you think correspond with verbal, vocal and visual above? For example, do you think it’s 33%, 33% and 33%? Or do you think it could be 25%, 25% and 50%? What’s your guess?

The actual answers are eye opening. Verbal is 7%, Vocal is 38% and Visual is 55%. Does this mean that what a speaker says is less important than how he/she says it or how he/she looks while saying it? Not at all! The point is – that verbal, vocal and visual impressions combine to create an effective, memorable message.

Words convey information. Nonverbal communications add meaning to the information. It boils down to what we say and how we say it and what we do and how we do it. The next time you’re preparing for a speech or a presentation, remember that your script is only part of your image. Don’t forget about your vocal variety (tone) and your body language. Remember, you can’t separate the speech from the speaker!

Over the summer Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime.  Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

• They ramble; they’re not well-organized.

• They’re uninformed on their topic.

• They lack preparation.

• They speak in monotone; they don’t use their voices well.

• They show no energy or passion.

• They use too many “fillers” (non-words).

• They exhibit poor eye contact.

• They pace or wander of fidget.

• They use profanity or questionable humor.

• They are poor storytellers.

The next time you’re getting ready to make a presentation, whether to an audience of 1, 5 or 500 hundred, think about these ineffective traits that listeners don’t like to see or hear. Make sure to avoid those traits. Be well prepared. Have a passion for your message. Make good eye contact. Never use questionable humor or profanity. Connect with your listener. And remember that presentations should be built on the listener’s future rather than the presenter’s past. “Don’t tell me about your grass seed, tell me about my lawn.”

Over the summer Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

• They have a passion for their message.
• They’re well prepared.
• They’re knowledgeable on their subject matter.
• They connect with their audience (listener).
• They tell a good story.
• They use their voices well.
• They make eye contact.
• They’re authentic (they’re not trying to be someone they’re not).
• They’re vulnerable (they show their emotions in a good way).
• They have a sense of humor.

The next time you’re getting ready to make a presentation, whether to an audience of 1, 5 or 500 hundred, think about these effective traits that listeners like to see and hear. Then make them your own. Be well prepared. Have a passion for your message. Make good eye contact. Connect with your listener. And remember that presentations should be built on the listener’s future rather than the presenter’s past. “Don’t tell me about your grass seed, tell me about my lawn.”

Over the summer Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click Here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235

You’ve heard the saying “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” How true this is! Think about a time when someone didn’t take the time to understand or listen to you. Were you open to what they had to say? When you listen well and have been perceived to have listened well, you help forge the beginning of a productive relationship. Why? Because when you really hear someone else you’re giving the very precious, but all too rare, gift of being understood. Most of us at some time have experienced the power and relief of being truly understood. This provides very strong cement for relationships.

Very few of us have had any education on how to be an active listener. Although we’re taught the traditional Three R’s (Reading, Writing & Arithmetic) in school, most of us didn’t receive any formal education about how to listen effectively or how to express ourselves constructively while interacting with others. Seldom are these interpersonal channels of communication a part of the curriculum in basic education. Yet listening and speaking skills are critical elements for people to not only better understand one another, but to better work with one another. Below are four active listening skills to make your own:

1. Attending: Ask open-ended questions. Remember to be quiet and listen. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.

2. Acknowledgment: While listening, use signals to convey to your listener that you’re paying attention to them. Use gestures such as nodding of the head, facial expressions, vocal encouragement, note-taking, etc.

3. Paraphrase: Repeat back to the listener what you’ve just heard. This is when real communication begins. By repeating the information you’ve heard, your listener can let you know if you understood them.

4. Probing: Now, you’re able to ask more questions and get more detailed information about the listener’s concerns.

The best way to make a great first impression is to focus on the needs of the other person. Make each person feel involved in an intimate conversation, simply by asking a question and listening intently, showing through your body language and facial expressions that you are sincere. You’ll be remembered!

Over the summer Gary will continue his blog series on the Art of Telling. He believes that speaking skills are required and acquirable for today’s business professional. The purpose of the Art of Telling blog series is to enable readers to develop the communication and presentation skills that will serve them a lifetime. Click here to see more on Gary’s Art of Telling programs and seminars.

Gary Tomlinson
www.gary-tomlinson.com
(919) 847-6235