Ten Tips for Effective Communication

chillibreeze writer — Radhakrishnan Mangad

Communication means putting one’s ideas across to an audience. What is written or spoken is primarily meant for someone other than the writer or speaker to grasp and utilize or to respond to.

So what are the salient points of good communication? Or what makes an individual a good communicator?

1 Know thyself! (Read thy subject of discourse!)

A good communicator knows what she is talking about or writing about. Being clear about the topic being discussed is essential for effective communication. A vague discourse will bore the audience and the net result is wasted effort and frustration or disappointment for oneself.

2 Be focused

What you say should be clear, crisp and to the point. Digressing frequently or ‘beating about the bush’ will lose you your audience faster than any thing else. There is also the danger of sounding or seeming unsure of yourself or your ideas and the resulting loss of credibility.

3 Brevity is the soul of wit.

Say what you have to say in short, straight and simple sentences. Use the kind of vocabulary that gives accuracy to your statements.

4 Know your audience.

What you say and how you say it should be tailored for the kind of audience you are addressing. If your target audience is adolescent or adult or children, scientists or social workers, you may want to adapt your content and style accordingly. Say what is directly relevant and useful to your audience. Ensure that it is of interest to them and will benefit them in some way.

5 Infuse your words with an earthiness that will appeal to a wider audience.

How many of us still love to read a well written book for children? Why? Because the content transcends the narrowly circumscribed world of a child and encompasses the broader realm of universal human experience: The author was aware of the truth that we are all, to some extent, children at heart.

6 A good communicator never forgets the need to create the right ambience.

Are you saying the right thing at the right time? Are you saying all that needs to be said to give a holistic picture? Your thoughts should reflect the reality of the times or the current situation.

7 Be sincere in your utterances.

Say something only if you genuinely feel it is important for you to say it. Artificiality is easily discernible to others, just as it is obvious to you that you are being frivolous.

8 Be positive. Believe in your self.

If you are not convinced of the worth of your utterances, nobody will. Let the words well up from “the depth of truth.” The more passionate you are about something, the more your words will ring with the truth of your convictions.

9 Bring alive and exploit the magic in and of words.

Words are pregnant with meaning and rich with connotations. Caress and cajole them to to entice your audience!

10 Reach out to your audience:

Bridge the gap between yourself and your audience. Allow or create openings for the listener to clarify doubts if any. Ask for or get feedback to know how successful you have been in communicating and getting your ideas across. This will help make you even better at good communication in the future.

11 This is a bonus 11th point! Take it or leave it.

Go for guidance to the great masters and sit at their feet in humility and learn to exploit the meaning and the music of words.There are too many in my opinion to list them all here. But you could learn from Hopkins and Hemingway, from Emerson and Lawrence, from Tagore and Frost, and a host of other greats out there. Good luck!

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—About our writer:

Radhakrishnan says, "The least we can do is to infuse the lives of those around us with love, laughter and joy; help make a difference even if it is in a small way and for a brief span of time. My interests lie in reading, traveling, computers and also in relating to the youth of today and partaking in their enthusiasm and aspirations without being intrusive or interfering and touching their lives where there is the mostly implicit but unequivocal invitation to do so."

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