10 Ways to Empower your Communication

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"A piece of the Blarney stone" 10 Ways to Empower your Communication. The Blarney Stone is an historical stone or rather an actual piece of the Blarney Castle in Ireland, where legend holds that kissing the stone will give you the gift of gab. Yea it seems strange in this day and age, but who are we to question tradition? It's not like I'm saying Santa Claus doesn't exsist! (oops) There is so much to know about conversation than anyone,even I could ever realize. You can go look at talk shows, listen to radio talk shows; join clubs dedicated to public speaking and just plain conversation: certain rules still apply when it comes to interactions with words. It may sound tedious I know but even though it is your mouth that doing the work, your brain in working twice as hard to churn out a lot of things you know. So what better way to start learning to be an effective communicator then to know the person closest to you. Yourself! 1.What you know Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker is to practice what you've learned. My stint as a guest at every toastmasters meeting I go to taught me that we all have our limitations but that doesn't mean we can't learn to keep up and share what we know. 2.Listening Sometimes it is just as important as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little more confident in ourselves and to say things that we believe with conviction. 3.Humility We all make mistakes and may sometimes slur our words, stutter or mispronounce certain words even though we know what it means but rarely use it unless to impress listeners. So in a group, don't be afraid to ask if you are pronoucing the word correctly, if the group is unsure of the correct way make a joke out of it. I promise you will get a laugh out of the crowd and they will let the mispronounciation go too. 4.Eye Contact There is a lot to say when it comes to directing your audiences attention with an eye catching gaze. It's important to stay focused when speaking in front of groups or meetings no matter how gorgeous he or she might be do not redirect your audience away from you by staring at them. Keep your eyes moving from face to face to maintain audience attention. 5.Kidding around A little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension or heaven forbid bordom when making your speech. This will allow you to capture the majority of the audiences attention and makes you seem as approachable and human as they are. 6.Be like the rest of them Interaction is all about mingling with other people. You'll get a lot of ideas and maybe learn what makes people react to things a certain way. 7. Me, Myself and I Admit it there are times when you sing in the shower. I know I do. Listening to the sound of your own voice while talking to the mirror can help you identify and correct stressed areas of your speach and allow you to make minor adjustments to correct the flow of your speach. 8. With a smile A smile like eye contact says it all. There is no point in grimacing or frowning at meeting or gathering YOu will express yourself better with a big smile. 9.A Role Model There must be at least one or two people in your life you have listened to at public gatherings or meetings like church. Find them and watch yes they read their lines but where and how do they emphasize their main points. These things can help you when it is your turn to take center stage 10.Preparation Make the best of preparation and don't just scribble some notes on the back of your napkin in a hurried panic. Some people like to use index cards while others prefer to use their palms (not reccommended for people with clammy hands) Remember to just be comfortable with what you know and your speach will knock them dead. Some of these tips may seem simple but they have allowed me to empower myself in speaking situations and has taught me to pay attention to others when they speak Not just on what they say but how they say it. Follow these simple tips for better conversations and easier public speaking