How to talk so that people listen?



Poor listening acts as a big block to effective presentation.  Good speakers are not daunted by this.  They rather challenge this block in a unique and creative way.  Best speeches in this world are always in spite of barriers rather than not without them. Some of the ways in which we can overcome the hurdle and make people listen are as follows:


Provoke them: Begin your speech with a kind of jolt or shock to the audience. It should not be dull and drab affair. Make the audience members sit alert with your kind of presence and impact. Sometimes you can throw down a challenge to them and say how you would help them achieve it.

Compliment them: It is the key to receive their attention. No one in this world is deaf to compliments!  The compliment must be honest and specific.  The more specific you make it, the more effective it will be. 'I am delighted to be here. I am indeed proud to have to address an audience of this kind…….' These sentences uttered with utmost honesty rarely fail to evoke the desired level of attention.

Show your knowledge of them: the audience is always complimented if you know something about them.  It shows that you made an effort to learn about them.  The perfect place to display this knowledge is in the introduction.

Develop a common bond with them: If you can show how you have something in common with the audience you have already built some rapport with them. 'I appreciate the invitation  to be here…I have always had a warm spot in my heart for your organization.' (tell how it is so). A statement of this kind helps in developing the bond with the audience.

PacingPacing means understanding the audience and going with them according to their levels. It is leveling the levels with them. If the listeners feel that they are not outpaced they begin to cooperate with the speaker for even higher levels. Once you have understood them and did something in that direction, the audience begins to understand even better.

Rapport:  Never ever antagonize with the audience members. Show respect for their positions and knowledge about the subject you are dealing with. Encourage even the small contribution from their side.  Use words like 'good' 'that is a good observation' 'this is well taken'  'I am happy you asked that …'

Empathize with them:  Empathising is placing others in your own position and seeing things from that angle.  There is no point in telling others what you yourself don’t believe and practice.  Audience will find soon enough the gaps in what you say and do.

Dr. N  Jayarama Shetty,  Ph.D, M.Com, MBA, MA( Psy), LL B, CAIIB, D. TD, PG. DHRM, PG. DMM, Pragya,  Visiting Professor, Nitte School of Management, Bengaluru

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