If you prefer video content over text, I explain this material with fun, musical examples in my YouTube video.
Clear communication isn’t just about clear words.
It’s about clear structure.
In this article, I break down an easy structure to use in impromptu speaking to keep your audience on track:
What Not To Do
Consider this sentence:
“You need to demonstrate the value you provide and have others believe you provide that value”
When we’re speaking off the cuff, we’ll often gravitate to sentences like these: sentences that list a bunch of things that come to our head.
But notice how many times you re-read that sentence to understand its meaning.
What To Do
Check out how Laura Huang, bestselling author of “You Already Know” delivers the same sentence:
Laura organizes her thoughts as follows:
There are two things we do to provide value.
1. Demonstrate we provide that value
2. Have others believe we provide that value
Why is that so much more digestible?
Structure.
Laura tells the audience how many things to expect. Then she gives them each thing, one at a time.
Consider the advantages for both the speaker and the audience:
- The audience knows exactly what’s coming, allowing them to look out for each new piece and process it.
- The speaker knows exactly how and when to end their response. Instead of rambling through various tangential threads searching for an appropriate stopping point, they just stick to the path they set.
Summary
To speak quickly on the spot, pause first. It’s your greatest weapon.
In the space between receiving a question and answering it, identify a few ideas, tell your audience how many you’re going to say, then go through each of them.
Straightforward for them and straightforward for you.
If you’re looking for further guidance on how to differentiate your communication skills and stand out in the workplace, take my free self-assessment.
I’m writing a book on thinking quickly, speaking clearly, presenting convincingly, and supercharging your executive presence. My current focus: a section on how to maximize the clarity of your speech. This will be a psychological primer on how your audience processes new information in working memory, and how you can break your speech into chunks to avoid cognitive overload.
Follow me on LinkedIn for more updates on the book and its release!
