Connecting with your audience is key in communication

Attending a forum the other day, I was educated on the four types of public communicators based on their different approaches.

I was told that there are direct communicators who will plainly deliver their message with absolutely no emotion.

They will be direct and factual, with little time to waste on stories and other forms of meandering along the message they want to send.

Then there are the systematic communicators. These are usually controlled and secretive. You will hardly get to know exactly what it is they are trying to put across.

There will be the considerate communicators who always seek to keep the peace. They will often tell you what you want to hear. Next are the spirited communicators.

BROKEN DOWN

These are animated and engaged. They focus on the big picture, but pay attention to detail.

How then does one become a good communicator, particularly in leadership, where you have to be a good public speaker? The key is in the word “AUDIENCE”.

And it was broken down for us: A is for analysis, U for understanding, D for demographics, I for interest, E is for environment, N for needs, C for customisation, and E for expectations.

A good public speaker demonstrates a good analysis of the topic at hand, breaking it down into small easily understandable facts.

That is why it is important for the speaker to have a thorough understanding of the issue at hand. It does not go very well with your audience when you fumble with facts or seem not to know what you are talking about.

DEAD ON ARRIVAL

Apart from knowing your stuff well, however, you also need to know the demographic composition of your audience and the diversity of their needs. You are aware of the environment and you, therefore, customise your message accordingly.

The speaker’s credibility in the eyes of the audience is established at the very outset. Your credibility is boosted by the kind of introduction that is made of you.

It may feature your experience and knowledge of the subject matter. This is the springboard for your immediate connection with the audience. Someone else rolls out your achievements best.

If you go about heaping praise upon yourself and unleashing a catalogue of your achievements by way of introduction, your address can be easily dead on arrival.  

It helps to cite some other credible associations you may have without heaping praise on yourself or ingratiating yourself with those associations and your audience.

REAL AND GROUNDED

Authenticity is the other principle. It is good to be real and grounded. If you demonstrate humility in spite of your huge experience and knowledge, you are likely to be better received.

You show goodwill to your audience by being seen to be in favour of their best interest. Great delivery of the message lies in three Vs. These are vocals, verbal, and visual.

The tone of your voice is important. It is important not to engage in a monotonous, flat, or even shrill tone. You can use different tones that rhyme and are in rhythm with your immediate message.

Be careful not to adopt a tone that sends your audience to sleep. “Verbal” is the other important V. It refers to the language you use. How simple and accessible is it? Do not lose your audience in complex words.

NEVER FULLY LEARNT

Use simple language to tell simple stories that mirror your central message. The last V is that of “visual”.

Even when you do not you use visual aids, you remain a visual aide, yourself. Your body language creates confidence, or otherwise, in your audience.

If you look stiff and uncertain, your message is received in the same way. If you look confident and relaxed, you earn credibility. Communicating is never fully learnt.

There is always something new to learn. No single communication situation is like another one. Each is an individual event and is different, even when you have to repeat the same message.

Dr Muturi is the executive director, Kenya Institute of Management.