Communicating with Impact

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Communicating with Impact

• By Linda Kelly
• Managing Director, Public Education
• Water Environment Federation
• The C.U.R.E. Workshop
• Clearwater Florida
• January 12 13, 2006

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The First 30 Seconds Count
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Exercise In First Perceptions

• Describe

• Handshake

• Eye Contact

• Voice

• Who initiated most of the talking

• Smile

• Space

• Who controlled time

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The First 30 Seconds Count

• About 50 of the perception
  that you are a credible person who can
  be trusted is determined in the first
  30 seconds of contact.

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The First 30 Seconds Count

• And, once the decision is made, people
  almost never change their mind
  about it.

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The First 30 Seconds Count

• The other 50 of establishing credibility
  is composed of your competence and expertise,
  your honesty and your
  commitment.

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Wonder why you seemperfectly normal and no one
else does?

• Because we're all different!
• Every individual has unique but identifiable
  behaviors
• Recognizing the main traits of others helps you
  figure out how to communicate with them
• There is no "best" style -- just differences

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Good communicators can be effective with any
style

• Your style, which is made up of your beliefs,
  values, personal habits, and conventions governs
  the way you communicate.
• If you want to be effective in communicating with
  all styles, you must recognize them and adapt
  accordingly.

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Understanding Different StylesIs An Important
Part of Effective Communication

• Helps You
• See how you are seen by others
• See how other styles like to communicate
• See what motivates, inspires them
• Most important, remember that communication can
  be hampered by unlike styles

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Four Basic Communication Styles

• Dominant
• Expressive
• Analytical
• Amiable
• No right or wrong, no good or bad, just
  different!

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How Does a Listener Determine the Credibility of
a Speaker?

• In face to face communication,
• What percent of your message comes from what you
  say?
• What percent of your effectiveness lies on how
  you look and sound?
• Dr. Albert Mehrabian, professor of psychology
  and communication, UCLA

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Effective Communication

• Verbal
• The message, content,
• information you give
• Vocal
• The quality, projection,
• resonance sound of your voice
• Visual
• What listener sees, body language, eyes.

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Recognizing theDominant Style

• May sound forceful without speaking loudly
• Decides quickly (wants decisions quickly)
• Deals in facts and opinions (bottom-line)
• Controls body movement
• Can appear abrupt or serious
• Looks you in the eye
• Moves into your space / leans in
• Displays little expression/gestures

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Recognizing theExpressive Style

• High energy
• Speaks louder and more rapidly
• Expresses opinions and emotions strongly
• Decides quickly
• People-oriented/feelings oriented
• Lots of eye contact/facial expression/vocal
  ranges
• Leans forward/touches

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Recognizing theAnalytical Style

• Researches carefully,
• focuses on details/options
• Speaks more quietly
• Not much variation in voice
• or facial expressions
• Tends to lean backward when talking

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Recognizing theAmiable Style

• Less talkative
• Speaks softly
• Decides more slowly
• Prefers one-to-one interactions
• rather than group
• Friendly
• Tends to lean backward, even when making a
  point

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Effective Communication

• Eye Contact
• Critical to your effectiveness
• Shows youre engaged
• Shows confidence
• Involves the audience
• Removes barriers between people

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Effective Communication

• Posture
• Relaxes you and your audience
• Shows competence and centers you
• Keeps energy up
• Conveys your involvement in subject

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Effective Communication

• Gestures
• Adds emphasis to language
• Helps loosen upper body and relax you
• Eliminates stiffness
• Helps vocal expression

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Effective Communication

• Facial Expression
• Shows your enthusiasm
• Use friendly look with warmth
• Smile slightly to communicate
• Smile more when appropriate

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Effective Communication

• Language
• Be specific
• Eliminate jargon acronyms
• Use humor appropriately
• Eliminate ahs, ums,

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Effective Communication

• Pausing
• Pause is not hesitation
• Allows for breathing, clear thinking
• Adds punctuation to your talk
• Eliminates all non-word or filler words

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Effective Communication

• Vocal Versatility
• Shows emotions
• Eliminates monotone sounds
• Adds clarity by using enunciation and
  pronunciation

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Effective Communication

• Remember
• Communication can be hampered by unlike styles
• You can recognize styles by some basic behaviors
• You can modify your behavior (temporarily) in
  order to communicate effectively