Business Communication Past Paper PDF

Indian Institute of Technology, Patna Center for Educational Technology Course: EMBA Ist Subject Code: MB502 Subject Name: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Dr. Bhavana Singh Associate Professor...

Indian Institute of Technology, Patna Center for Educational Technology Course: EMBA Ist Subject Code: MB502 Subject Name: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Dr. Bhavana Singh Associate Professor Unit 3: Oral Communication  Public Speaking: Types of Public Speaking - importance of Public Speaking.  Power Point Presentation: Planning the Presentation - Delivering the Presentation - Developing &Displaying Visual Aids - Handling Questions from the Audience.  Listening: Definition - Types of Listening Skills - Features of a Good Listener - Causes and effects of Poor Listening.  Exercise: Elocution and Extempore Public speaking Introduction Public speaking is the art of conveying an idea or a concept to the public in a clear manner. It can be either delivered to a live audience or on record that is later shared with the audience. The main objective of public speaking is to inform or change the audience's thoughts and actions. Public speaking is the act of performing a speech to a live audience. It is a skill which is learnt through constant practice. It is commonly understood as formal, face to face speaking of a single person to a group of listeners. Three steps for the preparation of a formal speech Planning: facilitates the speaker to prepare and deliver the speech effectively. It depends on the occasion, audience and purpose. Writing: collects the required material, creates an outline, prepares the first draft and edits the same. Delivery: Speaker presents the same and fluency plays a vital role in the delivery of an effective speech Methods of Delivery 1. Memorizing: some speakers memorize the entire text of the speech and deliver it. Memory plays a crucial role in this method. 2. Reading out from the Manuscript: Here the speaker reads out the written manuscript of the speech. It can become monotonous and boring. 3. Extempore: Most effective method. Speaker carries few notes and explains each point. This method sounds convincing and natural. 4. Power Point method: Speaker methods slides, and explains them orally. Best known ways of delivering a speech. It provides flexibility to the speaker. 5. Impromptu: Impromptu means ‘without advance preparation’. The speaker needs to speak without any preparation. It is delivered at the spur of the moment. In public speaking, there are following four main components:  Speaker: The speaker is the orator that shares the message with the public.  Message: The idea that the speaker will share with the audience.  Audience: People who are listening to your speech.  Channel: This represents the different ways in which the message is communicated to the audience. This includes nonverbal, visual and auditory channels.  Types of public speaking Informative Speaking Informative Speaking is one of the valuable Types of Public Speaking styles that aims to educate and provide factual information to the audience. It serves as a medium to share knowledge, insights, and ideas on a particular subject or topic. Informative Speaking aims to enhance the audience’s understanding and awareness of a subject matter. When engaging in Informative Speaking, the speaker takes on the role of an expert or educator, providing information clearly and concisely. This type of Public Speaking requires careful research and preparation to ensure that the content is accurate, reliable, and up-to- date. Further, informative speeches can take various forms, such as lectures, presentations, demonstrations, or workshops. To deliver an effective informative speech, it is essential to consider the following elements: 1) Choosing a topic: Make sure to choose a topic that you are knowledgeable about. This will allow you to speak confidently and maintain the audience's interest. 2) Structuring the speech: Organise your speech logically and coherently by dividing it into an introduction, main body and conclusion. 3) Research and supporting evidence: Conduct thorough research to gather relevant and reliable information about your topic. Utilise reputable sources such as academic journals, books, articles, and verified websites. Ensure to incorporate statistics, examples, case studies, and expert opinions. 4) Clarity and conciseness: Use clear and concise language to convey your message effectively. Avoid using technical terms that may confuse the audience. 5) Visual aids: Consider using visual aids such as charts, graphs, images, or slides to enhance the audience's understanding and engagement. Visual representations can make complex information more accessible and memorable. 6) Engaging the audience: Encourage audience participation through rhetorical questions, interactive elements, or short activities. This would allow the listeners to apply the knowledge you are sharing. 7) Delivery and body language: Pay attention to your delivery style and body language. Speak clearly and at an appropriate pace. Maintain eye contact with your audience and use gestures and facial expressions to focus on key points or create visual impact. 8)Practice and feedback: Practice your speech beforehand to ensure a smooth and confident delivery. Additionally, seek feedback from trusted individuals or peers who can provide constructive criticism to help you improve. Persuasive Speaking Persuasive Speaking is one of the compelling Types of Public Speaking that aims to influence the beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours of the audience. The primary goal of Persuasive Speaking is to convince listeners to adopt a particular viewpoint, take action, or change their existing opinions. This form of speaking utilises various persuasive techniques, logical reasoning, and emotional appeals to sway the audience towards the speaker's perspective. One key benefit of public speaking is the ability to effectively influence and engage an audience, which is crucial in persuasive speaking. Here, the speaker assumes the role of an advocate or persuader, presenting arguments and supporting evidence to build a strong case. This type of Public Speaking is commonly employed in fields such as politics, sales, marketing, advocacy, and motivational speaking. To deliver an effective persuasive speech, the following key elements should be considered: 1) Clearly defined objective: Define what specific action or change you want your audience to take. A well-defined objective helps you structure your arguments and tailor your message to achieve the desired outcome. 2) Understanding the audience: Understanding your audience’s needs, values, and beliefs is crucial. By knowing your audience, you can customise your message to resonate with their interests and address their concerns. 3) Research and supporting evidence: Thoroughly research your topic and gather compelling evidence, facts, and examples to support your claims. 4) Logical reasoning: Utilise logical reasoning to present a coherent and rational argument. Clearly articulate your main points and provide logical explanations that connect the evidence to your claims. 5) Emotional appeals: Engage the emotions of your audience by appealing to their desires, values, and aspirations. Share personal narratives or experiences that resonate with the listeners and create an emotional connection. 6) Engaging delivery: Use a confident and engaging delivery style to capture the audience's attention and maintain their interest. Utilise vocal variety, appropriate pauses, and gestures to emphasise key points and create impact. 7) Call to action: Clearly state your desired outcome or call to action. Encourage the audience to take specific steps, make a decision, or support a cause. Provide actionable steps or suggestions to help them move towards the desired outcome. 8) Reinforcement and repetition: Reinforce your main arguments throughout the speech to ensure they resonate with the audience. Use repetition strategically to reinforce key messages and make them memorable. Entertaining Speaking Entertaining Speaking is one of the various Types of Public Speaking that aims to captivate and amuse the audience. It focuses on delivering a memorable and enjoyable experience through engaging content, humour, storytelling, and engaging techniques. Entertaining Speaking aims to provide entertainment value while delivering a message or sharing information. When engaging in Entertaining Speaking, the speaker takes on the role of a performer, captivating the audience’s attention and creating a positive and enjoyable atmosphere. This type of Public Speaking is commonly seen in settings such as comedy shows, motivational speeches, after-dinner speeches etc. To deliver an effective entertaining speech, consider the following elements: 1) Understanding the audience: Get to know your audience and tailor your speech to their preferences, interests, and cultural background. Consider their age, background, and occasion to ensure your content resonates with them. 2) Selecting engaging content: Choose interesting, relatable, and engaging content. Incorporate relevant examples that evoke emotions and capture the audience’s attention. 3) Storytelling: Use the power of storytelling to engage the audience and make your speech more compelling. Incorporate vivid descriptions, dialogue, and suspense to create an immersive experience for the listeners. 4) Delivery style: During Public Speaking, pay attention to your delivery style, as it greatly influences the entertainment value of your speech. Use vocal variety, expressive gestures, and facial expressions to convey emotions and add depth to your storytelling. 5) Audience interaction: Engage the audience through interactive elements or participation. Encourage laughter, applause, or even small activities that involve the audience. 6) Visual aids and props: Utilise visual aids such as slides, images, or props to enhance the visual appeal of your speech. Effective Visual Communication can add humour, create an impact and help illustrate key points. This makes your speech more engaging and entertaining. 7) Adaptability: Remain adaptable and responsive to the audience's feedback and energy. Be prepared to adjust your delivery or content if needed to maintain engagement and connection. Inspirational Speaking Inspirational Speaking is one of the powerful Types of Public Speaking that aims to uplift, motivate, and empower the audience. The primary goal of Inspirational Speaking is to evoke emotions, ignite passion, and inspire positive change in the listeners. Speakers use personal experiences, compelling stories, and motivational techniques to instil a sense of purpose, belief, and determination in their audience. When engaging in Inspirational Speaking, the speaker takes on the role of a catalyst for transformation. This guides the audience towards personal growth, resilience, and success. This is one of the Types of Public Speaking that is commonly observed in settings such as motivational seminars, leadership conferences, commencement speeches, etc. To deliver an effective inspirational speech, consider the following elements: 1) Connecting with the audience: Establish a genuine and heartfelt connection with the audience. Show empathy, understanding, and relatability. Tailor your message to their needs, aspirations, and challenges. 2) Authenticity: Be authentic and sincere in your delivery. Share personal stories and experiences that have shaped you and influenced your journey. Authenticity creates a genuine connection and allows the audience to resonate with your message more deeply. 3) Storytelling: Utilise the power of storytelling during Public Speaking to engage and inspire the audience. Share compelling narratives that demonstrate resilience, triumph over adversity and personal growth. Incorporate vivid details, emotions, and relatable characters to create a narrative arc that captures the audience's attention and imagination. 4) Emotional appeal: Connect with the audience on an emotional level. Use passionate delivery to evoke emotions such as determination. 5) Motivational techniques: Employ motivational techniques such as positive affirmations or powerful quotes to ignite enthusiasm and optimism in the audience. Encourage self-belief, perseverance, and a growth mindset. 6) Delivery style: Pay attention to your delivery style to enhance the impact of your message. Use vocal variety and pauses to create emphasis and highlight key points. Maintain an energetic and engaging presence on stage. Use gestures and maintain eye contact to convey confidence in public speaking and connect with the audience. 7) Audience interaction: Engage the audience through interactive elements such as asking rhetorical questions, inviting participation and incorporating reflective moments. Importance of Public Speaking Though public speaking is not an easy task but by developing these skills people accomplish some significant rewards like: Increase in Self Confidence: We generally notice that public speakers are very confident. They have a comfort level to speak in front of a large audience. It not only creates an impression, but also a reality is established. Since public speaking improves our communication skills, it makes us more confident and automatically improves our skill of perceiving people’s reaction to your message. It helps to gain a lot of self-worth and self-esteem. Gaining Personal Satisfaction: It gives a sense of achievement and feeling of satisfaction when you are able to influence people with your emotions. When you can relate to public and they can relate to you, gives a very proud feeling. Competitive spirit: Public speaking can be a rewarding skill for people as it helps expression of ideas in crisp and clear way. It gives a huge competition in professional life and people with public speaking skills are preferred for promotions and higher job responsibilities. Enhanced Communication: Public speaking leads to an increased ability to communicate in general. It helps in improving interpersonal communication which can be a huge benefit in all areas of life. Public speaking skills can make a difference professionally when presentations are to be given. Public speaking teaches to communicate ideas clearly and also helps to understand how to assess the reaction of listeners. It helps in fine-tuning the everyday communication skills by regular use of new words and expressions used while public speaking. It helps in building a comfort zone around other people as well and speak effectively even to strangers. Improve Performance: Public speaking involves various other skills such as leadership skills, orator ship. There are various other skills one can learn with public speaking that can actually boost your performance and fulfilment in other areas of life. Progress in Knowledge: Standing up and speaking to a crowd, it positions you expert in your field and there lies a great opportunity to share your knowledge, ideas, etc. Demonstration and improvement go well together here. The preparation that goes into a speech and the fact that you have to work out how to communicate to others effectively makes you understand your content that much better. Makes a different identity at Workplace: By having the confidence and ability to speak in public you can differentiate yourself in the workforce and get added advantage. It also helps in securing a better job depends on how you present yourself at a job interview. Every speaking opportunity is an opportunity to grow in leadership, influence, community and perhaps even in the world. It helps in sharing the information with others which can impact hopes, desires and goals for yourself and everyone around the world. One can also use public speaking skills to make a real difference. The confidence that one gets from public speaking can be used to take stand for one self as well as for others. Aids in Learning the Art of Persuasion: If you are able to impress people by your speaking skills, they will start following you and become your supporters. It can help in better persuading people by coming close to them via emotional attachment and sharing, desires and thoughts. Public speaking helps managers to be “assertive communicators” in their workplace, market environment, negotiations and other business functions. Everyone has to face public speaking at least once in a lifetime either in business place, office or social community; it has to come your way. By becoming a confident speaker, you are taking an advantage over those others who refuse to stand up. Steps involved in Public Speaking Know your audience: The kind of audience also determines the public speaking level, as every person to whom we are speaking is unique. Audiences can be different people:  Within the organization  External clients  Labour work force  Religious group  Students and many more. Once the audience identification is completed, public speaking comes in action. While communicating with these different groups, the speaker will use different set of words, different tone and different level of energy. The knowledge shared will be different and expected reaction will be different. Once the speaker identifies the audience, he/she can prepare the speech accordingly. As it is said “Successful speakers learn the composition of their audience before the presentation begins, then prepare accordingly.” It helps in better presentation of ideas. Mastery over Your Audience: Knowing your audience in advance and mastering over them is very important. Public speaking has positive and negative forces and it is important to demonstrate your skills in such a way that audience accepts it easily. Say what you believe in, which makes it more impactful. If you hesitate, you will not be able to impress the audience. Be calm and confident. Try to remain connected with the audience, face the audience, pause and look them over. Try to build a connection. Content or Substance: It relates to the ideas and emotions which need to be communicated. A good content is half work done. It includes careful use of words; it should be inspiring, motivating and organized. Here is a checklist for effective content in the speech:  Various examples can be used related to the topic/theme.  Speech should be short and crisp  Connect the dots- story telling  Include a new piece of information  Use statistics and data to substantiate your point  Should always have a summary  Exit line – leave the audience with something to think about There is no formula for a great speech as you cannot always predict the audience and circumstances which will be present. However, starting with impressive style, including stories, examples, new information, and facts with data can be a great effort in the speech. Be creative and summarize in a way that people should remember it. Reframe your thoughts: Choice of words and thoughts is very important during public speaking. No one, either speaker or the audience should feel awkward or offensive. It is the words that reflect your personality. Reframe your thoughts before speaking to avoid any kind of miscommunication. It definitely helps in improving the confidence. Acquiring confidence: People judge the competence of a speaker by the confidence that he displays. Confidence has powerful role to play in making the speech impactful. Our calibre for what we do or what we say is judged by our confidence level when we communicate with people. Speaking with composure and confidence, gives a sense that we are competent at what we do until we prove ourselves otherwise. On the other hand, when we are nervous and fearful while speaking, the audience will automatically assume that we are incapable of doing what we are doing. Confident public speaking does not only depends on the ability to not only overcome fears, self-consciousness and nervousness, but also on how good you are at when it comes to connect with your audience. Some people are naturally good speakers while some have to work on improving the skills. Confident public speaking requires groundwork and patience. Following are some techniques that help in improving the self-confidence:  Practice  Know your subject well  Prepare for success and expect it  Manage your fear Practice: As is said, “Practice makes man perfect”. Practice removes all the fear and helps to get rid of shyness, nervousness and to develop the approach to connect with the audience. Regular practice of speaking also gives a comfort level with the use of words, language and facilitates better thought process. This ultimately helps in improving the confidence. Know your subject well: The better you know the subject; more comfortable you will be delivering the speech on the same. It may include some research for better understanding and to assure yourself that you know it best. This helps to ensure that a sudden arrival of nervousness will not impact your speech. It also requires concentration, which means distraction from less important matters. Prepare for success and expect it: When you speak to large audience, show modest confident and be modestly confident from within. Overconfidence can be sometimes harmful. Therefore, prepare well for success and expect it. Believe in yourself, it’s very important to trust yourself and to remind yourself that you’ve worked hard to reach at this level and achieve your confident public speaking. Manage your fear: Fear of speaking in public is something that only you can manage. Don‟t be nervous as it sends negative signal to the audience. It cannot be eliminated easily but can definitely be managed. And, successful public speakers learn to manage their fear which automatically increases confidence. Wear comfortable clothes: Professional looking and comfortable looking clothing should be chosen. D.C. Barnlund (1968) says, “Personal apparel is a major source of information about the identity and character of others.” He continues, “It seems plausible that clothing may affect self-attitudes as much or more than observer attitudes.” One must feel good about how he /she is looking, as when other people come across, the confidence level should not decrease. Relieve tension: To relax it is vital to reach early at the venue and find a quiet place to gather your thoughts and relax. In this way it becomes easier to focus on the message. If the quite place is not available, try and manage to collect your ideas in the mind by concentrating and focusing on the topic. While you wait to give your speech, do these simple exercises. · Tighten your fists and hold for 3-5 seconds, then release. · Breathedeeply as it helps in boosting the energy. · Be confident, and believe in yourself. It is important for the speaker not to exaggerate the weakness, no matter how nervous he/she is feeling, never over show it to audience. It may happen that people may not observe or become aware of it and, even if they do, they may be the good listeners who can empathize and listen more closely. Delivery: It is the most important aspect of effective speaking. Good words chosen but not delivered properly can create a bad impression. Therefore, the speaker should be cautious of the words, tone, articulation and body language while delivering the speech. The aesthetics of speech or the qualities that make the delivery of our speech appealing are discussed below: Breath Control: While we speak, we cannot breathe in, we exhale. How long we can speak without pausing for breath or how loud we can speak, our symptoms of control over our breath.  Breathing right is important: plan where to pause, how loudly or softly we can speak. Beginners in speaking experience sweaty palms and shaking knees, the best way to overcome is control your breath.  Posture: Stand or sit relaxed. Relax breathe, but do not stand lazily, stand comfortably on both feet. Posture should be erect and not slumped.  Voice control: Pitch, Volume and Rate play an important role here. Control pitch to covey feeling, surprise, anger, sorrow and so on. How loudly we speak depends on where we are and to whom we are speaking. Whenever we speak, we should not run and at the same time we should not be too slow. Rate of speaking should be 3 words per second i.e. 180 words per minute, which is balanced rate of speaking. To improve the articulation, one needs to listen carefully to good speakers on TV, Radio and start imitating them. Speaking is one of the most important things to communicate your ideas to others. Effective delivery is one of the leadership traits that a person has. It is a step ahead of the normal speaking. It is a simple conversation with a motive to persuade people and is adapted to fit the occasion. Better persuasive skills lead to better and effective speech. To speak effectively in public forums is very important. Step to Effective Delivery is: Speak clearly, audibly and with authority: Assume that you own the stage, be confident and authoritative while speaking. You should be clearly audible till the last row of audience. Claim high:To attract people from the very beginning, use words that claim high or signal the great outcome of the session. For example, “99% of you don’t know and 100% of you will want to know”. Inspire instead of preaching: Don‟t preach. Instead inspire and motivate people by giving positive examples from life. This helps the audience to feel good and respond positively to your speech. Chose a subject close to you: This can be a subject that is personal but has a universal application or any other subject which you can relate to. Even a random topic can be personalized to engage audience attention.  Be focused: Stick to one message or very few important messages that you want to give rather than many things at one time. This helps audience to remember it. They will not be interested and able to remember too many things at one time. Relate: Relating the theme or topic with the everyday situations faced by everyone and giving your own examples helps to keep them interested till the end. This also helps in increasing the motivation. Organize: Follow a logical path while delivering a speech. A proper flow of ideas is must as it helps to make speech more interesting and audience will understand it better. It should have a great beginning, middle and end. Rehearse: Rehearsal is very important and takes time to hear your own words and think if they are making sense. Remove unnecessary words or jargons that will confuse audience. You will also feel more confident at the time of actual presentation. Visual aids: If you are using a presentation, use pictures and make it more attractive. It increases the message retention rate in the audience’s mind. End: An impactful end has greater chances of the speech being successful. This may include the summarization of the entire speech delivering the key message. This can be combined with any success story or other inspirational quotes or messages. Seek constructive feedback for future speeches: Seeking feedback from friends with an open mind may help in improving the speaking skills in future. Recall and jot down the points about what is liked by others and what you could improve on. If feasible, record the speech, audio or video recording will help a lot as one may listen to it and can find out her/himself that where to improve and where it was all perfect. The ability to speak well in public is something to be learnt. Just as people learn to ride a bike –which needs practice and efforts to ride perfectly, in the same way public speaking can also be learnt and the feedback of audience plays a crucial role in this. Therefore, feedback is important as: · This will help to make the future speeches better and more impactful. · Feedback is very important for self-development · It also helps to understand the audience’s opinion. Presentation Skills Introduction A presentation in the context of public speaking can be described as an activity where a presenter presents his/her ideas, explains a process, provides information, or raises questions regarding a subject for public debate. There can be many definitions of a presentation, however, it can be basically narrowed down to the afore mentioned. Definitions While there are many definitions of what a presentation is and what it entails, here are a few dictionary definitions about what a presentation is generally considered to be: An activity in which someone shows, describes, or explains something to a group of people. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary A speech or talk in which a new product, idea, or piece of work is shown and explained to an audience. Oxford Dictionary A talk giving information about something. Different Types of Presentations Presentations can be presented for different purposes. Before presenting a presentation, it is necessary that you have a clear idea regarding the purpose of the presentation. Below is an overview of some of the 5 most common types of presentations: 1. Informative You might need to create an informative presentation to explain important details tied to a topic before an audience. This type of presentation might be brief, with essential information. Such a presentation is usually based on facts and avoids too many complicated details and assumptions.  Examples: Class lectures, research findings, technical information, results from experiments, etc. 2. Persuasive A persuasive presentation is geared towards convincing the audience to believe a specific point of view. Such a presentation might conclude with a call to action. Examples: Product demos, sales pitch, investor pitch, presentations on social issues, debates, etc. 3. Instructional Such a presentation might be to provide an audience with instructions, such as regarding a process, or the use of a product. Such presentations are usually longer, as they require demonstrations and detailed explanation of each aspect of the topic. Examples: Tutorials for using a software, device or machine, employee orientation presentations, explanation of a course syllabus, etc. 4. Arousing This type of presentation is meant to make the audience think about a certain topic. This can be to appeal to the intellect and emotions of the audience to point them towards a certain point of view or to start a social debate. Example: Religious speech, presentation about a taboo, motivational presentation, etc. 5. Decision Making Some presentations are conducted with the sole aim of providing facts and figures to help the audience reach a decision. This might include a business presentation about say, market share, profits, project revenue and market competition; so that the board members might be able to decide a future course of action for the company. Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation 1. The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience. Relate your presentation message/idea to the interests of the audience. A detailed audience analysis must be made before the presentation, i.e., an analysis of the needs, age, educational  background, language, and culture of the target audience. Their body language instantly gives the speaker the required feedback. 2. A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the topic. It should not move off-track. 3. A good presentation should have the potential to convey the required information. 4. The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the presentation. Be calm and relaxed while giving a presentation. Before beginning, wait and develop an eye contact with the audience. Focus on conveying your message well and use a positive body language. 5. To communicate the desired information, the speaker should use more of visual aids such as transparencies, diagrams, pictures, charts, etc. Each transparency/slide should contain limited and essential information only. No slide should be kept on for a longer time. Try facing the audience, rather than the screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn on the room lights else the audience might fall asleep and loose interest. Organize all the visuals for making a logical and sound presentation. 6. A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan how to begin the presentation, what to speak in the middle of presentation and how to end the presentation without losing audience interests at any point of time. 7. Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help the speaker to be more confident and self-assured. The more the speaker rehearses the better the presentation turns to be. 8. The speaker should encourage more questions from the audience. He should be honest enough to answer those questions. If any biased question is put forth by the audience, rearticulate it before answering. 9. Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final comments. Leave a positive impact upon the audience. 10. The speaker must have a presentable appearance while giving a presentation. The speaker should stand with feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He must use confident gestures. He must use short and simple words. 11. Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using positive quotes, humour, or remarkable fact. 12. The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving presentation. He should ensure all tools and equipment to be used in presentation are working well. 13. The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at beginning of the presentation. Essential Characteristics of a Good Presentation A good presentation has the following characteristics: There is a clear structure with an introduction, discussion, and conclusion. The presenter recognizes and matches the audience’s needs, interests, and level of understanding, while discussing his or her ideas. Facts and figures are visually represented in tables, graphs, and charts, and different colours are used to make the presentation vivid and interesting. Humour and anecdotes may be employed to create a good relationship and connection with the audience. The presenter speaks clearly and logically and uses body language effectively. Questions are given serious attention and are regarded as an essential part of the presentation Elements of Presentation Presentations have three major elements: The presenter The audience The specific content and definite objective to be achieved A presenter should undertake the following steps to prepare for the presentation: Identify the purpose and goal of the presentation Analyse the audience and their needs Collate the relevant information esign and organize the information Time the presentation Decide on the medium of presentation and visual aids Become familiar with the location of the presentation Identify the Purpose of the Presentation The presenter should ask himself or herself: Why am I giving this presentation? He or she may be giving the presentation to: Sell something or persuade people to follow a course of action that they may not be inclined towards. Inform people about an idea or describe a business opportunity to gain support for some course of action or to suggest a likely course of action for the future. Gather people’s views on new plans, products, or proposals to introduce changes. Put across a problem to seek a solution or to minimize people’s reaction to it. Create awareness by sharing information, without requiring any action or response. Motivate, educate, or impart training to promote a more productive work culture Analyse the Audience and Identify Their Needs Guidelines for analysing an audience include finding answers for the following questions: Who is the audience? Why are they attending the presentation? What are their needs? What is their background and level of knowledge, in relation to the subject of presentation? How many persons will there be? What is their attitude towards the subject and the speaker expected to be? What does the audience expect will be the outcome of the presentation? Design and Organize the Information The presentation should be designed in such a way that it is logical, clear, and complete in the 30 minutes allotted to it. The sequence and timing of each part in a 30-minute presentation should be: Introduction: 3 minutes Main body: 15 minutes Conclusion: 2 minutes Question–answer session: 10 minutes Decide on the Medium of Presentation and Visual Aids A presentation can be made more vivid by the use of statistical data, figures, diagrams, and so on, which can be displayed via transparencies or PowerPoint slides. When to Use Visual Aids Visual aids should be used to: Present numerical and statistical data. Present topics related to art, design, or any subject that is visual in nature. Present comparative statements of facts and figures, especially graphic and diagrammatic forms. Visual presentation of comparisons always helps comprehension. Present new interpretations of old data. How to Use Visual Aids Here are some guidelines regarding how to use visual aids: One should not use too many images as this will lessen their impact. The speaker should plan the graphics according to the main points and make one graphic for each point. It is best to use bold, clear letters that can be seen from the other end of the room. The speaker should not fill a slide with too many words. Different colours can help to distinguish different points.  The presenter should reveal only one point at a time. This can be done by progressively exposing the hidden portion of the slide The slides should be numbered and the presentation should be rehearsed with the slides. This ensures that the words match the visuals. The speaker should explain the purpose and content of each slide when it is shown. It should be displayed for sufficient time to allow the audience to read it and, if required, make notes from it. Different Mediums of Presentation Some common mediums of presentation are boards (black or white), flip charts, overhead projectors and transparencies, and Microsoft PowerPoint slides. Boards: A board is a primary aid used in classrooms and can be black or white. The use of a board helps listeners concentrate, as it is used to note important words and concepts, or to do calculations. It is better to divide the board into different parts for noting down points, doing calculations, and drawing figures. Bold, clear letters should be used so that words are visible at a distance. Flip charts: A flip chart is a large pad of paper set on a stand. It is used for presenting information to a small group of 15 to 20 persons. The advantage of using flip charts is that they can be readily generated and added to during the talk. They can also be prepared in advance for presenting complex diagrams, bar charts, and graphs. The speaker can sketch outlines of a diagram in the presence of the audience. He or she can also use them for prompting and for creating and presenting the audience’s feedback, suggestions, comments, or any other observations at the end of the talk. Flip charts that can be written over in water- soluble ink can be reused. Overhead projectors and transparencies: A frequently used medium of presentation is an overhead projector (OHP). Overhead projectors allow the presenter to speak while looking at the audience and also have a prepared transparency projected on the screen. An OHP can have typed or handwritten matter, but the best impact is made when the content is neatly and clearly typed. PowerPoint presentations: Computer-based Microsoft PowerPoint presentations have now become more widespread than transparencies and slides. These are projected with the help of multimedia projectors. Usually, a computer screen displays the information to a large audience. Pictures and photographs are all displayed as part of the presentation. The entire presentation is saved on a laptop (with a backup on CD, if possible). The laptop is then connected to the projection equipment so that the laptop screen is cloned on the projector. The whole operation is automatic and simple. The visual impact is impressive and absorbing. Time the Presentation The total presentation, including the question–answer session at the end, should be covered within the time allotted to it. An effective presentation is one that has a smart beginning and logically arrives at a conclusion without wandering off-topic or rambling, while providing sufficient explanation for tricky or controversial points. The speaker should not repeat his or her points excessively. In addition, he or should learn to change the pacing of the presentation in response to the non-verbal cues received from the audience’s body language. Become Familiar with the Location of the Presentation Before presenting, the speaker should check the size, ventilation, and seating arrangement of the room. This helps position the screen according to the number of persons and the size of the room, ensuring it will be visible to everyone. The presenter should keep enough space between himself or herself and the screen so that he or she can refer to points on the screen with a pointer. DELIVERING THE PRESENTATION Regardless of how interesting or well drafted a presentation is, its delivery must be effective in order for the presentation to achieve its goals. Here are some guidelines on delivering presentations: Do not read aloud Use the “you attitude” to ensure audience involvement Outline the content of the presentation in the beginning itself. Use transitions Try to involve the audience and encourage their participation. To arouse and sustain audience interest Rehearsal To give a good presentation, the speaker should rehearse his or her full performance ahead of time. This helps to: Coordinate speech with visual projections Know if the information has been properly edited Check if the duration of the presentation is appropriate Minimize stage fright Some tips for rehearsing a presentation are: Rehearse using the microphone and visual aids. Practice using eye contact. Practice voice modulation, proper intonation, correct pronunciation of the words, and proper variation in volume. Rehearse by recording the presentation and playing it Body Language Since a presentation is a live performance, the speaker’s non-verbal cues will influence the audience and vice versa. For presentations, the following aspects of non-verbal behaviour are particularly relevant: Professional appearance Good/positive posture Eye contact Use of positive gestures and hand movements that reinforce the argument Appropriate movements Smiling and looking relaxed while answering questions Handling Questions and Debate Questions help the speaker to: Further clarify what he or she has already said. Add new information. Demonstrate his or her knowledge. Prove the relevance of the presentation. Tips to Fight Stage Fright Stage fright is a natural experience for all presenters. Some tips to deal with it include: 1. Always look for some smiling faces among the listeners and make eye contact with them; they will make you feel at ease. 2. Rehearse your presentation before friends. 3. Memorize opening lines to help get yourself started.  4. Do extensive research on the topic and be over-prepared. 5. Use it as a positive source of nervous energy for performing well Different Means of Presenting Presentations How a presentation is presented can be roughly divided into 3 main categories, i.e. oral, visual only oral and visual. 1. Oral Only This might simply include a presenter speaking directly to the audience, without any visual aid. This type of presentation can be difficult, since it can be hard to grab audience attention without any visual aid. If you are looking to give an oral presentation, you must have very good presentation skills and a compelling story to tell your audience. In fact, your audience is likely to be more interested in your presentation if you can present your ideas, concepts and explanations like a story. While it might seem unlikely that someone would resort to an audio only presentation, however, this too can be quite an effective method for creating a sense of mystery of making your audience pay more attention to the content of your presentation. Such a presentation might be presented in the form of a story, read out or played via an audio device. 2. Visual Only This might include a set of images or a video playing out before an audience. Such a presentation might include slides or a video clip with text that the audience requires to read to understand the visuals, a silent animation with a symbolic message, a set of images played like a slideshow, and the like. 3. Visual & Oral This is the most common method of presenting a presentation. Whether it is a presenter directly or remotely presenting a presentation, or a video presentation playing out before an audience, the use of both visual and an oral explanation is usually the most effective method for presenting a presentation. Such a presentation may also include background music, and audio effects to make the presentation more compelling. Other than presentation software, and the use of devices like projectors, monitors and TV screens, visual and oral presentations might also include photographs, whiteboards, and handouts. Commonly Used Presentation Software, Platforms & Methods Here are a few commonly used apps, platforms and methods used by presenters for making presentations. Slide Decks Nowadays, most people simply relate the word ‘presentation’ with a slide deck, typically created in PowerPoint. This includes various slides, each with bits of information. These slides are presented one by one, usually starting with a title slide, introduction of the topic, main content, followed by a conclusion. According to some estimates, 30 million PowerPoint presentations are created on a daily basis. PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, and Google Slides are a few of the most famous presentation platforms for designing and presenting slide decks.. Video Presentations Presentations can also have other forms, such as video presentations. These can include slides converted from PowerPoint to video format, video clips created using web apps like PowToon, YouTube videos, as well as elaborate videos produced using sophisticated video editing and production software. Interactive Presentations This type of presentation might include the ability of the audience to interact with the presenter or presentation in some way. For example, the audience might be given the chance to view the slide deck and react to certain parts of the presentation using apps, polls, quizzes, etc. Hence, these types of presentations might include mechanisms where a presenter is able to switch between content using interactive buttons, with some sort of user interaction. Some platforms for making interactive presentations include; Articulate, Mindomo, Office Mix, etc. Beyond the digital sense, interactive presentations might include something as simple as a class lecture with student participation, or a presentation where the audience is actively engaged to work with the presenter in some way. Webinars & Online Presentations Online presentations and webinars usually include Live presentations presented using various internet-based platforms. While many people also share their presentations online for universal viewing, using services like Slide Share, Slide Online and Author Stream, usually, the word online presentations is used for Live presentations presented remotely using the Internet. These may or may not include visual aid, however, usually presenters opt for PowerPoint slides presented via a number of remote meeting and conferencing apps like Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Join.me, TeamViewer, and the like. Handouts Other than apps, some presenters might choose to go old school and use paper handouts, with an oral speech or discussion to present a presentation. This method is most likely to be used by teachers, such as when handing out an assignment where students might have to make use of the handouts to draw conclusions. It is also worth mentioning here that some presenters like giving their audience handouts for their PowerPoint presentations so the audience can follow their slides more conveniently. These handouts might be distributed in the form of printed or digital handouts. You can learn more about the latter from our posts about digital handouts. Whiteboards and Interactive Whiteboards This too is a method most likely to be used by educators to teach students using either a real whiteboard or a digital one. The presenter might use a marker to draw diagrams, or write down points and explanations on the whiteboard to explain the topic. There are also interactive whiteboards and apps which can aid audience participation and interactivity. Some examples include; Deekit, Real Time Board, and digital whiteboard devices. The image below shows an interactive whiteboard by Smart Tech. This range of boards developed by Smart tech are called Smart Boards. Live Demonstration This method is most likely to be used for a sales presentation to show the utility of a product. Such presentations are common during promotional events organized by different companies, and governments (to promote businesses); such as Expo events. Live demos have also been one of the most commonly used methods for selling products by door to door salesmen. The presentation definitions, types, methods, apps and devices mentioned in this post includes some common examples of how and why presentations are presented. If you’re a newbie looking to give a presentation at Office or school and find the above mentioned too overwhelming; we would simply recommend that you use PowerPoint for making slides to present before your audience. You can pick a template from these thousands of free PowerPoint templates to choose the one most relevant for your topic, create a slide deck, and rehearse the presentation beforehand. Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audio- visual aids. The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match with the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized. LISTENING SKILLS Fe atur es Of A Go o d Listener First, before we d etermine HOW to become a good listen er, we mu st k now if we ARE already a good listener… H o w To Kno w If Yo u’re No t A Go o d Listener Ever find you rself nodding along in conv ersation, only to realize later that you ha ve no idea what the other p erson ju st said? If so, you ’re not alone. In ou r fa st-paced world, it’s easy to get distracted and miss important details. However, being a good listener is cru cial for both personal and professional rela tionships. So ho w can yo u tell if yo u need to wo rk o n your listening skills? One sign that you ’re not really listening is if you ’re always waiting for you r tu rn to speak. Instead of tru ly hearing what the other person is saying, you ’re simply think ing abou t what you want to say next. Another sign is i f you get easily distracted by things lik e your phone or the T V. If you find you rself constantly check ing you r text messages or trying to ca tch u p on the latest episode o f you r favorite show, it’s a good in dication tha t you ’re not giving the conversation you r fu ll attention. A third sign to k now if you ’re not really listening is if you start think ing a bou t other things while they are speak ing. Your engagement is not on them, it’s on what is going on inside y ou r brain. You ’re a million miles away and not really HEARING them. If you ’re not su re if you’re a good listener, ask yourself these q u estions: Do peop le feel like they can ta lk to you and con fide in you? Do peop le feel h eard when th ey sp eak to you ? If the answer is no, then you might not be as good of a listener as you think you are. Bu t it’s ok! T here are qualities of a good listener you can learn and adapt to toda y! T hese qualities will have you become a better listener in no time! Be ing a goo d listener is o ne of the mo st important skills yo u can hav e. Whether you ’re commu nicating with your boss, k ids, hu sband, cowork ers, even cu stomer s, being able to listen attentively can help you to better u nderstand their needs and find solu tions to problems. 1. The y make eye co ntact Eye contact is essential for good co mmu nication. When we mak e eye co ntact with someo ne, we are letting them k now that we are present and engaged in the conversation. Good listeners mak e eye contact with the speak er to show that they are interested in what is being said. It helps you not only to seem lik e you ’re listening, bu t actually listen! You ’re present and in the moment, and this shows wh en you ’re mak ing eye contact. 2. The y do n’t interrupt In order to be a good listener, you need to be respectfu l of the speak er and fu lly engage with what they’re saying. T his means not interrupting them, even i f you think you k now where th ey’re going with their story or you want to a dd your own experiences. Sometimes you ’ll interru pt to really connect with them more to o (lik e when they’re talk ing, you ’ll say, “Yah, YAH!” in agreeance). Something lik e that is ok a y bu t fu ll on interru pting them mak es them feel devalu ed. Interru pting shows that you ’re not interested in what the other person has to sa y, a nd it can be very fru strating for the speak er. T hey wait for you to complete you r thou ghts before responding, and you should be polite and wait for them as well. 3. The y ask questio ns T hey want to k now more abou t what you ’re saying and they’re interested i n the topic. A good listen er is someone who is interested in what you have to sa y. T hey will ask qu estions abou t the topic and try to get to k now more a bou t it. 4. The y pay attentio n One of the qu alities of a good listener is someon e who pays attention. T h ey a re interested in what you have to say and they mak e an effort to u nderstand. The y also remember what yo u hav e to ld them , which sho ws th at they were pa ying attention. Good listeners mak e you feel heard and u nderstood, and they create a rapport tha t bu ilds tru st. When you ’re talking to a good listener, you k now that they a re fu lly present and that they valu e what you have to say. T his mak es for a more enjoyable conversation and a deeper connection. 5. The y do n’t judg e T hey listen attentively and mak e su re you feel heard. T hey want to k now everything abou t you and they remember the little things. T hey mak e you feel co mfortable in you r own sk in. Good listeners are respectfu l and they do not pa ss ju dgment on the speak er or try to change their opinion. Instea d, they accept them for who they are and they provide a safe space for them to share their thou ghts and feelings. As a resu lt, quality listening is an essential skill that can benefit both parties involved in a conversation. 6. The y repeat back wh at they he ard A goo d listener is so meon e who is not only attentive, bu t also able to u nderstand and effectively repeat back what they have heard. T his is an important qu ality to have in both personal and professional relationships. In order to be a good listener, it is important to restate what has been said in order to ensure that you have correctly u nderstood the speak er. By taking the time to truly listen to o thers, yo u can build stro ng er relatio nships and foster more effective co mmunicatio n. 7. The y clarify A ma jor quality of a good listener is the ability to clarify. Oftentimes, people will speak withou t fu lly articu lating their thou ghts, lea ding to confu sion on th e part of the listener. A good listener, however, will tak e the time to clarify what the speak er is trying to say. T his may involve ask ing qu estions or paraphrasing the speak er’s remark s. By tak ing the time to clarify, a good listener shows that they are engaged in the conversation and are tru ly interested in u nderstanding what the other person is sa ying. 8. The y g iv e their undiv ided attentio n One of the qu alities of a good listen er is the ability to give u ndivided a ttention. Listening is more than ju st hearing what the other person is saying. It’s a bou t u nderstanding the message and being present in the moment. When we’re fu lly present, we’re able to connect with the speak er on a deeper level a nd engage in meaningfu l conversation. T his requires u s to pu t aside ou r own thou ghts and biases (phones and technology) and really listen to wha t the other person i s saying. Only then can we tru ly u nderstand their perspective and bu ild strong rela tionships. 9. The y listen with their who le bo dy Listening is an essential sk ill for both personal and professio nal su ccess. While it may seem easy, qu ality listening is actu ally quite rare. Good listeners are those wh o not only hear the word s that are being said, bu t who a lso pay attention to the speak er’s body language and tone of voice. T hey u nderstand that commu nication is more than ju st the exchange of words, a nd they mak e an effort to tru ly u nderstand the message that the other person is trying to commu nicate. 1 0. They sho w they are interested Good listeners are able to sho w that they are interested in what the sp eak er ha s to say by mak ing eye contact, nodding their he ad, and ask ing qu estions.  T hey also mak e su re to pay attention to both the words that are being said a nd the body language of the speak er. By doing this, they are able to u nderstand the speak er’s message more clearly and respond accordingly. Types of listening skills Below, we will look at eight different types of listening styles and explore their value in the communication process. As you read through each description, consider how you can use that style of listening to improve your own communication at work and throughout other areas of your life. 1. Discriminative listening This type of listening is an innate ability that even small children possess. It's the first listening skill that a human uses, even before they have a well-developed vocabulary or understand more than a few words. In fact, discriminative listening relies on cues that go beyond verbal understanding. When you use this skill, you're listening for things like changes in sound, vocal tone, verbal inflection, and nonverbal cues. This style of listening can even help to bridge the communication gap between two people who speak different languages, enabling them to achieve some level of basic understanding. By working to develop this skill, you can improve your ability to better understand others while communicating with them. By assessing their tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, and other verbal and nonverbal cues, you can learn to identify subtleties in their messages and read between the lines of what is said and not said. This can be vital for ensuring that you always understand what others are telling you. 2. Sympathetic listening Sympathetic listening requires the ability to focus on other people's emotions. A sympathetic listener hears what the other person says but looks beyond the message to assess the speaker's emotional state. Human communication often includes an emotional component, so being able to identify and sympathize with others' emotions can be essential for understanding their messaging. By learning how to recognize and sympathize with other people's feelings, you can build deeper and more valuable relationships with everyone around you. This type of listening can be useful for effectively interacting with colleagues, but has even greater value for managers and leaders within an organization. Most employees need to feel as though their emotions are being respected and validated by their superiors. Taking the time to learn how to employ this listening style can help you to develop bonds of trust and loyalty with everyone on your team. 3. Therapeutic listening Therapeutic listening is a type of listening skill that you can use to better understand another person's perspective. To use this style of listening effectively, you need to be able to put yourself into the speaker's shoes and try to see things from their point of view. This takes empathy, rather than sympathy, and allows you to gain greater insight into other people's problems. As a result, it can be a powerful way to build rapport with colleagues and others who either seek advice or simply want to vent their frustrations. To effectively use this style of listening, you will need to encourage others to open up to you and express themselves. Neutral body language, good eye contact, and focused facial expressions can help to provide nonverbal cues that demonstrate your interest in what they are saying. As you listen to them, nod your head occasionally to show that you're listening to everything they say. Throughout the process, make sure that you're focused on putting yourself in their place, as though their current problem is yours. Counselors, Therapists, and conflict resolution specialists often use these skills to help them to fully understand other people's mindsets and attitudes toward the challenges in their lives. When used effectively, it can be a great technique to help you discover the real root causes of many problems and disputes. 4. Comprehensive listening Comprehensive listening is a skill that people use to decode and understand messages that they hear. Like discriminative listening, this skill is one that people use for most of their lives. Unlike discriminative listening, however, it's not an innate ability. Instead, people begin to learn the basic vocabulary and language skills needed to understand verbal messages in early childhood and continue to develop those talents as they grow older. Comprehensive listening skills are vital since they are used for other types of listening. Without the ability to understand and decode verbal messages, it would be impossible to effectively use sympathetic, therapeutic, critical, informational, or reflective listening. In addition, it's also important to recognize that comprehensive listening is often used in combination with discriminative listening. As you hear words, you also note things like tone, inflection, and body language. Together, those key listening skills help you to properly interpret the messages you receive. 5. Critical listening The ability to listen critically is important for anyone who wants to understand complicated messages. It's essential for decoding complex data, evaluating the information that you're hearing, and using your interpretation skills to effectively solve problems and create solutions. This style of listening is even more focused than comprehensive listening, requiring you to do more than just decode a given message. You also need to draw upon your experiences and knowledge base to interpret that message within a broader context. People who use critical listening are constantly analyzing the messages they receive and assessing the data to determine its relevance and accuracy. Can the information be trusted? How does it compare to what you already know? If there's an inconsistency between what you're hearing and your existing knowledge base, how can you reconcile those differences? Obviously, critical listening is a deep and complex skill, since it requires you to constantly analyze what you hear and make key decisions about how you're going to interpret that information. Critical listening skills are so important that they form the foundation for many group problem- solving efforts. For example, it would be impossible to effectively brainstorm with others if no one possessed this type of listening skill. It would also be difficult for participants to generate new ideas, create solutions to problems, or otherwise collaborate in an effective way. 6. Informational listening Informational listening is another deeper form of listening and seeks to not only understand the message you're hearing but also retain that comprehension. This type of listening is used by students in the classroom, employees at work, and anyone who wants to acquire knowledge from the things they hear. Effective use of this listening style requires strong focus and concentration, as well as critical thinking skills to assess the information you're receiving. Improving your ability to use informational listening can be a key component of any effort to become a life-long learner. By honing this skill, you can ensure that you not only properly interpret what you're hearing, but also absorb that knowledge in a way that expands your broader comprehension of the world around you. Use informational listening to develop new skills, gain greater expertise in your chosen field, and acquire more insight and understanding from every interaction. 7. Reflective listening Reflective listening is a style of communication that incorporates several other types of listening. To use it effectively, you need to be able to properly interpret a message's core idea by evaluating not only the words, but the emotions expressed by the speaker. This listening style doesn't end with that decoding, however. It also requires you to repeat that message back to the source, in your own words. By reflecting the message in this way, you can confirm that your understanding is correct. To use this strategy effectively, you need to actively listen to what you're hearing and analyze the speaker's words, body language, and emotional cues. You then decode that overall message and repeat it back to the speaker to confirm your interpretation. Reflective listening can be an important skill in many occupations. For example, Counselors often use it in their work to ensure that they fully understand what they are hearing. In business, managers can use this skill with their employees to build greater rapport and trust. Within a team setting, this type of listening can be a useful component of any resolution conflict resolution process, as well as an important technique for effectively collaborating with others. 8. Biased listening If you've ever found yourself tuning out information that you didn't want to hear, then you're already familiar with the concept of biased listening. Also known as selective listening or selective hearing, this type of listening can be a real impediment to effective communication. People who engage in biased listening tend to focus on the things that align with their beliefs or opinions, while ignoring data and information that runs contrary to their preconceptions. Unfortunately, most people who engage in this type of listening are doing so unconsciously. In most instances, biased listeners are simply not open to new information or believe that their current understanding is not subject to change. A person who allows their own biases to distort the messages they hear will often misunderstand messages, interpret facts in an incorrect way, or ignore new data altogether. Obviously, this is not a type of listening that anyone should actively try to develop, since it offers no viable benefit for improved communication. Still, it's important to learn to recognize this biased approach to listening, so that you can avoid it in your own communication efforts. Whenever you actively listen to any message, make sure you check your biases at the door so that they don't cloud your interpretation. In addition, learn to recognize when others are engaged in biased listening, so that you can focus on ensuring that your message is delivered in a way that they can fully understand. Tips to help you improve your listening skills To become a more effective listener, you should learn to improve as many of these positive listening skills as possible. Here are some tips that can help you to develop your own listening habits, become a better learner, and improve your broader communication abilities. Focus on the speaker If you regularly find yourself getting distracted while other people are talking, focus on changing that bad habit. Learn to maintain good eye contact when someone is speaking to you and try not to glance at your phone, look at other objects or people in the room, or stare out of the window. Chances are that you understand how frustrating it is to feel as though someone is not giving you their undivided attention during a conversation. Try to visualize the message you're hearing Visualization can help to improve your overall comprehension when listening to others. To use visualization effectively, you need to consciously focus on the images that a speaker's words convey. With practice, you can eventually learn to associate the words you hear with visual representations that help to reinforce key concepts. Avoid interruptions When you're speaking, there are few things more disruptive than constant interruptions from your listeners. Even minor interruptions can disrupt a speaker's flow, cause them to lose focus, and even make them lose interest in the conversation. It's important to take those things into consideration when you're on the receiving end of the communication process and consciously restrain yourself from interrupting the other person. It's also a good idea to wait until the person is done speaking before you create your response. If you craft a response while the other person is still talking, you may find yourself tuning out the rest of their message. You can avoid that by focusing all of your attention on the other person's words and patiently waiting to consider how to respond. Ask questions when they're done speaking There will be times when you won't understand the messages that you receive. Some things that you hear may generate questions in your mind, as you try to improve your comprehension. When that happens, make a mental note of the question and ask it when the speaker's message is complete. Again, do not interrupt the message as it's being delivered. In addition, try to ensure that your questions are related to the topic of the conversation and responsive to the speaker's words. This can help to ensure that the dialogue flows in a positive direction and create a more productive and engaging communication process. It will also demonstrate that you're paying attention and interested in what the speaker has to say. Watch for nonverbal cues Given the importance of body language in human communication, understanding nonverbal cues can be critical for improving your listening skills. Train yourself to pay attention to posture, facial expressions, vocal tone, pitch, gestures, and other common nonverbal forms of communication. With enough practice, you can learn to interpret others' nonverbal cues and even draw inferences that help you to more fully comprehend the meaning of their words. To learn more about the different types of body language, check out our post, Understand Body Language to Improve Your Communication. To learn more about the different types of body language, check out our post, Understand Body Language to Improve Your Communication.  Don't judge the message as it's being delivered If you find that you're resistant to a speaker's message, there's a good chance that you're instinctively judging the speaker's words. Everyone has their own biases and preconceptions, so it's not uncommon for people to tune out messages that challenge their worldview. Unfortunately, that tendency to judge or mentally criticize messages as they are being delivered can create obstacles to comprehension and effective communication. To avoid that obstacle, it's important to force yourself to maintain an open mind when others speak to you. Instead of instinctively putting up walls of resistance that prevent you from fully receiving a message, give that speaker your full attention and allow them to finish talking. This can ensure that you truly understand what they're saying or provide an opportunity to ask clarifying questions. There's also the chance that you may not find their message so alarming once you truly understand their point of view Causes and effects of poor listening The act of listening is affected by any barrier that impedes the flow of information. For this reason, it’s nearly impossible to listen well all the time. As a result, poor listening is commonplace. These barriers include distractions, an inability to prioritize information, a tendency to assume or judge based on little or no information (i.e., “jumping to conclusions), and general confusion about the topic being discussed. Listening barriers may be psychological (e.g., the listener’s emotions) or physical (e.g., noise and visual distraction). Some of the most common barriers to effective listening include low concentration, lack of prioritization, poor judgement, and focusing on style rather than substance. Low Concentration When a listener is not paying attention to a speaker’s dialogue, effective communication is significantly diminished. Low concentration, or not paying close attention to speakers, can result from various psychological or physical situations including visual or auditory distractions, physical discomfort, inadequate volume, lack of interest in the subject material, stress, or personal bias. Both listeners and speakers should be aware of these kinds of impediments and work to eliminate or mitigate them. When listening to a speech, there is a time delay between when a speaker utters a sentence to the moment the listener comprehends, or “decodes,” the speaker’s meaning. Normally, this process happens within the span of a few seconds. If this decoding process takes longer, the listener has to catch up to the speaker’s words if he or she continues to speak at a pace faster than the listener can comprehend. Often when they stop understanding, listeners simply give up and stop listening. To help listeners better understand what they are saying, speakers need to know which parts of their speech may be more difficult to understand than others, and adjust the speed, vocabulary, and sentence structure accordingly. Lack of Prioritization Just as lack of attention to detail in a conversation can lead to ineffective listening, so can focusing too much attention on the least important information. Listeners need to be able to pick up on social cues and prioritize the information they hear to identify the most important points within the context of the conversation. Often, the information the audience needs to know is delivered along with less pertinent or irrelevant information. When listeners give equal weight to everything they hear, it makes it difficult to organize and retain the information they need. For instance, students who take notes in class must know which information to write down within the context of an entire lecture. Writing down the lecture word for word is impossible as well as inefficient. Jumping to Judgement When listening to a speaker’s message, it is common to overlook aspects of the conversation or make judgments before all of the information is presented. Listeners often engage in confirmation bias, which is the tendency to isolate aspects of a conversation to support one’s own preexisting beliefs and values. This psychological process has a detrimental effect because listeners tend to form opinions without first obtaining all pertinent information. Focusing on Style, Not Substance The vividness effect explains how vivid or highly graphic and dramatic events affect an individual’s perception of a situation. When observing an event in person, an observer is automatically drawn toward the sensational, vivid, or memorable aspects of a conversation or speech. In the case of listening, distracting or larger-than-life elements in a speech can deflect attention away from the most important information in the presentation. Cultural differences (including the speaker’s accent and vocabulary) and differences in physical appearance can also obstruct the listening process. Listeners should focus on the substance of the message, rather than the speaker’s style of delivery or appearance.