A good leader needs to speak and speak effectively. Whether it’s in small team meetings, large presentations, or one-on-one meetings, leaders will speak every single day. And you can’t simply lecture to your employees, try to influence them and motivate them to act in the best interest of your company. Here are some tips to improve your speaking techniques to help you become a better leader.
Put it in a narrative
If you truly want to influence your audience, you can’t just throw a bunch of facts and statistics at them. Instead, connect the facts and give them meaning. Explain the context behind the facts and figures, why they’re significant, and why your employees should care. What can your employees do affect the changes you need? Convince your employees how their daily tasks impact the quality of your product, the satisfaction of your customers, and your company’s bottom line.
Don’t read from a script
If you simply read from words you wrote last week, you’ll sound like a robot and you won’t be as effective. But if you speak authentically and honestly, you’ll sound like you’re speaking from the heart, and your audience will believe you. You still need to prepare some notes and rehearse a bit, but if you can speak dynamically, emphasizing your big points, your audience will stay engaged, trusting your every word and remembering your speech for a long time to come.
Use easy, relatable language
If you use words that are too technical or complicated, your audience will tune out almost immediately. Not only that, they’ll be confused, and they might perceive you as arrogant. Instead, aim to be clear and simple. Get your point across with as few words as possible, so your audience will understand it and remember it. Otherwise you risk losing your message in big words and complicated terms.
Use effective images and diagrams
If you do have to use complicated language, facts, and data, accompany your speech with helpful pictures, graphs, and other diagrams. You want your audience to leave feeling more knowledgeable and empowered, not confused. You might even consider using visual analogies or manipulatives that can help illustrate your point. You don’t necessarily have to teach or train the people you’re talking to, but you do have inspire them to act and they can’t do so if they don’t quite understand what you’re saying.
For more tips on inspiring your team to reach their potential and tackle new challenges, reach out to Northern California’s leading staffing experts at Star Staffing.