13 tips to speak so that people want to listen
13 tips to speak so that people want to listen
People struggle with speaking intelligently so that people listen and take note of what is being communicated to them. When given a speaking engagement, it is always your duty to ensure that you have the capacity to make people listen and interact with what you are saying. In a bid to make people want to listen and consider what you are saying, here are 13 tips to aid you speak with that authority.
Speak with empathy
The aspect of speaking with empathy is a great tool to make people want to listen. It ensures that people relate and understand what you are communicating. When you want people to listen, speaking with empathy triggers their attention and ensures they keenly consider your proposition.
Take vocal exercises
It is foolhardy to disregard vocal exercises when trying to get people to listen to what you are saying. Taking vocal exercises ensures you are better placed to communicate and capture the audience with a variation of the vocal intonations that keep the listeners engaged.
Capture the “Honesty” aspect
Be true and believe in what you are saying. It is very important to ensure that you are a believer in what you are telling people as this gives you confidence to express yourself. When you capture the “honesty” card, you are able to appear clear and concise in what you are talking about.
Engage the audience
It is important to engage the audience through either asking a question or allowing input from the audience. This is a strategy that captures the audience and keeps them interested in the talk. It is only through this strategy that you can guarantee that people will want to listen.
Address what the audience desires
Every audience normally has a pre-conceived idea of what they want to learn and this is what you should capture even before you start speaking. By targeting what the target audience desires and wants to hear, you are able to make the people want to listen since they are sure they will learn something.
Utilize gestures
Gestures determine your body language and this is very important when it comes to communication. Micro-expressions are necessary in having a commanding presence since people notice gestures and this gives them the cue to either pay attention or simply dismiss you. Utilizing the appropriate gestures therefore serves as a way to form a bond with the audience.
Share actual experiences
When speaking to an audience, sharing your actual experiences is a great way to make people want to listen. People are always eager to understand how things actually worked for you and sharing your experiences serves as a great way to form a connection that will keep the target audience interested.
Ooze authenticity
It is of core importance that you are in your element when talking to people. The key is to stand for your own truth and be yourself instead of trying to mimic others or concepts that have been forwarded by others. When you appear trustworthy, people will want to listen in order to gain something from you.
Slow the talk for emphasis
When you slow a talk for emphasis, people will want to listen more since it is human nature to want to grasp the important points. Pausing also brings in an opportunity for the audience to chip in and this heightens their concentration. Slowing the talk provides a chance to grow your connection with the target audience.
Have a commanding pitch
The pitch of your voice can easily reveal whether you are excited or whether you don’t trust in what you are saying. When you have as commanding pitch, it makes people want to listen since they trust that you have the content that can transform their knowledge bank. A commanding yet interactive pitch is what you need to make it work as far as speaking to an audience is concerned.
Maintain eye contact
What eye contact does is create the human connection that simply gives you the edge when trying to engage with a target audience. Eye contact allows you to sense the presence of every part of the audience which is what creates the connection that makes people have the desire to listen to what you have to offer.
Take a confident voice tone and volume
The vocal properties are a core aspect of how you speak and they can spell success or failure when it comes to interaction with an audience. By taking a confident voice tone and volume you place yourself as an authority on the subject matter which will make people want to listen.
Take a conversational approach
Making the talk about you is not the way to get people to listen. The idea is to take a conversational approach since it is what ensures people take notice and maintain their interest. Embrace brevity as a strategy because it is the doorway to success in speaking to people and ensuring they listen.
