{"id":1339,"date":"2019-09-25T15:50:49","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T15:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/?p=1339"},"modified":"2021-10-14T12:56:26","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T11:56:26","slug":"so-you-think-you-can-communicate-effectively-think-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/25\/so-you-think-you-can-communicate-effectively-think-again\/","title":{"rendered":"So You Think You Can Communicate Effectively? Think Again!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Sihouette-of-man-leading-crowd-freedigitalphotos.net_.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1340\" data-link=\"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Sihouette-of-man-leading-crowd-freedigitalphotos.net_.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-1340\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">A few weeks ago, I was a guest on the<em>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatspeech.co\/podcast\/\">Great Speech Podcast<\/a><\/em>,  hosted by the humorous, engaging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kolarelesonaike\">Kolarele Sonaike<\/a>. Kolarele, or Kola for short, is a UK-trained, practising barrister with over twenty years of experience convincing tough British judges to decide in favour of his clients. He\u2019s also the founder of the public speaking-training outfit: The Great Speech Consultancy. Kola loves to talk about communication so launching his podcast a few months ago was a no-brainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">He began the show by asking me about my back-story &#8211; how I became involved in\u00a0communications, after which he wanted to know about my recommendations on effective business writing. \u00a0Next was the interesting segment \u2013 examples I could give of other great Nigerian communicators (since I declined to comment on the communication abilities of Nigerian political figures). I named three exceptional Nigerian speakers and stated why I chose them. The session ended with his typical \u2018quick-fire round\u2019 where he rapidly asked 10 questions that I had to answer without \u2018over-thinking\u2019. Our session ended shy of 45 minutes but could have gone on for hours. All podcasts should be that engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Although Kola\u2019s sessions are fun \u2013 from the funky intro music to the off-the-cuff style of interviewing or his monologues, don\u2019t be fooled by the entertaining format. All episodes are packed with great value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Afterwards,\nas is my custom, I reflected on the podcast. Below are the key insights shared about\neffective communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\" class=\"has-larger-font-size\"><strong>1) Communicate clearly in business writing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\" class=\"has-regular-font-size\">Kola\nwanted me to quickly clarify what was referred to as \u2018business writing\u2019. I\nexplained that business writing is usually the form we use in the business\ncontext when writing emails, memos, reports, contracts, letters, etc. &nbsp;It\u2019s also different from creative and\ntechnical writing in terms of the style and structure used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">One\nway to view business writing is to note that the focus should be on\nprioritising one or more aspects of your business\/company. Thus, you write business\ncontent for precise goals or outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">When asked to give some tips on writing convincingly, I stressed three rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a) Know your audience\/recipient so that you can tailor your communication to be relevant to their needs. This makes them receptive to supporting you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">b) Use the three beacons of simplicity, brevity, and clarity to create content that is more persuasive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">c) Proofread and edit ruthlessly to produce clean, powerful documents that will advance your cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">When\nyou consider these three rules of effective business writing, your pieces will become\nconcise, clear, and compelling. They will also help you achieve your goals or\nbring you closer to completing objectives. Without these guidelines, you <em>will<\/em> be communicating, albeit ineffectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">It\u2019s\none thing to craft a document that\u2019s saturated with the minutiae, written in a\nlong-winded manner and is tedious to read \u2013 that\u2019s the default format in the\nbusiness context. But the ability to \u2018assemble\u2019 a piece, which has components that\nare relevant to your goals, and which lists a clear call-to-action that trigger\nresults \u2013 that\u2019s a skill that would differentiate you from the pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Learn\nto do the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\" class=\"has-larger-font-size\"><strong>2) Speak persuasively to move hearts and prod action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1078\" height=\"1118\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3D-man-with-thumbs-up-freedigitalphotos.net-Master-isolated-Images-1.jpg?fit=640%2C664&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1348\" data-link=\"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=1348\" class=\"wp-image-1348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3D-man-with-thumbs-up-freedigitalphotos.net-Master-isolated-Images-1.jpg?w=1078&amp;ssl=1 1078w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3D-man-with-thumbs-up-freedigitalphotos.net-Master-isolated-Images-1.jpg?resize=289%2C300&amp;ssl=1 289w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3D-man-with-thumbs-up-freedigitalphotos.net-Master-isolated-Images-1.jpg?resize=768%2C796&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3D-man-with-thumbs-up-freedigitalphotos.net-Master-isolated-Images-1.jpg?resize=987%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 987w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Kola shared some interesting insights on communication concerns. In his work as a public speaking trainer and consultant, he meets people of different nationalities. He noticed that the fear of public speaking tended to top the most frequent communication concerns in the West.&nbsp; He wanted to know what my experience has been with Nigerian professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">I\ntold him I found the trend rather surprising. If I were asked five years ago\nabout the biggest communication challenge of Nigerian professionals, I would\neasily have listed the fear of public speaking. However, in my current work as\na communications coach and trainer, I receive more enquiries about business\nwriting than on other forms of communication. I gave one plausible reason for\nthis development: Nigerian professionals travel more; they attend more\nnetworking events, and they collaborate more often in teams and with foreigners.\nThis development, over time, has increased the number of speaking engagements, presentations\nand pitches Nigerian professionals, entrepreneurs and business people routinely\ngive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">So Nigerian professionals are now speaking more often. But based on what I\u2018ve observed, are we speaking more effectively? Are our spoken words driving change, amplifying businesses or accelerating our careers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">That\nwas a \u2018light bulb\u2019 moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">There\u2019s\na difference between standing up to speak with ease and speaking powerfully to\nmove hearts and change minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">And\nthat difference lies in the delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">To\nboost your delivery, you should do two things consistently:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">a) Learn to tell stories. Realise that humans are emotional beings who first make decisions based on emotions before justifying those decisions with logic. Neuroscience also reveals that stories \u2018sync\u2019 the listener\u2019s brain with the storyteller\u2019s so that both experience the same emotions. In this state, you can \u2018coax\u2019 your audience to support your ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">b) Use <a href=\"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/27\/boost-your-credibility-with-effective-nonverbal-communication\">nonverbal communication<\/a> such as smiling, variation in tone, movements, \u2018open\u2019 gestures, eye contact, etc. to generate trust and boost credibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Also,\nrecord your speaking engagements wherever feasible and review your performance\nafterwards. This is the quickest method to note your speaking errors, nonverbal\ntics, and other tidbits that you can improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Remember\nthat your content without your <em>presence<\/em>\nis simply data. And data alone will not help you influence people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\" class=\"has-larger-font-size\"><strong>3) Learn from powerful speakers to hone your skills<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Learning from experts in your field and even outside your network is an effective way to \u2018train\u2019 your brain to recognise great speaking. &nbsp;By noticing how they use nonverbal cues to connect with their audiences or how they command a room, you\u2019d get ideas on what to adopt. Test what resonates with you but don\u2019t try to morph into your model speakers because, at your best, you\u2019d never be them. Instead, choose some techniques that you find interesting and tweak them to suit your style and delivery. When Kola asked if I could name great Nigerian communicators, I highlighted the three below. Listen to them speak; watch their videos and be inspired. But know that these speakers have honed their skills over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>a) Ibukun Awosika<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">In a blog post on the need for <a href=\"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/30\/female-professionals-speak-up-to-advance-in-your-careers\/\">female professionals to speak up to advance their careers<\/a>, I briefly analysed the speech this executive gave a few months ago. As the chairlady of the board of First Bank of Nigeria, one of Nigeria\u2019s oldest and largest banks, this incredibly confident speaker is well respected in her circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Kam8OcezDKo\">Watch<\/a> how she delivers a powerful, moving speech at the Nigerian Governors\u2019 Forum induction ceremony for returning and incoming governors in Abuja, the nation\u2019s capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Note her nonverbal cues in particular \u2013 how she uses her deep tone and gestures to convey authority. Her body language also powers her delivery. The result was a standing ovation from the governors and all present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>b) Tony O. Elumelu<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">As the chairman of UBA Bank, and Heirs Holdings, this speaker is also the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation \u2013 Africa\u2019s largest philanthropic organisation dedicated to promoting African entrepreneurship on the continent. Every year, thousands of African entrepreneurs converge on Nigeria to participate in mentoring programmes and pitch competitions where they receive seed capital for their businesses. Elumelu is highly respected businessman who regularly gives speeches at international events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">One good example of a commendable speech is his 2016 talk at the <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/muuEkzd3KuI\">BpiFrance Inno Generation Event<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Speech at Bpifrance Inno Generation Event\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/muuEkzd3KuI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">On stage, he used simple language, movement, and a comfortable poise to deliver an interesting talk, despite the distracting activities of tech people at the back of the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>c) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">This impressive speaker is actually an award-winning novelist known for masterpieces including \u2018Americanah\u2019 and \u2018Half of a Yellow Sun\u2019.&nbsp;She has numerous speeches in her portfolio, and impressive commencement addresses delivered at Yale, Harvard, and Wellesley College. Adichie \u2018s TED talk (with over 19 million views): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?utm_campaign=tedspread&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=tedcomsha\">\u2018The Danger of a Single Story\u2019<\/a>, is a lesson in enthralling storytelling.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-ted wp-block-embed-ted wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.ted.com\/talks\/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Despite\nreferring to notes periodically and standing behind a lectern, she uses a rich tone,\nhumour, warm smiles and eye contact at specific moments to connect with the\naudience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">She\u2019s unapologetically herself; she\u2019s comfortable in her own skin, and communicates with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">She\u2019s one to watch and never to tire of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-larger-font-size\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">So you think you can communicate effectively? Think again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"206\" height=\"245\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/3D-man-with-speech-bubbles-freedigitalphotos.net-Stuart-Miles.jpg?resize=206%2C245&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1344\" data-link=\"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=1344\" class=\"wp-image-1344\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Knowing\nyour material (as a minimum) is not enough; you must connect with your audience.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">Connecting\nis not enough; you must convert with your delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">If\nyou rely on your gift of the gab without sharpening your skills, you\u2019d soon\nlose your influence when faced with newer, more critical audiences, unless you evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">In\nthe same vein, if you\u2019d always been a good writer and have now become\ncomplacent, be careful. The skills that had worked for you for years won\u2019t translate\nto consistent results today \u2013 unless you also learn how to write persuasively\nfor millennials and Generation Z disruptors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">The\nonly way to become a brilliant communicator in speech and writing is to remain flexible\nto changing trends and to develop a habit of continuously honing your skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">You\nowe it to your future self to become the best version you can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">And\nnow, over to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">How\ncan you become an effective communicator?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px;text-align:justify\"><em><strong>If you enjoyed this post, don&#8217;t rush off just yet. Please remember to<\/strong><\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>. Share this article in your social networks by clicking on the icons below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">. Fill the \u2018Contact Us\u2019 form in the menu above to let us know how we can help you solve your communication problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">. Sign up for email updates so that you are <strong>immediately<\/strong> notified via email when a new blog post is published. Don\u2019t miss any more articles!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">N.B:<\/span><\/strong> First image is courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net. Second image is courtesy of Master Isolated Images via freedigitalphotos.net. Third image is courtesy of Stuart Miles via freedigitalphotos.net. First video is courtesy of Channels TV.&nbsp; Second video is courtesy of &nbsp;Tony O. Elumelu. Last video is courtesy of TED.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don\u2019t be deceived that you\u2019re already a good communicator and thus needn\u2019t take any more actions to improve your skills. In this article, Lucille Ossai shares communication insights gleaned from her podcast appearance on the Great Speech Podcast. She also  highlights three brilliant Nigerian communicators everyone should learn from.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[23],"tags":[470,854,850,852,727,853],"class_list":["post-1339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","tag-business-writing","tag-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie","tag-great-speech-podcast","tag-ibukun-awosika","tag-public-speaking","tag-tony-elumelu"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Sihouette-of-man-leading-crowd-freedigitalphotos.net_-2.jpg?fit=400%2C385&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":29,"url":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/28\/career-advancement-be-the-purple-cow\/","url_meta":{"origin":1339,"position":0},"title":"Career Advancement: Be The &#8216;Purple Cow&#8217;","author":"Lucille Ossai","date":"February 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"You may not have read the book Purple Cow\u00a0by marketing expert, bestselling author, successful entrepreneur and renowned blogger, Seth Godin. Or maybe you'd heard that you could transform your business by being remarkable, (that's actually the sub-title of the book that's sold half a million copies worldwide), but you haven't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"'purple cow'\"","block_context":{"text":"'purple cow'","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/tag\/purple-cow\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CKXW6CHp7Sw\/WLVuw3i3MyI\/AAAAAAAADg8\/BG_1WyVoaIkjLyzfKVxaPKIje_9kMNT1QCLcB\/s640\/Cartoon%2Bman%2Bstanding%2Bout%2Bfrom%2Bcrowd%2B-%2Bfreedigitalphotos.net%2BAKARAKINGDOMS.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CKXW6CHp7Sw\/WLVuw3i3MyI\/AAAAAAAADg8\/BG_1WyVoaIkjLyzfKVxaPKIje_9kMNT1QCLcB\/s640\/Cartoon%2Bman%2Bstanding%2Bout%2Bfrom%2Bcrowd%2B-%2Bfreedigitalphotos.net%2BAKARAKINGDOMS.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CKXW6CHp7Sw\/WLVuw3i3MyI\/AAAAAAAADg8\/BG_1WyVoaIkjLyzfKVxaPKIje_9kMNT1QCLcB\/s640\/Cartoon%2Bman%2Bstanding%2Bout%2Bfrom%2Bcrowd%2B-%2Bfreedigitalphotos.net%2BAKARAKINGDOMS.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4670,"url":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/31\/5-reasons-you-should-speak-your-way-to-incredible-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":1339,"position":1},"title":"5 Reasons You Should Speak Your Way To Incredible Opportunities","author":"Lucille Ossai","date":"January 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Ah, yes, public speaking. It always filled you with dread. It still does, by the way. But you can't avoid it indefinitely. In this article, self-professed introvert and keynote speaker Lucille Ossai provides five compelling reasons to speak more often and practical tips on improving your speaking chops. 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