Communication skillsCommunication skills

Prepared by Prepared by Prof. /Hemdan Mahmoud Prof. /Hemdan Mahmoud

20132013

IntroductionIntroduction

Presentations and reports are Presentations and reports are ways of communicating ideas ways of communicating ideas and information to a group. and information to a group. But unlike a report, a But unlike a report, a presentation carries the presentation carries the speaker's personality better speaker's personality better and allows immediate and allows immediate interaction between all the interaction between all the participants. participants.

A good presentation A good presentation has: has:

1-1-Content - It contains - It contains information that people information that people need. need.

2-2-Structure - It has a logical - It has a logical beginning, middle, and beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the and paced so that the audience can understand audience can understand it. it.

3-The voice is 3-The voice is probably the probably the most valuable most valuable tool of the tool of the presenter. It presenter. It Carries most of Carries most of the content that the content that the audience the audience takes away. takes away.

One of the oddities of One of the oddities of speech is that we can speech is that we can easily tell others what is easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and trouble listening to and changing our own voiceschanging our own voices. .

4-Tone4-Tone: The characteristics : The characteristics of a sound. An airplane has of a sound. An airplane has a different sound than a different sound than leaves being rustled by the leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the fear can frighten the audience, while a voice audience, while a voice that carries laughter can that carries laughter can get the audience to smile.get the audience to smile.

. .

5-Pitch5-Pitch: How high or low a : How high or low a note is. Pee Wee Herman note is. Pee Wee Herman has a high voice, Barbara has a high voice, Barbara Walters has a moderate Walters has a moderate voice, while James Earl voice, while James Earl Jones has a low voiceJones has a low voice

6-Pace6-Pace: This is how long a : This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and fast causes the words and syllables to be short, while syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace them. Varying the pace helps to maintain the helps to maintain the audience's interest. audience's interest.

7-The Body7-The BodyPeople not only listen to People not only listen to you, they also watch you. you, they also watch you. On the other hand, On the other hand, displaying good posture displaying good posture tells your audience that tells your audience that you know what you are you know what you are doing and you care doing and you care deeply about it.. deeply about it..

8-Eye contact8-Eye contact: : Speakers who make eye Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of contact open the flow of communication and communication and convey interest & convey interest & concern. concern.

9-Facial Expressions9-Facial Expressions: : Smiling is a powerful cue Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be frequently you will be perceived as more perceived as more likable, friendly & warm.likable, friendly & warm.

10-Gestures10-Gestures: If you fail to : If you fail to gesture while speaking, you gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, style captures attention, makes the material more makes the material more interesting, and facilitates interesting, and facilitates understanding.understanding.

Some good traits of Some good traits of effective listenerseffective listeners

:Spend more time listening :Spend more time listening than talking (but of course, than talking (but of course, as a presenter, you will be as a presenter, you will be doing most of the talking). doing most of the talking).

Do not finish the sentence Do not finish the sentence of others. of others.

Do not answer questions Do not answer questions with questions. with questions.

Aware of biases. We all Aware of biases. We all have them. We need to have them. We need to control them. control them.

Never preoccupied with Never preoccupied with your own thoughts when your own thoughts when others talk.others talk.

Let the other speaker talk. Do Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the conversation. not dominate the conversation.

Plan responses after others Plan responses after others have finished speaking...NOT have finished speaking...NOT while they are speaking. Their while they are speaking. Their full concentration is on what full concentration is on what others are saying, not on what others are saying, not on what they are going to respond with. they are going to respond with.

Provide feedback but do Provide feedback but do not interrupt incessantly. not interrupt incessantly.

Analyze by looking at all Analyze by looking at all the relevant factors and the relevant factors and asking open-ended asking open-ended questions.questions.

. Speak clearly and loudly . Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hearenough for all to hear

BBe e pprreeppaarreedd

The most value adviceThe most value advice

Be prepared Be prepared Watch your languageWatch your language Deal with uncertainty Deal with uncertainty Be an active listener Be an active listener Respond, don't "re-act Respond, don't "re-act Give feedbackGive feedback

THANK YOUTHANK YOU