How To Become an Elite Communicator: Part II: Speaking
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
At the core of elite communication lies the ability to listen and speak so that the message is crystal clear, enabling the listener to respond appropriately. Anything less than this is a squander of precious time.
When speaking with my coaches, I would ensure that I left no grey areas where an issue might arise. They understood what I was saying, why I was telling them this information and how to apply the information I was giving them.
Every day, you encounter situations in which communicating the right message in the right way is vital. It may be as simple as making sure someone is picking up food for dinner that night or as important as giving life-saving information to a person over the phone.
The key is to communicate well in every situation. Here are three ideas for becoming an Elite Communicator.
Speak to the Level of the Listener:
I once sat in a meeting where a presenter spoke for 30 minutes about a utopic world. At the end, he asked if there were any questions. I raised my hand and asked, “Can you explain this part of your plan.” He replied that it would take him too long to explain.” I then countered with, “Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” He then broke into tears and ran out of the meeting.
My point is that when speaking to a group, make sure you base your presentation or information on the audience or person to whom you are giving the information.
During my coaching career, I worked with various learners for 35 years. Some became doctors; others could not read above a third-grade level. I believe that my information was vital to the success and safety of each athlete. I needed to find the right words to help them understand what I was passing on to the athlete.
I had two choices. I could dazzle them with a bunch of polysyllabic terms and lose them completely, or I could bring my language down so that every person I spoke to could understand and complete the task I was teaching.
I’m not talking about “dumbing it down.” I’m talking about using my Elite Communicator skills to ensure my message is heard and understood.
For example, we would do a series of balance and body awareness drills (proprioception drills) called a “Stork Stance.” In the beginning stages of teaching the drill, I wanted the athlete to focus on a pack of muscles called the Vastus Medialis Obliquus.
Is using that term the best way to teach a multi-ranged group of athletes? How about if I said to focus on the VMO or the pack of muscles above the knee as I tapped the area I was focusing on? The more educated athlete still got the message. The athlete who did not learn as well got the message. AND for the visual learners, I brought them in by tapping the area they needed to focus on.
I spoke to the level of my learners, even if I were speaking to a group of “6-year-olds,” because I understood what my message was and how important it was to bury my ego and become a teacher.
Teach Don’t Tell: Tone
I worked with Pete Carroll for eighteen years. The other day, I was watching documentaries on Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, and Bill Parcels.
These are four of the great coaches in the football profession. All of them were responsible for building programs and organizations into perennial champions. What was the difference?
TONE!
They were all great teachers. They all understood who they were. They were steeped in the game of football from snout to tail. However, the one thing that they differed in was the tone they used to get their message across.
If you are a “yeller” or use sarcasm to force your information down the throat of your listener, you will need to be very successful very quickly. People will not tolerate a harsh tone unless backed up by continued success.
Teachers can use their tone to emphasize their message, whether teaching, instructing, motivating, or emphasizing. A yeller is just a yeller. Eventually, the tone becomes static or white noise, and the listener turns off the noise and goes into a self-survival state of mind.
The key is to understand who you are and what kind of tone will carry your message to the greatest group of listeners, allowing them to be successful for an extended period of time.
I came into coaching as a “yeller”. I watched my “heroes” Vince Lombardi, Bobby Knight, Woody Hayes, and Bo Schembechler all have two things in common: they were elite coaches, and they yelled.
I figured I would win more championships if I yelled louder and longer. This did not work out. It wasn’t until I had a serious injury that a doctor told me that if I yelled, it would kill me. When I made this transition, I evolved from a bully to a teacher. The number of wins exploded, and the losses were few and far between.
Speak in a Clear and Concise Manner:
When passing on information, get to the point and ensure you don’t leave anything to doubt.
To do this, you must ensure that your thoughts are aligned so that the flow of information makes sense to the listener. When we throw out a word salad because we are unprepared, we shouldn’t be surprised when things go wrong.
Instead, organize your message. Explain the reason for the message. Give the message. Tell the listener why this message is important. Ask if there are any questions about the message.
As you speak, watch your listener(s). Make sure that they are listening to what you are saying. There is a big difference between “hearing” and “listening.” The clarity of your message will make a difference in whether your message hits home or misses the mark.
During COVID, I took several speaking opportunities that were broadcast on ZOOM. This is a great method of communicating with groups that cannot be in the same place at the same time.
This was terrible for me. I grew to hate this type of speaking. I made the same amount of money for each speaking opportunity, AND I didn’t have to travel. I ended up taking down several speaking opportunities during this time.
Why?
I couldn’t “feel” my audience. I could not tell by the small faces on the screen if I was speaking to or at them. I believe my message was solid. But I could not tell if I was speaking in a way that sparked the energy of the group. I did not know if I was hitting the right notes or if I was totally missing. I received rave reviews from the people who hired me, but this type of speaking was not in my wheelhouse.
Conclusion:
Whether you are in a boardroom meeting with the C-suite executives, in a classroom, in an athletic environment, or simply passing on information to another person, when you use your platform as a communicator in the right way, your message will be carried on from one person to the next because of the clarity in which the message was taught. When you understand who you are speaking to, watch your listener, and use the proper tone for the event, you will become an Elite Communicator.
Have an amazing day!
