Verbal Communication

The basis of communication is the interaction between people. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language.

At birth, most people have vocal cords, which produce sounds. As a child grows it learns how to form these sounds into words. Some words may be imitative of natural sounds, but others may come from expressions of emotion, such as laughter or crying. Words alone have no meaning. Only people can put meaning into words. As meaning is assigned to words, language develops, which leads to the development of speaking.

The actual origin of language is subject to considerable speculation. Some theorists believe it is an outgrowth of group activities such as working together or dancing. Others believe that language developed from basic sounds and gestures.

Over 3,000 languages and major dialects are spoken in the world today. The development of languages reflects class, gender, profession, age group, and other social factors. The huge variety of languages usually creates difficulties between different languages, but even within a single language there can be many problems in understanding.

Through speaking we try to eliminate this misunderstanding, but sometimes this is a very hard thing to do. Just as we assume that our messages are clearly received, so we assume that because something is important to us, it is important to others. As time has proven this is not at all true. Many problems can arise is speaking and the only way to solve these problems is through experience.

Speaking can be looked at in two major areas: interpersonal and public speaking. Since the majority of speaking is an interpersonal process, to communicate effectively we must not simply clean up our language, but learn to relate to people.

In interpersonal speaking, etiquette is very important. To be an effective communicator one must speak in a manner that is not offending to the receiver. Etiquette also plays an important role in an area that

has developed in most all business settings: hierarchical communication. In business today, hierarchical communication is of utmost importance to all members involved.

The other major area of speaking is public speaking. From the origin of time, it has been obvious that some people are just better public speakers than others. Because of this, today a good speaker can earn a living by speaking to people in a public setting. Some of the major areas of public speaking are speaking to persuade, speaking to inform, and speaking to inspire or motivate.

Interpersonal Speaking

Verbal communication is an essential part of business and when it is executed correctly, good things happen. Here are a few different ideas and styles to remember when speaking to anyone in a business setting.

Because speaking is such an indelible activity, we tend to do it without much thought. But, that casual approach can be a problem in business. Have you ever wished you could make a second, first impression because you said something that was out of character or embarressing? That comment that you didnt think about before you said, has created an image in someones mind that can not be replaced even when you meant something totally different. When it comes to oral communication, your goal should be to take advantage of its positive characteristics while minimizing the dangers.

Speaking can be used as a tool to accomplish your objectives. But, first you must break the habit of talkingspontaneously withougt planning what youre going to say or how youre going to say it. You must learn to manage the impression you create by consciously tailoring your remarks and delivery style to suit the situation. Here are some things which will make you an effective communicator:

o Remember to become aware of what you are saying.

o Apply the same process you use in written communication when you are communicating orally. o Before you speak, think about your purpose, your main idea, and your audience. o Organize your thoughts in a logical way. o Decide on a style that that suits the occasion and then edit your remarks mentally. o As you speak, watch the other person to see wwwhether your message is making the desired impression. If not, revise it and try again.

Remember that various situations call for different speaking styles, just as various writitng assignments call for different writing styles. Here are four different styles that will suit every occasion:

1. Expressive Style is spontaneous, conversational, and uninhibited. Use this when you are expressing your feelings, joking, complaining, or socializing.

For example: "No way am I going to let that nerd force an incentive-pay plan on UPS workers."

2. Directive Style is an authoritative and judgemental style. We use this style to give orders, exert leadership, pass judgement, or state our opinions.

For example: "I want Mike Romig to explain the new pay plan to each manager."

3.Problem-Solving Style is rational, objective, unbiased, and bland. This is the style most commonly used in business dealings. We use it when we are solving problems and conveying routine information.

For example: "Stacy Lee might be able to present the plan more favorably."

4. Meta Style is used to discuss the communication process itself. Meta language enable us to talk about our interactions.

For example: "We seem to be ahving a hard time agreeing on the specifics of the incentive-pay plan."

Following these few helpful tips will increase your communication awareness which will ultimately increase your value as an employee. Nice communicating with you!

The first step in making a speech is choosing a topic. We will assume you already have a topic since your qualifications, the audience, or the occasion usually determines it.

If you do not have a topic, your most effective speeches will come from a topic you are familiar with or that you want to learn more about.

The second step is to define the purpose of your speech. Are you speaking to persuade your audience, inform your audience, or a combination of the two? And, what are you persuading your audience to do, or what are you informing them about? The answers to these questions will define the purpose of your speech.

The third step is to get to know your audience. Get to know the demographic features of your audience. You want to know how large the audience will be, what sort of setting or conditions you will be speaking in, how the audience feels about the topic, and how the audience feels about you as the speaker. Gauge how important these factors will be on the speaking situation and adjust your speech accordingly. Keep in mind the audience is the focus of your speech, and you re looking for a positive response from them.

The fourth step is to gather information for your speech. There are countless sources of information, but here are a few: interviews, the Internet, scholarly journals, government documents, newspapers, and magazines. This information can be used in your speech in a variety of ways. It may be used to supply examples for supporting your ideas, or as statistics to quantify your ideas.

The fifth step is to organize your speech. Start by identifying the main points you want to make, and then put them in an order that makes sense to your topic. You can order them chronologically if your topic covers a sequence of events; spatially if you are describing something from top to bottom, east to

west, or according to some other avenue; or, problem-solution order if you are presenting a problem followed by a solution.

The sixth step is adding an introduction to your speech. The introduction is aimed at getting the attention of your audience. There are several ways to accomplish this, the most common are: relating the topic to the audience, shocking the audience with an intriguing or astonishing statement, questioning the audience, or telling a suspenseful or provocative story. The next phases of the introduction are to state the topic of your speech so the audience will know what you are going to talk about, and to preview the main points of your speech so the audience will know what to listen for.

The seventh step is adding a conclusion to your speech. First, signal to the audience that your speech is coming to a close by using phrases such as "In conclusion," In closing," and "Let me end by saying." Second, reinforce the main point of your speech. You can do this by simply restating your main points, ending with a quotation that summarizes your main points, or by making a dramatic statement that emphasizes your main points.