Being able to speak effectively in front of small groups is critical to leading a business. Entrepreneurs can use these strategies become more effective communicators.
Have you considered how many times entrepreneurs must speak effectively? A single day often means we’re talking to employees, partners, investors, suppliers, and customers. These are diverse audiences with different needs. Is there a way to speak effectively to everyone?
When it comes to business communication, at least, everyone from corporate execs to customers share the same core needs: to honestly tell them what they want to know clearly, efficiently, and constructively—with maybe even a little inspiration mixed in.
As a business owner, TEDx speaker, EOS Professional Implementer and a Distinguished Toastmaster, I’ve had to learn to communicate from a lot of different angles, from crowded venues to the annual holiday party, weekly leadership meetings, and small employee huddles. And any business owner will tell you it’s those last ones—the smaller, everyday settings—which really count.
Here are the some speaking tips I recommend for entrepreneurs looking to effectively communicate with just about any audience.
Find the sweet spot between sound, vision, and action
It pays to be aware of the way people learn. You may only be speaking to an audience of a few people, but each one of those individuals may have a different way of connecting to and retaining information.
Essentially, most people receive information best when its aural, visual, and actionable. We retain approximately 10 percent of what we see, 30 to 40 percent of what we see and hear, and 90 percent of what we see, hear, and do. This is why so many of the most successful talks combine graphics, animations, music, and/or interactive elements alongside the speaker’s voice. This does include smaller settings such as weekly meetings, where you may be explaining a new initiative or reviewing past results.
The communication sweet spot is not overdoing any one of these elements. Keep the numbers and graphics to an efficient minimum and don’t jam too many takeaways into one talk. Highlight the most important message or messages; a few things which take priority.
Any more than that and you risk confusion or key points being forgotten. The average listener can only retain a maximum of about four things at once.
Choose the right tone
As I mentioned, every group we speak to as entrepreneurs shares the core need of clear communication. However, the old rule of “consider your audience” still stands. Think about how best to address the people before you. Would you adopt the same approach with an employee as you would with an investor?
The key here is to see things from their perspective, whomever “they” may be. When people see what you see, speaking becomes much easier. This isn’t a fixed approach: a good talk is fluid and ready to adjust to the needs of the audience. And a good speaker always listens to their audience for cues which indicate the next route the talk should take.
Oh yeah? Prove it!
An audience can only go so far on motivational words or abstract concepts. It always strengthens communications when we can cite an example or tell a story where a course of action paid off for someone “just like us.” The closer we are to the event, the more an audience will connect with us.
For instance, I post case studies like this one on my site to illustrate the success of my approach. These examples help turn something abstract into something real. I grab my audience more effectively because I’m not just citing some second-hand story; it’s my experience which I can prove.
Data can be VERY dry. And humans love stories. It’s our oldest way to hold an audience’s attention and connect with one another. If a speaker can illustrate that there are other people out there facing the same hurdles and overcoming them—and use that to illustrate data or theoretical concepts—they’re much more likely to engage their audience and foster a shared mindset.
Remember the “less is more” rule for stories: the fewer words used to make your point, the better the chances the audience will remember it.
Vulnerability creates connection
I can’t stress enough how much being vulnerable as a speaker engages an audience. It could be two people at the watercooler or your entire staff at a leadership meeting, but the effect is the same: audiences respond favorably.
In fact, psychology tells us that an audience responds far better to a speaker’s vulnerability than their own. It gives them permission to be human. As entrepreneurs, we must be open about our own doubts and fears, but we also need to do it at the right time and in the right setting. I’ve heard this referred to as “strategic vulnerability.”
When is the best time? It’s often when the chips are down for any member of your audience and they feel their own vulnerability is making them weak. Share yours and explain how you turned it into strength.
Summarize and open the floor
The summary of a talk is crucial. Here’s where we show that we’ve heard everyone’s issue, presented a solution and condensed the whole thing into a few neat and actionable takeaways. Speakers of course welcome questions as many conversations progress, but the summary is where the entrepreneur should open the floor entirely to the audience.
Encourage questions. Listen authentically. All the steps before this one will be for nothing if your audience didn’t get what they need—and that’s to be in a better place than when you started talking.
The key takeaway of this Harvard Business Review article written by psychology professor Art Markman sums things up perfectly: your goal as a speaker is “change the audience in some way.” Using some of the strategies I’ve found helpful may assist you in making this impact.
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