The speaker, a communication professor, shares tips and techniques to help people be more comfortable and confident when speaking in public. He emphasizes the importance of approach, audience, context, and structure in effective communication.
He suggests that instead of viewing communication as threatening, people should approach it as an opportunity to share their ideas and connect with others. To do this, one needs to consider their audience's needs, expectations, and attitudes.
The speaker also highlights the significance of context, including time, emotion, and physical location, in shaping the way we communicate. He provides examples of how different contexts can affect the way we communicate, such as adjusting our energy levels to match the audience's or using a different tone to convey a specific emotion.
Finally, the speaker stresses the importance of structure in communication, citing that it can help people remember information up to 40% better. He shares various structures, including chronological, problem-solution-benefit, and what-so-what-now-what, that can be used to convey a message effectively.
Throughout the talk, the speaker uses personal anecdotes and examples to illustrate his points, making the content more relatable and engaging. He concludes by encouraging his audience to practice bold and confident communication, emphasizing that these skills are within their reach with practice and a positive approach.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker is a communication professor.
2. 85% of people say they fear speaking in public.
3. The speaker suggests that effective communication involves approaching it in an open way.
4. The speaker's wife helped him change his approach to communication by suggesting they look at their "bathroom brawls" as opportunities to learn about each other.
5. The speaker's wife is smarter than him.
6. The speaker has been married for 15 years and no longer fights with his wife over toothpaste.
7. To communicate effectively, one needs to consider the audience's knowledge, expectations, and attitudes.
8. The speaker suggests that violating expectations can sometimes be an effective way to communicate.
9. The speaker has two young children.
10. When the speaker raised his voice to scold his children, it was ineffective.
11. The speaker learned that lowering his voice when scolding his children was more effective.
12. Context is important in communication and includes time, emotion, and location.
13. The speaker taught high school and had to adjust his teaching style to accommodate his students' energy levels before and after lunch.
14. The speaker's principal did not like him and gave him a difficult schedule.
15. The speaker read about a Girl Scout who sold cookies in front of a medical marijuana dispensary and was successful.
16. Structuring information makes it easier for humans to understand and remember.
17. The speaker's favorite structures for communication include chronological, problem-solution-benefit, and what-so-what-now-what.
18. The speaker was a tour guide in college and learned the importance of structure in keeping an audience engaged.
19. The speaker trained for 12 weeks to be a tour guide.
20. The speaker can still walk backwards in a straight line.
21. The speaker uses Silk soy milk as an example of effective communication and marketing.
22. Silk soy milk is targeted towards people who are interested in eating healthy or are lactose intolerant.
23. The name "Silk" speaks to the audience's desire for something rich and expensive.
24. The speaker wishes for his students to have bold, confident, and compelling communication skills.