Effective communication is fundamental to make your target know and understand your unique edge. And when it comes to creating an impactful communication, a “direct” contact or interaction is the key. Speech communication coveys that desired “direct” approach and hence anyday is more influential.
The post below elaborates on the importance of speech communication to the business world.
Speech communication is hard to ignore
When we talk directly to a person, we make him listen to us. It’s not the case with email or message communication. Anybody can look past an email message. No matter how crisp your email is, it’s useless if your target does not open the mail. You cannot make a person open an email. But when you are giving a speech, you are physically present before the person. This “physical” quotient is hard to ignore and compels the other person to listen to you.
And, when you can make a person listen to you, 25% of the game is already own. Now, you would just need to pull out the best cards up your sleeve to charm and motivate your audience.
Speech communication is more powerful
Speech or oral communication is an immensely powerful tool of persuasion & control. It allows you to strategically adjust the pitch, intensity and tone of voice to create an inspiring ambience. When you can inspire your audience, it’s easy to persuade it towards your goals. The human connection achieved by physical presence and voice is not possible with written words. When you talk to a person, things get more personal. And, we generally feel more comfortable in doing business with those with whom we can connect on a personal level.
On the contrary, digital messages and emails are comparatively impersonal. No matter, how much you try to personalize the written text, you cannot emulate the warmth of a person to person direct interaction.
Speech communication assures better clarity
This is surely one of the most significant benefits of speech communication.
Nothing is more harmful than misleading (even if unwanted) or misunderstood information in a business message. But with emails or digital messages, your audience has nobody to clarify the right data. At times, written words cannot do justice to our real thoughts. On top of that, there could be typos or mis-spelt words which might drop the impact of a written piece. If your target misinterprets your text, all your efforts will go down in the drain.
However, such risks are low in speech communication. With oral communication, you are talking directly to your target. So, even if he misinterprets or misunderstands your pitch, he can ask you for clarification. Also, you will be able to sense whether your speech is being misunderstood from the target’s body language and you can immediately clear the doubts.
Moreover, it’s not uncommon to use a wrong or inappropriate word (mistakenly) in a business speech. But as you would be before your target in person, you can immediately apologize and correct your line. You don’t have that ease with digital communication. If you have sent any incorrect line in your mail, you have to send another mail with the clarification. There is no guarantee that the target will open the second mail and actually read your clarification.
Speech communication enhances connection
Speech communication helps to improve connection with your leads or employees. When it comes to businesses, success is directly linked to a robust connection with your audience. No matter how amazing your offerings are, you cannot inspire your audience if you fail to connect. With oral communication, you get to connect on a personal level. As mentioned before, it’s natural for humans to do business with those with whom we enjoy a strong rapport. Digital forms of communication cannot ever achieve that higher level of connection as we see with speech communication.
The bottomline is- email and digital messages are important for business communication but speech will always stand tall as the primary means of communication for a company.
Tips for a powerful speech
Speech communication is undoubtedly significant for your business. But you need to be very careful about what and how you deliver to your audience. If your pitch is not catchy enough, your target won’t mind leaving you midway. Simultaneously, if you don’t know how to conclude a speech, you cannot cast a lasting impact on your niche. Here are some best kept secrets of a successful business speech.
- Understand your audience’s needs
Your speech should be able to locate the needs or expectations of your target. Also, it must promise to offer the possible solutions. We only listen to those who talk about our benefits. If your speech is just an inflated brandishing of your company and cannot assure something truly beneficial for the target, he won’t waste time on you.
- Appealing start and conclusion
We generally remember the first few lines and last couple of sentences of a speech. Thus, you have to be at your strategic best at both the beginning and conclusion of your pitch.
Make sure to start on a pulling note to catch the attention of your target. For example, you have just 30 seconds for an elevator speech. It means you have no more than 2 seconds to get your audience hooked to your pitch. You can start with influential attention grabbers such as powerful quotes, inspiring anecdotes, rhetorical questions or tasteful jokes. Quotes or anecdotes would be strong for conclusion as well. Another great way to conclude your speech is through direct CTA.
- Keep it short and concise
A perfect business speech is always short and concise. Your target doesn’t have all the time in the world for you. Moreover, long speeches can leave your audience bored.
Finally, speech communication is not just about the words that you utter orally. It’s also about using proper body language to create an inspiring ambience. So, try to be expressive with your hands and facial expression to ensure a realistic feel.
