The Importance Of Feeling The Message When Speaking In Public
If you have ever felt that someone in front of an audience sounded unbelievable, honest or authentic, it is very likely that you have ended up disconnected from the speech. When the message does not reach us because it seems false, we tend to distrust and close ourselves off.
That is why it is so important to be able to convey our message to the public in a way that reaches us. In this article we will see the most important points to take into account in order to communicate optimally when we are speaking in front of the public. We will finish the article by looking at some techniques that may be useful.
When we feel that the person(s) who are communicating do so honestly, clearly and authentically, the probability that we remain receptive to the message increases. Precisely this is why it is so important that the audience feels that the speaker is communicating what he/she truly thinks, feels and believes.
By communicating openly and sincerely, it is easier to establish a genuine bond with those who are listening to us. On many occasions, this allows the person to feel identified with the speech and, in this way, maintains their interest.
The term “authenticity” refers to the fact of accepting ourselves, embracing ourselves, for who we are and being able to communicate genuinely from this place. it implies a high self-knowledge and be aware of our strengths and our wounds. It is also important to keep this in mind when facing the public.
Following the line of authenticity, we must keep in mind that the message must be perceived as coherent. And not only on a logical or mental level, but the person must perceive coherence between verbal communication – what we say – and non-verbal communication – what we transmit with our tone, gestures, body, etc. -.
Throughout history, most communication has occurred in person and, therefore, our body is prepared to analyze and integrate the message in a multimodal way. Communicative coherence influences whether we perceive the information received as true or false.
When a person perceives incoherence in the message between the verbal and non-verbal aspects, it is more likely that there will be a worse understanding of the message. In this sense, The integration would not be optimal either and this could directly affect the evaluation made of the message.
This incongruity is perceived when our verbal message is one, but what we transmit with our face, our posture or our body seems to indicate the opposite. For example: if someone is talking about the importance of transparency, but then refuses to answer specific questions.
Emotion
Authenticity and congruence are not the only factors that can help us convey trust. It is true that by taking both factors into account, we can capture the attention of our audience and even achieve possible persuasion—if that is what is sought. However, we cannot forget the great role that emotions play in speeches.
As we can see in most advertisements and political speeches, the aim is to send messages loaded with emotion. With this, it is intended awaken feelings in the listeners and, in this way, modify their actions or decisions. Our beliefs can influence our behavior, but so can our emotions.
The moment a speaker truly feels what he or she is transmitting, it is much easier for him or her to genuinely reach the people who are watching and listening to him or her. The emotion that the person transmits can influence the way the audience perceives, integrates and responds to the message.
The emotions transmitted can affect the way certain arguments are responded to and certain messages are evaluated. It is important to keep in mind that the emotion must be adjusted to the context and, above all, to the audience. Excessive emotionality or the perception of manipulation can have a serious impact on the message.
Communication
With everything seen so far, all that remains is to delve into the importance of how the message is transmitted verbally. The more we feel the message as “ours,” the easier it is to communicate it effectively.
Without a doubt, for communication to be optimal, messages must be clear, concise and convincing. In addition, the speech must be entertaining and with a good thread that allows it to be easily followed.
In this sense, one of the most important points is to be able adapt the message to the audience in front of us. This skill is fundamental in the development of our professional lives today. It is really important to feel the message, but it is equally important to know how to read the listeners and adapt to them.
Techniques
Below are some proposals tools that can be useful when facing the audience. Some focus more on the person themselves and others on the message. The proposals are the following:
