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Be Understood Every Time You Speak
By: Lynda Stucky

Felix, a bright young executive identified with a lot of promise and potential in his company, had a problem. His qualifications for a new position were a fit but his boss told him he wasn't ready. People had a hard time deciphering his message. He spoke unclearly, mumbling and using vocabulary that left his listeners in the dust.

Sloppy diction, an accent or inadequate vocal projection are just a few problems that contribute to misunderstanding the message.

Here are eight strategies to help you next time you find yourself misunderstood.

1. Repeat what you said especially the most important parts. Make sure your intonation and stress were appropriate on the correct words. This may be particularly important to people who speak English as a second language. The word meaning may change completely by stressing the incorrect syllable in words or the incorrect words in sentences.

2. Slow down your rate of speech. Are you fast talker? If you are, you may be losing the most important person in the room: the listener! A good rate of speech ranges between 140 -160 words per minute.

3. Pronounce the endings of words. Most of us can figure out the endings of words when the final consonant is omitted. However, if eliminating endings is an issue you have in your speech, your listener may be distracted by it and find it difficult to concentrate on your message.

4. Over exaggerate your mouth opening while speaking. If you aren't sure what I mean by this, watch actors and broadcasters. They exaggerate their mouth opening so much that their teeth show while they talk. Stand in front of the mirror and watch yourself as you speak. Are your teeth visible? It is possible to speak with good diction if the mouth is opened widely.

5. Use correct grammar and appropriate vocabulary. The use of grammatically incorrect statements is distracting! Subject/verb agreement, double negatives, or using words that aren't even words (e.g. irregardless) are common mistakes. Additionally, the perception of someone who speaks above a listeners understanding or the perception associated with someone who speaks like the listener doesn't know anything, is not a positive one.

6. Get louder only if it is evident that the listener is hard-of-hearing. For some reason, we often assume that if someone didn't understand, maybe if we speak louder, he/she will hear us. Unless there is an obvious hearing problem (the listener cups her hand to her ear or you see a hearing aid), getting louder probably isn't necessary.

7. Make sure the person is looking at you when you speak and not distracted by email, cell phone, etc.

8. Use other words to explain something. Sometimes by merely changing a word or two, the meaning becomes clearer instantly. Other times, the message may need to be explained by changing a sentence. Sometimes too, it is very clear in our own minds what we are trying to say but we assume that the listener knows what we are thinking. There is this balance between not saying enough (the minimalist) and not being too wordy.

Create an environment that gives every advantage to the listener without talking down to him or her. You will gain respect, enjoy conversations that are understandable and open the door for clear communication in your relationships!

Copyright (c) 2009 Lynda Stucky

Article Source: http://www.giranimo.com/articles

If you need assistance identifying or eliminating a vocally abusive behavior, seek help from a professional!

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