How many times have we sat in a church service of a meeting and watched as the speaker attempted to end the service unsuccessfully. Speakers circle the airfield in holding patterns as they attempt to land the plane in their talks.
Most times, I feel a speaker goes too long. If they would have shaved 10 minutes off, it would have ended powerfully.
Other times I cringe as a speaker struggles to open, babbling meaningless nonsense in place of knowing how to open a talk.
Don’t even get me started on speakers who literally read their message word for word….sigh.
Communication is a skill. It takes practice, but more so preparation.
I’ve been in communication for over twenty years. Recently I felt the urge to sharpen my skills in this area. I began looking into some conferences and at various reading materials.
I came across [amazon_link id=”B00C5QA2AA” target=”_blank” ]Secrets of Dynamic Communications: Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power[/amazon_link] by Ken Davis.
I’m glad I did.
Most communication books range from textbook (boring, dry, but containing good information) to fluff (nice and inspiring but little or no content.)
Ken Davis’ book was a great mix of the two. Fantastic information and practical skill sharpening tools, made enjoyable with stories, illustrations, and humor.
Ken Davis, along with Michael Hyatt, run the SCORRE conference. This book chronicles the basic skills presented in this conference.
SCORRE stands for:
S Choose a Subject
C Focus on a Central Theme
O Determine Your Objective
R Develop a Rational
R Add Supportive Resources
E Evaluate Your Speech
We have all suffered under poor communication for a long time. But, we must also ask, how many times have we been the one’s communicating in an ineffective way?
Maybe we’ve been too busy. Perhaps we’ve just been lazy. Some even might see preparation as unspiritual, choosing to let the Lord “fill our mouths.”
Here are some gems from Ken’s book:
“The real secret is focus….This does not happen in public on a platform, it happens in the quiet of your home or office before hand.”
“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”
“In the first few moments of a speech, your audience decides if you are worth listening to.”
” Communication is not about you or what people will think about you and how well you perform. Communication is about the people sitting in front of you. It’s about giving to them, helping them, instructing them, and persuading them of something that will enrich their lives.”
“Diligence in preparation results in excellence on the platform”
This SCORRE method is simple enough for all us to implement into our communication. Whether we speak, write, or make announcements; enhancing our communication skills is worth our investment.
[amazon_link id=”B00C5QA2AA” target=”_blank” ]Secrets of Dynamic Communications: Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity, Speak with Power[/amazon_link] is a great communications book. Whether you are a new communicator, or a seasoned one, this set of skills is essential to develop or sharpen. Pick one up today!
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