Communication Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Communication and Beyond

How to Explain Facts Without Data Dumping

Business English, Communication / Archana Parmar

How to explain facts without Data Dumping You have spent sleepless nights and prepared your speech and presentation, next day very excitedly you deliver it, and instead of applause, you receive a tiring or questioning glare from the audience. This was a data-dump talk. Data dump has many formats, sometimes in a collection of slides and sometimes in just one. I have never seen an info dump that improved a speech; instead, it thwarts the conversation; instead, it introduces a topic in a shallow manner that the audience will be clueless about the work’s conceptual concerns. The worst kind of data dump is when you provide a quantity of data that can’t be absorbed in a short time. Yes, information is essential but knowing how much to provide is the skill you must learn. Ditch the habit of bombarding with stats and figures without adequately explaining it to educate, inspire and connect with your audience. Remember, you are the performer, not your data. The Art and Science of telling your data The human brain has its way of functioning. The left and right halves of the brain home different kinds of reasoning, according to scientists. The left side associates with structure, sequence, form, and order and operates linearly. The right side is responsible for creativity and surrounds concepts and connections that cannot be defined logically. Often people present the facts and data applying the left-brain approach when needed is a right-brain process. Most presenters bring logic, structure, and form when the right brain yet rebounds around the right brain. Why? Business people are result oriented instead of process-oriented unless it is about long-time strategy making, product designing, and problem-solving. For a process like a presentation, you have to reduce the time frame and deliver the message. Let your right brain complete the conscious cycle’s operation first, and then use your left brain’s structure. Focus, prepare, and then let the information flow. The entire thing is about timing and how to be creative and logical at the same time. A presentation or a speech starts with the creative process. Remember, people who reject data absorb information. How you do it is the skill that can set you apart from your competition. How to explain your data? Without proper understanding or analysis of your data, you will end up trash dumping. So, what you can do is find the nuggets and profit from them. For instance, suppose you have to give a presentation about a product, instead of listing the features, tell a story. Find a customer usage case and discuss that: How the product changed the customer’s life for the better? Ipod was introduced as your travelling companion with 1000 songs in your pocket so you need not bother about forgetting your favourite CD or Cassette (oh yes, these things existed). Steve Jobs didn’t do the data-dumping. Or create a story with the product in its climax. Or discuss the customer’s personality who may buy and use the product. Or talk about how the product will change the audience’s life. Form the story structure, talk about the trouble and the solution. People can relate and help them understand better. Engage your audience; that’s the purpose. That’s the way it has to be done. Tell stories to create a difference between forgettable boring speeches and conversations that people remember. Just the way Steve Jobs first showed the world the iPhone. Winding Up Address information as a raw ingredient that has to be processed with your creativity and produce your speech, which the audience would love to receive. When you rely more on the type of content, you take a longer time to deliver, and you make your audience see through many boring slides (which they can’t remember) and your back towards the most crucial element present there: your audience. Avoid info-dumping, or you will lose your audience and your ability to connect, inspire and convince.

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How to close your emails like a pro

Business Emails, Business English, English language, Writing Skills / Archana Parmar

Making an impact through your written communication can be a difficult task for non-native speakers; here I am sharing sample closing lines for your formal as well as informal emails. Closing lines for (big) requests Thank you (in advance). Any help you can offer me with this would be greatly appreciated. Any feedback you can give me on this would be gratefully accepted. Any assistance you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance (in this matter). Closing lines when you need a reply I look forward to hearing from you (soon). Looking forward to hearing from you (soon). Please let me know if that’s okay/ if that is acceptable with you/ if that sounds okay/ if you can/ if you can help/ if you need an extension/ if you need to reschedule/ if… Look forward to hearing what you think/ getting your input/… We look forward to receiving your documents/ application/ permission/… Closing lines when you offer more communication/ more help (if needed) If you need any more information, please contact me. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me (at any time). If you have any questions, please let me know. (In the meantime) if you need any more information, please feel free to email me. Please let me know if there’s anything (else) that I can do to help. If anything about that isn’t clear, please drop me a line. Other closing lines to mention the next contact between you I’m looking forward to seeing you then. I look forward to meeting you then. See you on Monday/ next week/ on…/ next…/ then. Hope we have the chance to meet again soon. I look forward to doing business with you again soon. Can’t wait to see you again! Keep in touch! Write soon! Closing lines for instructions/ commands/ orders Thank you for your cooperation. I appreciate your support/kind guidance. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Closing lines with apologies/ Closing lines when responding to complaints Hope that is okay (with you). Once again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused/ for the inconvenience caused/ for the delay/ for… Thanks for your patience./ Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding. Sorry about the complications. Sorry this is taking so long to sort out. Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines Have a good evening/ day/ weekend/ break/… Hope you have a good vacation/ journey home/… Good luck with…. All the best with… Useful closing greetings for emails Best regards Sincerely yours Sincerely Yours Best wishes Regards All the best Bye for now Take care Kind regards Join my 3 day email writing course for FREE here.

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Did you know avoiding eye contact kills your speech?

1 Comment / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Body language is very important when delivering a speech. Have you ever seen our great leaders fidget or make unnecessary movements while addressing the nation? Since you are the center of attention while making the presentation, you should mind every move that you make so as not to bore or distract the people listening to your speech. So you already have a speech prepared, you know the topic well and you are now standing in front of the audience. They are in for a treat because you have prepared a great presentation, yet you also know that they have a very short attention span. How would you keep them interested with what you are saying? The answer is to maintain eye contact. This is one public speaking technique that great speakers use whenaddressing a large group of people. Here are some tips on how you can use this “trick” to keep your audience interested while delivering a speech: Once you have already started speaking and have delivered yourintroduction, take a look at your audience. Do not be nervous if you see one or two people frowning as you are not sure of exactly what they are thinking. Instead of looking out for unfriendly or blank faces, search for the people who are smiling and nodding their heads. Try to focus on this person for a couple of minutes and look him or her in the eye. This way, you would have an immediate “friend” in the audience to whom you can look at and gain confidence from. This will not just increase your confidence but also relax you in the course of your speech. Gaze steadily at your audience, moving from one part of the room toanother. This way, you would immediately grasp their attention. Never read your speech. Just make an outline of the important points that you can expand on. If you have visuals, do not read the bullet points word for word as this might imply that your audience cannot read that themselves. With this, you are instantly creating a “bond” with your audience as aspeaker since you do not have to keep on looking at your notes through the course of your speech. The key to delivering a great speech is to just breathe, relax and make eye to eye contact with your audience. Thus, you are not just making a physical connection with them but you are also ensured that you come out as a sincere speaker who wants to inform and interact with the audience through your speech. I hope these tips will help you communicate more confidently from now. It’s just about consciously avoiding these mistakes. Connect with me on Linkedin for everyday posts on skill development. You can also get on a call with me at a time convenient to you. Just click here and choose your slot.

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Overcome your fear of public speaking

2 Comments / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

In a survey done by Dr. Laurie Rozakis, author of Idiots Guide to Public Speaking, it was found that many people are scared to speak before a group. It is the number one fear among Americans, “–and the number 6 is fear of death,” according to Dr. Rozakis. Even the most experienced speaker gets anxious when speaking in public. However, this fear can be controlled so that you can put your fear to your advantage. This topic teaches us why people are nervous when speaking in front of a crowd and how you can conquer your fear. FEAR OF THE AUDIENCE People are afraid of rejection by their audience. Thus, many are terrified of speaking in public for fear of being criticized by the crowd for how they look or how they deliver their speech. On the contrary, audiences are very understanding about the speaker’s problem with stage fright. You become more nervous when your fear of the audience increases. Below are some strategies that can help you overcome your fear of the audience. > Choose a topic that you like and you are familiar with. The more comfortable you are about your chosen topic, the more confident you are in facing your audience. > Concentrate on your topic. Focus on your topic and not on yourself. When you start to think of your subject matter and not yourself, your fear of speaking will likely decrease. > Say to yourself: “I am the BOSS.” Trust in your capability of delivering your speech. Showing that you are in charge decreases your fear and increases your confidence in facing the situation. > Don’t think of your audience as a threat. Bridge the gap between your audience and yourself. Analyze carefully to establish rapport. You should consider age, gender and their level of expertise. Remember to analyze your audience. FEAR OF FAILURE There are two ways to win over your fear of failure. > Picture yourself succeeding. If you think that you will stutter in front of many people, chances are you will stutter. But if you visualize yourself delivering your speech well, then, you will. > Face your fear. You cannot overcome your fear unless you show it and admit that you are afraid of it. FEAR THAT YOUR SPEECH IS A BAD SPEECH > Write well. Take time to write your speech. Review it and rewrite if necessary. If you are confident with your speech, the less terrified you will be about speaking in public. > Practice and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your speech. Ask a friend of relative to act as your audience. Once you have delivered your topic, ask for their feedback. Don’t be afraid to hear about what they will say. Their feedback can give you insight on what is good or bad in your speech. The best tool that can help you prepare is your mobile phone. Record your practice sessions and review your own performance. Learning takes time, effort and lots of practice so we shouldn’t let negative emotional responses stop us from achieving our learning goals. Learning and practice give familiarity which leads to confidence. Drop me a message at archana@archanaparmar.com or connect with me here .

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How To Win your audience with your personal style

1 Comment / Communication, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speaking Skills / Archana Parmar

An effective public speaker should be able to utilize devices that will be able to capture the attention of the audience. One effective means for them to give you that much needed interest is this: get them to go on stage. Make them participate. When someone is on stage and he or she happens to be a member of the audience, the rest will almost always stay attentive. Why? Because they would like to see what you will be doing to one of them. Also, because they are thinking they could be up there themselves and so to save their precious egos from embarrassment they at least need to know what is going on. No matter how good or excellent you are as a presenter or as a public speaker, nothing beats the excitement of getting someone to be on stage who really should not be there in the first place. What is going through their minds at that moment when you pull an unsuspecting someone from their complacency is that, Oh my god, what if the speaker selects me to go up there next? What am I going to do? Then later, I need to pay attention to this. A little bit later as you go through your presentation, the audience will then most probably think, What point is he/she making? And then as you take your point across, the audience will then get to think, Now I get it. Because you made them pay attention, you have forced them to listen and respond to your statement in the privacy of their minds. However, there are those extremely shy and very sensitive members of the audience who might withdraw from going through the rest of your presentation if they hear you will be calling on them up on the stage. The objective is to gain an audience and not to lose any of them. Make it clear prior to your asking someone to come up on stage with you that you are asking for a volunteer and that no one will be forced if they do not want to. Notice that if the majority of your audience are shy, once you finally get someone to be on stage, all of them will almost always heave a sigh of relief that you would actually feel a breeze pass you by, really. Another way to get the audience to participate as well as pay attention is by giving them due recognition. Try to acknowledge a single member of the audience for a specific achievement or a moment of a good performance, or also acknowledge a group of the audience. To take it further you can get on a call with me at a time convenient to you. Just click here and choose your slot.

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6 Steps That Will Make You a Better Communicator

Communication, Non-verbal, Presentations, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Here are six tips for improving your communication style: 1. Identify your style: Knowing how to improve communication skills will come easier once you become aware of your own communication style. Each person has a unique way of communicating. Listen to your own speech. What sorts of words do you use? Which sort of body language and what tone of voice are you using? Now, think of someone who, in your opinion, is a good communicator. Compare your style to theirs. You’ve just taken an important first step in how to improve communication skills. 2. Observe others around you: Now that you are aware of your own style, study the style of those around you. How do the most important people in your life converse? How do they say things? Look for approaches you can model and make your own. 3. Adjust to the other styles of communication: Don’t think it is too late to change your way of conversing because its been years. You had to learn to communicate in the first place and you can unlearn certain behaviors or change them. Sometimes we get stuck in a communication rut. A father once was having a hard time with his teenaged daughter. She was growing and he thought she didnt tell him what was going on in her life. They were in a heated discussion when he asked, Why didnt you tell me? Her answer was that she had, but he was too busy lecturing her to hear her. He learned that adjusting his style to his daughter would involve listening first before jumping right into solving the problem. 4. Rapport: To build rapport, during a conversation try and match the other persons movements, posture and verbal style. Don’t do everything they do, but mirror one or two things. For example, if the person gives mostly short answers to questions, you follow suit. Or, maybe they talk at a slower pace than you usually do-slow your speaking speed to match theirs. This may sound simplistic but it is a very potent way to make someone feel very relaxed and comfortable in your presence. 5. Be mindful of your surroundings: The way you communicate at home may not be the same as in a different environment. Make sure you change your style to suit the different setting. Some comments you might want to tell your best friend, in private. Other things can be shared in a group setting. Learn how to improve communication skills by altering your style for the appropriate setting. Many of us know someone who offers far too much information in a group setting. 6. Avoid imitation: Don’t criticize others for communicating differently. If we all communicated in the same way, we’d soon be bored with each other. Getting a good grasp of your communication style and finding ways to accommodate other peoples styles, is a good way to improve your communication skills. All of these are steps to be taken every single day. The more you implement, the more you master.

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Grammar- to focus or not to focus

Business Emails, English language, Uncategorized, Writing Skills / Archana Parmar

Whether we are talking about a ten year old who is about to sit for his English test paper or whether we are talking about a thirty year old who is attempting to write a thesis for master’s degree, we cannot turn down the fact that picking up proper English grammar is important. Whenever we discuss English grammar, the prompt reaction of many people I know is to cringe. They are reminded of junior high and high school English class and the way that their English teachers made them to English grammar exercise after exercise. Surprisingly, English grammar is usually seen in such a negative sense, it is all the more important that people replace those lies with the truth that learning English grammar really is important for anyone who wants to have a proper perspective of the English language. When we learn to communicate in English, not too many of us take the time to think about the fact that English grammar is the very thing that allows us to communicate with and understand one another. It is not so much because we use the same words of the English language, but it is because we all put our words together in certain ways to form thoughts and sentences that we can understand each other. This, in short, is the purpose of English grammar. English grammar is the mechanics of the English language that allows for two people who use the same vocabulary to be able to communicate without misunderstanding. Certainly there will always be some level of misunderstanding that happens when two people communicate, but so much of our problems will be lessened if we all take some time to learn English grammar. Many schools today are moving away from making English grammar a part of the regular curriculum. So while students may learn how to read and write successfully, they will likely never learn the English grammar or the reasons why they are speaking and writing as they are. So if you or someone you know is struggling with any element of the English language, or if you know a child or someone who is attempting to learn English for the first time, then make sure English grammar is included as an important PART of the learning process. Being able to speak, understand and write a language is an important part of being successful no matter what you do in life. And taking the time to learn even the basics of English grammar will go far in helping people communicate even better. Book your Free 30 mins call with me to know how my 3-step approach will help you in becoming an effective communicator of English Language.

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What is your purpose of learning Business English ?

2 Comments / Business English, Communication, Presentations, Uncategorized, Writing Skills / Archana Parmar

So you decided to advance your conversational skills in English? Congratulations. Improving your language skills can be a great way to move into a better job or even get the job you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. But, have you asked yourself this very important question? Exactly what profile/industry are you aiming for? This is a question many English language learners never really ask! Why am I asking you this question? You see the language we use changes depending on the situation. The type of industry, the work environment, and many other factors will influence the language used in one field from another. Of course some language and communication purposes stay the same, but a lot is different. This isn’t really too hard to understand, but let’s look at a simple example to simplify what I’m talking about here. Imagine two people who work for different companies in different industries. One works for http://microsoft.com as a programmer in the IT industry, and another works as a check-in attendant for Ethiad Airways in the airline transportation industry. Both require business English, but quite clearly the language the programmer uses to talk with “client/colleague/partner” will be very different from the language the check-in attendant uses. You won’t hear the programmer asking a client “Do you want an aisle or window seat?” very often. Nor will you find an airline attendant telling his or her supervisor that the latest sub-routine has a bug in it that is causing client’s computers to crash. This just makes simple sense. The work you do, the place you work, and the people you work with will all affect the language that you use on a daily basis. So, when you are studying English for business purposes, you need to remember a very important thing. You need to study the general business English that will be common in most business situations, but you also need to focus on the language that is specific to the business world that you will be working in. A combination of both of these is critical to your success. If you cannot use the language of your industry because you don’t really know it, you will have a very hard time getting (or keeping) a job. Pro tip: when learning Business English make sure it industry specific as well. What’s the Difference Between Business English and General English? Drop me a line at archana@archanaparmar.com to learn about the ways you can incorporate industry specific content to your Business English lessons.

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3 reasons you cannot speak fluent english

Business English, Communication, English language, Non-verbal, Presentations, Speaking Skills, Uncategorized / Archana Parmar

Speaking skills cover a wide range, from engaging in simple conversation to formal public speaking. It certainly plays a vital role in communication process. It is the most important type from the types of linguistic activities. Developing speaking skills help in creating an effective connection among the individuals’ network. Yeah! I am getting overtly expressive with the importance of speaking skills. Now some technical part, speaking is a complicated mental process and a productive skill. Producing speech is not a single skill, rather speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information. Effective Speaking includes two categories; accuracy and fluency. This means that developing speaking skill involves the correct use of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and having the ability to speak spontaneously. Doing all of this at the same time brings in the ‘unwanted guest’ here: ANXIETY. Speaking is affected by these variables; therefore, foreign language speaking anxiety is one of the most prominent factors that has a negative influence on the oral performance of speakers of other language learning English whether as a second language or a foreign Language. Anxiety is a negative way to present human feelings. When we are anxious we feel nervous, worried and fearful. It is usually associated with unpleasant feeling and is similar to fear. Anxiety in communicating in a second language, especially when that language is English can have an adverse effect and can influence the speakers’ targeted goals. There can be different reasons behind these anxiety attacks: Lack of preparation Feeling of covering too many points in a short period of time Fear of being judged by the audience Now that we know the problem, let’s have a look at the solutions to cure these problems. Identify your fears: you can’t work on improving yourself until you identify the problems. Introspection is the key here. Accept the problems and share your feelings with others or write them down- read aloud for as long as you are unaffected by how it sounds. Mistakes are the best way to learn so that we are less likely to keep making them. The most important step is to keep practicing. Always remember you are learning to master a second or may be a third language while many native speakers do not even speak a second language. Schedule a free 30 minutes session with me to understand how you can overcome this anxiety. Or write to me at archana@archanaparmar.com

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7 steps to better Email Writingbuei

2 Comments / Business Emails, Business English, Communication, Vocabulary, Writing Skills / Archana Parmar

Professional emails are an important part of Business Writing. Nowadays, there are very few jobs that do not involve the daily use of emails, and due to the pandemic and remote working concept the adoption of lean media conversation is of unparalleled significance. We all know that the medium of communication in the business world is mostly English, also known as Business English. Emails have become an inseparable part of our business communication. Whether we are at office, co-workspace, or working from home, one thing that we keep checking/sending/responding to, is email. Email is incredibly important in the Business Communication. In order to make your emails communicate well, you must write them effectively. Business emails tend to serve two purposes: a. Giving information b. Asking for information. To make sure your emails do justice to these two purposes, follow the 7 steps to effective business email. Always start your email with a greeting (being polite is important in business). Tell the recipient who you are (state your name and how you would like to be recognized as). Clearly state the purpose of email (clear sentence to the point). Provide essential details (mention the attachments as well). Do state what action is needed. Close the email with suitable sign-offs Don’t forget to end with your signature. When the main purpose of your email is to communicate a problem and your proposed way to resolve it, you can follow the SCRAP structure. Situation: Start positively, explain the situation and your purpose for the email Complication: explain clearly the problem Resolution: explain your proposed solution to the problem Action: clearly state what you would like to happen next, the actions for the recipient and for you Politeness: includes thanking or praising the recipient. Write Better! Drop your email address here or drop me a message at archana@archanaparmar.com to join my free email writing course to learn more about writing better emails.

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