Communications Expert Stacey Hanke has trained over 15,000 executives to influence, persuade, sell, and simply communicate more effectively. In an article for Iris, an online magazine for advisors and entrepreneurs, she shared five tips to become a more effective communicator and eliminate interruptions in your conversations.
She says often interruptions occur in conversations not because of the listener but because of the speaker. “Your listeners may be interrupting you because you take too long to get to the point or because you never pause to let them get a word in edgewise.” Plus, she says, your body language may be countering or over-powering your verbal message, distracting the listener.
Below are the five actions she recommends people to take when they are in conversation or leading a presentation to build their influence and encourage active listening.
- Get to the point quickly.
Oftentimes, the more you say, the more you confuse resulting in frustrating your listeners. As their patience runs out, they interrupt to try to get the information they need from you. Remember, less is more! - Focus your passion.
When we are passionate about a topic, we often feel compelled to tell our listeners everything we know about it. We think our listeners will be as passionate about it as we are. This is rarely true. Share your passion while keeping your message directed to what is important to your listeners. - Pause.
An influential communicator understands that the power of persuasion involves saying less and listening more. When you spend more time listening, you hear what your listener is not saying.Your listeners are less likely to interrupt when they feel you truly care about what is important to them and what value they will receive when they act on your recommendation.
- Without interaction, the conversation is one-sided.
Interaction increases engagement and connection which builds trust. It also allows you to adapt your message on the fly and communicate to your listeners that you care about what is important to them.
- Consider the interruption a gift.
An interruption is actually a friendly reminder that you need to get back on track or adapt your message to your listeners’ needs. Take this feedback and run with it.
In her talks, Stacey helps people and organizations to eliminate verbal or non-verbal distractions in their communication practices to better persuade, sell their ideas, and influence their teams to take action.
Interested in learning more about Stacey and what she can bring to your next event? Email us at [email protected].