Be natural in your speech and writing. Don't work hard at impressing people with long words or complicated figures of speech. Unless these are a normal part of your language, they will sound phony. Simplicity is always the best approach. Find new ways to emphasize words or thoughts in your speaking. The pause, a soft-spoken sentence, a slight gesture, any contrast-all can be more effective than punching or shouting a phrase. The use of contrasts is one of the best techniques of showmanship.
Be brief; be clear; be courteous; be correct; be complete. Listen to yourself on a tape recorder. You have heard enough good speech to know when you hear it. If you sound harsh, make a definite effort to tone down your voice quality. If you sound weak or breathy, practice taking deep-breathing exercises. If you think there is a real problem, an evening class in speech might help.
Get over the idea that your listeners are being critical. Be critical of yourself, but don't worry about the criticism of others concerning your speaking ability, unless the critic is really constructive. Be comforted by the fact that even the greatest speakers are often nervous. Be aware that sometimes nervousness helps you to speak better.
In writing, reread to eliminate unnecessary words and flowery expressions. Study the letters and writing of experts. Try using some of their letters as models. Ask for criticism from people who know good writing, and when they show you a mistake learn the reasons; don't be satisfied with a mere correction.
Use a thesaurus, a good dictionary and a grammar book. In this regard, it is better to write or dictate quickly, and later polish using these aids. Your style will, then, be more natural. If your company has Dictaphones for your use, don't avoid them. Learn to use them. Dictate rough drafts and polish the writing later. The more you use the machine, the better you will become. You will find that you will write better letters and write them quicker than you ever did before.
If you have extreme problems in grammar structure, punctuation, and writing techniques, by all means take an accredited business writing course.
Experts on Communication
…The ability to write is as important as the ability to read. Management is deeply involved in the art of communication and often success and profit depend upon it. Eventually, all decisions must be communicated, either orally or in writing. The ability to express oneself and the ability to understand what is expressed are absolute prerequisites for successful executive performance. At the very top, the man who cannot express himself will not be successful; for it is he who must communicate the essential meaning of business decisions and policies to all levels. - Gilbert W. Chapman
Cicero once said there were five essentials in speaking: (1) Determining exactly what one should say. (2) Arranging the material in proper order and with good judgment. (3) Clothing the speech in well-chosen words and carefully phrased sentences. (4) Fixing the speech in mind. (5) Delivering it with dignity and grace. - Harry Rotenbury
Someone once said, "To the degree you master the language of your country, to that degree you can be called educated." But my Uncle Tomoose puts it more colorfully. He says, "If you sound like a goat when you talk, don't be surprised if you go through life butting head against wall." - Danny Thomas
Too many people confuse talking with saying something. Talking is one of the first habits that man acquires. Having something to say and saying it effectively is one of the last. It requires many of the highest skills that men aspire to-especially thinking. It is so far removed from ordinary capabilities that the majority of people who love to talk are sublimely unaware that they just haven't got it. - Eric Webster
Words can be like dynamite. A little sets them off. Words are mighty useful when they do good; mighty harmful when they do wrong. - Elmer Wheeler
If we could only make our hands move as actively as our tongues, what wonders we could accomplish! Almost everyone loves to hear his own voice. It is so easy, too! Yet if we could say less and do more for each other's good, not alone would every home be happier, but communities would be enriched thereby. Instead of criticism by speech, to show someone a better way to do a thing would be of much greater value. - John Wanamaker
All noise is waste. So cultivate quietness in your speech, in your thoughts, in your emotions. Speak habitually low. Wait for attention and then your low words will be charged with dynamite. - Elbert Hubbard
Most of us who cam our living in business are more scared than we admit of high-sounding, multi-syllable phrases. And we're scared of most of them because we do not understand them. Those of us who do understand them - to make matters worse - bandy them around like ping-pong balls, thus further scaring the wits out of the rest of us. I think I know why we do it. Being human, we are always anxious to imply that if we know the vocabulary, we thoroughly understand the subject. And that is usually one of the biggest mistakes we can make in communications. - Roderick Wilkinson
If you and your lips would keep from lips, Five things observe with care; To whom you speak, of whom you speak, And how, and when and where. - W. E. Norris
