Over the years, global research on public speaking and communication made available has posited that there are three components of communication. In other words, for every speech that you make, for every declaration made in the hearing of others and for every announcement that is made in the presence of other people there are three major components and they are Content, Vocal and Non-verbal in that order not necessarily as it relates to importance anyway. The focus of this piece is to look at the three components in detail one after the other and to put forward the most suitable form of communication that will enhance the reception of your message.
Content - Research has it that what you say otherwise referred to as the content of your speech is only 7% of your total communication. The important thing to note here is that it is not what you say alone that matters, how you say it is just as important. While the content is very important, it will be foolhardy for any speaker to concentrate solely on content seeing how it accounts for just 7% of the message. This means there is still 93% to look out for when making your presentation.
Vocal - This component is a reference to your voice. It also involves how you use this voice to project your message, this second aspect of the vocal component of communication deals with vocal variety, which is a statement of how well you vary your voice in speech making. This vocal component accounts for 38% of total communication.
Non-verbal - The third component is non-verbal communication simply because it is not voiced even though it is an essential part of communicating with people. This is what I like to call, what you are not saying audibly though people can perceive it loudly and clearly. Body language is an integral part of non-verbal communication and public speakers need to know how to use body language to add value to their presentation and how to interpret the body language of others especially those in their audience. Research has put the value of this as 55% of total communication.
By way of repetition, the golden rule in presentation is this: It is not what you say but how you say it. This statement and its attendant implementation separate great presenters from average ones.
Finally, the best form of communication is one in which all three components of communication agree completely. If there is a disconnection between these components, it will no doubt affect the veracity of your message, as you will send confusing signals to your audience. What you say must match how you say it and what you are not saying. That is the purest and most reliable form of communicating with people. When what you say aligns with how you say it and also what you are not saying, your believability level, as a public speaker will only increase and this will ultimately enhance your message.
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