"Conversation... is the art of never appearing a bore, of knowing how to say
everything interestingly, to entertain with no matter what, to be charming with
nothing at all." Thus, communication is best achieved through simple planning
and control. To ensure efficient and effective conversation there are three
prime considerations:
Presentation Skills
Listening Skills
Speaking Skills
According to experts in the field of communication training, presentation skills
includes not only, aspects relating to non-verbal skills, etiquette and
grooming, but also other factors such as listening and speaking.
In order to ensure effective communication and presentation skills one needs to
keep the following factors in mind:
Avoid ambiguity
Accept feedback in order to gain confirmation and rule out confusion
The non-verbal presentation factors are:
Voice: This implies the tone - sarcastic or sincere; warm or cold; rich and
expressive; or dull and flat. The other voice aspect is the volume - shouting,
barely audible or medium volume.
Speech pattern: slow, hesitant, fast, jerky, abrupt or even-steady pace.
Facial expression: This includes:
The brow/forehead: Wrinkled or smooth
Eyebrows: wrinkled or smooth
Jaw/mouth region: firm or relaxed
Eye contact: Whether the speaker is looking at the listener/audience being
addressed.
Gestures: This includes the hand movements such as: hand-wringing, open hand
movements, finger pointing, fist thumping, etc.
Postures: This is important, as it shows how interested the speaker or listener
is.
Body movement: This includes the movement of the body such as shrugs and
shuffles, arms crossed or left lose, strides or standing in one position.