Chapter No 2

1/ Imagination
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Practice Oral Communication Skills

Oral communication skills are more important

than ever. Countless meetings, presentations,
code reviews, conferences and networking events
mean that clear and assertive oral communication
are essential for current and future jobs.
Good communication skills can be the difference
between getting a promotion or moving laterally,
selling your product or struggling with slow growth,
influencing colleagues with your idea or doing
what you are told.
 Why are oral communication skills important?

  Communication skills are important to many

aspects of your life and career, including:
Managerial role - how do you command respect
from your colleagues while building a strong culture
and team spirit? How do you deal with an
unexpected crisis and communicate your action
plan to your team? Oral 
communication skills are essential for many areas of
management.
• Workplace success – you’ll frequently be talking to
clients, customers, talking in team meetings,
requesting information, giving feedback and
discussing problems. All require strong
communication skills so that your are understood
clearly without any misinterpretation.
• Secure a new job – in employer surveys,
communication skills consistently rank amongst the
top soft skills companies look for. They want new
employees to be able to speaking clearly, concisely
and confidently.
• Advance your career – it’s important to be able to
communicate your thoughts on how the processes,
products or services can be improved. Business
values these skills in management positions
6 ways to practice oral communication skills
1. Training days and seminars

Whether you are able to attend one of these

depends hugely on location. We’ve listed a few
popular ones to give you an idea of the content,
cost and time associated with them.
• Advanced Public Speaking Course - interactive training that
provides individuals with many opportunities to practice oral
communication. This includes feedback for each individual
speaker, which is interspersed with short presentations on
advanced concepts of public speaking and communication.
• Communication Skills Course - this one-day communication skills
course provides an insight into the way communication works.
It's a practical day, filled with exercises, games and discussion.
You'll practise ways to handle difficult situations, body language,
empathy and more.
• Magnetic Delivery Boot Camp - master your delivery skills and
increase your confidence. Surprise your colleagues the next time
you present with your improved speaking skills and confidence.
• Communication Skills Training - RADA in Business’s approach to
professional development trains the whole body, breath and
voice. By paying attention to how you communicate a message,
you’ll are able to enhance your overall presence and better
connect with your audience.
2. Professional coaching

This can be in person or through a phone /

Skype call. We’ve listed two examples of
communication skills coaching which you can
do over Skype.
• Public Speaking and Presentation Coaching -
get a tailored presentation skills coaching
program to your skill level, over the phone or
through Skype, so you achieve your goals as
quickly as possible.
• Public Speaking and Communications Coachin
g
 - personalised sessions of communication
skills, presentation skills or public speaking
coaching to help you to develop your self-
confidence, focus on specific issues or prepare
for a particular event.
3. Virtual reality environments

Virtual reality (VR) lets you practice oral

communication techniques in realistic environments
from the comfort of your own home. It’s a great
middle ground between an online course and in-
person coaching. For a more detailed list of VR
apps, read our article on top public speaking apps.
• VirtualSpeech app – practice communication skills,
interview preparation, business networking,
language learning, sales and more in virtual
simulations. Speech analysis technology provides
instant feedback on your speech or conversation.
• Speech Trainer – this Steam based app provides a
virtual auditorium where you can learn to overcome
your fear of public speaking by addressing a virtual
audience.
4. Friends or colleagues

This is a great way to get detailed feedback on

how you are performing. Set yourself a task
and ask your colleague or friend to observe you
and then give you feedback. 
Giving and receiving feedback is a powerful
process but needs to be handled sensitively
and should follow these guidelines:
• Be specific on what needs to improve
• Provide evidence on where they can change
• Give feedback on any emotional impact you felt
• Be constructive, provide 3 positives and 2 areas to
improve
• Listen and don’t interrupt
• Act on the feedback straight away if possible
5. Solo with a video camera or voice recorder

• By using a video camera or voice recorder, you can work

on your oral communication style. Work with short
sections - for example if you need to make a presentation,
start by working on your opening.
• Perform and watch / listen back a number of times until
you feel you have developed what you have done
sufficiently to move on.
• In this method of working, you alternate the role of subject
and observer. When you are observing / listening to
yourself, clarify any feedback by writing down what you
are developing or changing. This will help you measure
your progress as well as structuring your development.
6. Local Toastmasters club

Toastmasters is a leader in communication skills

development, with over 300,000 members. They
have local clubs in over 140 countries, which can be
attended by anyone wishing to practice their
speaking skills.
A typical Toastmasters meeting might be divided
into three parts. Table Topics, Prepared Speeches
and Formal Evaluations.
• Table topics – one of the most challenging elements of
communication is impromptu speaking. Table Topics offers the ongoing
challenge to speak in front of a group without preparation. Members
are called to the front of the room to spontaneously comment on a
subject that is provided by the Table Topics Master for the day.
• Prepared speeches – each member is scheduled in advance every
other month or so to prepare and deliver a “prepared” speech. There
might be several prepared speeches every week. Speeches are
normally between 5 and 15 minutes in length. Participants are at
liberty to present any topic they’d like but speeches usually follow the
guidelines of educational manuals produced by Toastmasters
International.
• Formal evaluations – One of the most rewarding elements in
Toastmasters is the forum to deliver a speech and then get evaluated in
a supportive environment. An evaluator typically points out several
areas of the speech that were performed well and offers 2 or 3 areas to
improve upon.
Thank You