POSITIONING YOURSELF THROUGH

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND

PUBLIC SPEAKING
Dr. HADIJA JILALA (PhD)
LECTURER OF TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION AND KISWAHILI
STUDIES
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA
PRESENTATION CONTENTS
 Defining communication
 What do we mean by effective communication
 Ways of communication
 Importance of Communication
 How to position yourself for effective
communication
 How to position yourself for effective public
speaking
 Pitfall for effective communication and public
speaking
 Conclusion
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION
 Communication is a process of transferring
message from one side to another. One side is
a sender and the other side is a receiver.
 Communication involves;

Sender original message receiver

Interpretat
ion
Feedback

Meaning New message

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION
 Generally Communication is a two-way
process and Success is attained when ALL
parties involved have the SAME
understanding of what has been
communicated.
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION
 Effective communication is a two way
process, where each person takes
responsibility for their own part.

 The ability to communicate is an essential

life skill and one that can be continually
developed.
MOODLE OF COMMUNICATION
 Sender
 Receiver
 Message
 Language used such as Kiswahili, English
WAYS OF COMMUNICATION

 Communication takes place in many ways.

 Verbal communication
 Written communication: letter, massages,
newspaper
 Pictorial communication: Symbols, Pictures,
Graphics,
 Body language: Gestures, Facial expressions
WAYS OF COMMUNICATION
 Most communication is a combination of
these elements.

 By understanding how to use these elements

effectively you can improve the way you
communicate and achieve the best outcome
for any situation.
WAYS OF COMMUNICATION
 Whether speaking formally or informally,
addressing a meeting, or writing a report.

 Even if you are a naturally good

communicator, there are always
opportunities and ways to enhance your
communication skills.
IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATION
 Individuals who are good communicators find
it easy to develop empathy and trust with
others.

 These people adapt their style of

communication to suit the audience and
situation they are presented with
IMPORTANT OF
COMMUNICATION
 Good Communication create good working
environment
 It build confidence among workers
 It create good relation between employer
and employee
 It increase production
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

 You can position yourself by observing the

following

(i) Know your audience.

 Communication should always be packaged to suit
the listener’s level of understanding
 
(ii) Know your purpose and topic
 Make it clear whether you are delivering specific
information, requesting information, or being
social. Be aware of all the facts and details.
  
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
iii) Anticipate objections and present a
complete picture
 Objections often arise due to
misunderstandings.

 Communicate the benefits for both parties.

 Support your statements with evidence (e.g.

statistics or testimonials).
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
iv) Communicate step by step and the
understand your audience
 Don’t talk too much, Pause, ask questions,
and give audience an opportunity to ask
questions.

v) Present information in several ways

 What worked for one listener/reader may not
work for another.
 
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

  vii) Develop practical, useful ways to get

feedback
 Feedback is the best way to evaluate the
effectiveness of your communication. In all
areas of your life you will play many
different roles in the communications
process
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
 Be aware of a person’s facial expressions,
tone of voice and body language, to get an
idea of how they are feeling.

 Ask questions and restate what the speaker

has said to check that you have accurately
understood the information
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
 Use non-blaming and ‘I’ statements to help
clarify your point of view.

 Describe clearly and honestly what you

would like to talk about. Try to use specific
examples if you can.

 Try to understand the other person’s point of

view and don’t jump to conclusions.
HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

 Be aware of how differences in upbringing,

family values, culture, strengths and
interests, and experiences can mean that
people have different points of view.

 Be flexible in communicating in different

ways, for example, face-to-face, email,
telephone.
POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING

i) Prepare to succeed
 The single most important thing you can do
to make your next Presentation successful is
to be prepared. That means make time for
some serious practice. Experts suggest you
spend 60% of your time to prepare your
content and slides and 40% of your time to
practice.
 POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
 ii). Say it correctly
 Part of good preparation is double-checking
the pronunciation of any tricky words—
especially jargons. Your correct
pronunciation and knowledge of industry
terms lends credibility to your presentation.
 POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
iii) Overcome your anxiety
 Almost every single presenter experiences
some anxiety before speaking.
 Know that audiences seldom detect it.
Audiences want speakers to succeed.
 POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
 They want to be enlightened on your subject
of expertise and want you to lead them
through the material.

 Use breathing and relaxation techniques

before you present to calm your nerves.
Instead of focusing on yourself, focus on your
audience.
 POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
 Believe it or not the audience didn’t come to
see you.

 They came to see what you can do for them.

Put your energy into giving them the best
presentation you can.

 Begin slowly and use short sentences. As you

acclimate to the situation you’ll begin to feel
more confident.
POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
iv) Make first impressions count
 Before you even begin to present, your
audience will base their first impressions on
your appearance.
 Make it count.
 Dress appropriate to the event.
 Be neat, clean, professional, and
comfortable enough to act naturally.
POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
vii) Stand for attention
 Stand up straight, with your legs shoulder width
apart and your weight evenly distributed. Good
posture reflects confidence and engagement with
your presentation and your audience.
 
viii) Act naturally
 Gestures add interest and emphasis to your
presentation. If you’re nervous, feel awkward or
stilted; start slowly and add movements or gestures
as you begin to relax. Practice gestures as part of
your presentation preparation and they’ll come
easier when you present.
POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
viii) Make eye contact
 A great way to help calm your nerves is to make eye
contact with one person in the audience. Speak only to
them. When you’ve looked at them long enough to feel
you’ve made a connection, move on to another person, and
then another. One of the best ways to keep your audience
engaged in your presentation is to maintain good eye
contact.
  

x) Show your feelings

 You may normally be reserved, but for your presentation,
open with a smile. Show your audience you’re happy to
share your information with them. Facial expressions add
power to your words. Just be sure your expressions are
appropriate to your subject matter.
 POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
xi) Make yourself heard
 There are several aspects of verbal delivery
to consider. Volume is probably the most
important. Make sure you speak loudly
enough so that everyone can hear you. If
you’re not sure, ask. Also, consider your rate
of delivery.

 When presenters are nervous they often

speak faster.
 POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
 Try to speak slowly and clearly, so your
audience can understand every word.

 Finally, consider the pitch of your voice. Too

much variation is distracting. Too little is
monotonous. Aim for consistency with some
variation when it’s appropriate to the
content. 
POSITIONING YOUSELF FOR
EFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING
 x ) Silence your distracters
 Filler words and phrases like, “um,” “ah,”,
“you know,” etc. quickly become distracting
to those you want to engage. Break the habit
of using filler words as quickly as possible.

 Instead, fill the space with silence—even if it

means speaking in fragments. As you relax
and improve, shorten the moments of silence
—eventually you can eliminate them entirely
PITFALL WHEN POSITIONING YOURSELF
FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND
PUBLIC SPEAKING
 Avoid dressing color that represent any political
part
 Remain focused to your presentation
 Avoid faith and believes related arguments
 Avoid talking or giving examples about your
audience
 Have equal representation of time on your topic
CONCLUSION
 Communication and public speaking are both
technical skills. For success and effectiveness
of both you needs to have skills and
knowledge on how you can master your
audience, personality and moral
presentation.
 When people communicate effectively, it
helps them feel more comfortable in talking
about important information, sharing
concerns or asking for help.
 THANK YOU FOR LISTERNING ME