Why Speaking Persuasively Is An Essential Element Of Effective Communication In English

The first blog about the new communication skills mini course, Speaking Persuasively.

Why Speaking Persuasively Is An Essential Element Of Effective Communication In English

Life is full of ‘little stresses’. Little things that needle us and wear us down. We have to learn to deal with them. This can involve making a positive change, such as persuading someone to do something that they are not doing (which can be the cause of your stress). At such times, we need to employ persuasive communication skills - to get what we want. And nowadays, speaking in English to influence others is a must as English is the world’s lingua franca.

Hi. I am Deborah - one of the team at NTSs. Let me share some examples of when someone recently asked me for some advice about how to persuade or influence another person effectively.

Real people and real lives

The first example involved my sister and she was very stressed out (again) because her teenage son, ‘Tom’, like many young people of the age of 15, forgets (or chooses to forget) to tidy his bedroom. Sometimes it is a tip! I am sure that many of you have this issue - it is not uncommon if you are a parent. My sister was at her wit’s end trying to persuade her teenage son to do his chores… She asked me to give her some communication tips and techniques for when she sat her son down (again) to talk to him about what was expected of him. Thinking about this difficult situation was indeed one of life’s ‘little stresses’ that was building up like hidden clutter in her mind.

A client, ‘Glen’, asked me this week if I could help him prepare for a presentation he had to give at work. He had to present to the team he managed about some important changes which were coming into force at the company he worked for. He was worried about his presentation skills as it was important that he got his team ‘onboard’ with the changes that were on the way. On top of that, he was also going to have to repeat the presentation to various stakeholders. Thinking about what was required by his employer was effecting his sleep and making him anxious. It was also draining his energy and stopping him from enjoying life.

What can you do?

Both these situations can be assisted by learning to use your voice and body language to communicate persuasively. This does not mean tricking someone - no, it just means you communicate what you want to say effectively and then the recipient of the message is more likely to understand and give you what you want.

Breathing is an essential element of body language and voice. A simple breathing exercise can help you get prepared and in the right state of mind when you are about to deal with any stressful situation, like talking to a wayward teenager or presenting in front of a room of work colleagues.

Here is a one-minute simple breathing exercise which you can do:

If you want, find somewhere quiet where you are alone and won’t be disturbed.
Close your eyes.
Relax your shoulders so that they are down and not being held up near your ears.
Start listening to the sounds around you - what can you hear?
Breath in slowly for 4 counts through your nose.
Hold your breath for 2 counts.
Let your breath out through your mouth for 8 counts.
Repeat the above10 times.

If would like some more help with dealing with life’s stressful moments and you feel that you need to improve how you are communicating with others, especially if you want to influence them, then the Speaking Persuasively course is made for you.

It’s gentle, practical, and you can start today. Have a peek here →

Next Up: The Surprising Link Between Communicating Effectively And Feeling Good

In the next post, I will talk about how the mind is also an essential ally of body language and voice. And, I will introduce you to another simple exercise that you can do whenever and wherever you like to help to improve your spoken English.

☕️Grab a cuppa and find out about it here → The Surprising Link Between Communicating Effectively And Feeling Good

(Please note that the real names of the people in this blog have not been used).

Categories: : Speaking Persuasively