Communication is a universal human trait, yet it is also one of the most poorly cultivated traits. The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred. To cultivate great communication, we must understand that all communication is high stakes. There are five tips for improving communication: understand your audience and adapt to their feedback, use visuals to help retention, prepare and practice extensively, empathize with your audience and focus on their perspective, and continuously work to grow communication skills through reading, subscribing to resources, and following experts.

1. Y o rs
ui
sp ee ch
t o x ic
Flickr: Strep72 by Chiara Ojeda

2. Communication is a
universal
human trait. Flickr: Elsie esq.

3. Everyone communicates.
Flickr: ohhector

4. Verbally
Verbally
Flickr: Tayrawr Fortune

5. Flickr: Shandi-lee
non-verbally

6. Flickr: qthomasbower
Visually

7. Musically
Flickr: oldschoolrocker

8. Flickr: star5112
Gustatorily

9. Kinesthetically
Flickr: andriux-uk

10. Yup. we’ve communicated...
Pretty much since the dawn of time.
Flickr: The Adventurous Eye

11. Yet, communication is
also one of the most
poorly cultivated
human traits.
Flickr: tanakawho

12. The single
biggest problem
in communication...
Flickr: j / f / photos

13. ...is the illusion that
it has taken place.
(George Bernard Shaw)
Flickr: Joaquin Villaverde Photography

14. s ay s”,
y o n e unicator!
Ev rreat comm
eg
“I a ma
Flickr: Stefan

15. Flickr: ~Oryctes~
But, take it
from me.
most of us
are not*.

16. *Note: Unlike the average
presenter, clowns
are actually
great communicators!
Flickr: ~Oryctes~

17. They engage &
move others.
Flickr: YOGURINHA BOROVA

18. They are
audience-centered.
Flickr: YOGURINHA BOROVA

19. They ar
e risk-t
akers.
Flickr: Tati Fontes

20. According to Nancy Duarte,
86.1%believe that
of executives surveyed
strong communication
directly impacts their success.
Flickr: the|G|™

21. Yet, only 25.2%
practice for more than
2 hours
for a “high-stakes” presentation.
Flickr: the|G|™

22. We have created a
Communication
drought.
Flickr: foshydog

23. How do we
cultivate
great
Communication?
Photo © 2011 J. Ronald Lee

24. ALL
First, learn that
communication
is “high stakes”.
(Nancy Duarte, slide:ology)
Flickr: mike r baker

25. Communicate as if every
Susan NYC kevin dooley
Conversation Meeting
Presentation Class
jurvetson Sterling College
is high stakes.

26. Five tips for
`
communication growth

27. tphets
Wonderlane
1. Understand your audience
BenjaminThompson
open hardware summit

28. tphets
Wonderlane
adapt to audience feedback.
BenjaminThompson
open hardware summit

29. tphets
Wonderlane
emotion moves audiences to action.
BenjaminThompson
open hardware summit

30. tphets
Wonderlane
without an audience, there is no resonance.
BenjaminThompson
open hardware summit

31. tphets
Wonderlane
Be selfless, not selfish.
BenjaminThompson
open hardware summit

32. Flickr: Hryck.
2. Vision trumps all other senses
Flickr: Angelo González

33. bullets kill.
(So do clip art, Comic Sans, and the fire animation.)
Flickr: Hryck.

34. Pair one image with one clear idea.
Flickr: Angelo González
Help your audience retain more information longer.

35. Compfight and Flickr Are your friends.
Flickr: J
D Hanco
ck
Choose Creative Commons; show attribution.

36. Brandon Christopher Warren anyone's ghost
3. prepare and practice

37. Devote sufficient time to communication.
Flickr: Brandon Christopher Warren

38. 36-90 hours for a
analyze generate
ideas & storyboard Design
audience research ideas visuals
Donnay Andrea Collet Anant N S WA State Library
1 hour presentation with 30 slides.
(Nancy Duarte, Slide:ology)

39. Don’t wing
your speech.
EVER!
(Being unprepared leads to presentation anxiety)
Flickr: anyone's ghost

40. Practice like TEDsters do.
jurvetson
The shorter the talk, the longer the rehearsal time.
(Nancy Duarte, Duarte Blog)

41. 4. Empathize with your audience.
Flickr: Juliana Coutinho Flickr: Verano y mil tormentas. Flickr: Verano y mil tormentas.
Flickr: Pink Sherbet Photography Flickr: Sebastiaan ter Burg Flickr: cinnamon_girL

42. Your audience is a friend, not a rival.
Flickr: Juliana Coutinho

43. [W]e must realize that we are all
different in the way we perceive the world
Flickr: Verano y mil tormentas.

44. and use this understanding as a guide to
our communication with others. (Tony Robbins)
Flickr: Verano y mil tormentas.

45. Focus on making a difference for others.
Flickr: Pink Sherbet Photography

46. Sir Ken Robinson,
“Schools Kill Creativity”
One empathetic talk = 13.4 million viewers
Flickr: Sebastiaan ter Burg

47. Don’t give a
presentation you
Wouldn’t want to sit
through. (Nancy Duarte, Slide:ology)
Flickr: cinnamon_girL

48. 5. continuously grow your skills.
Flickr: Zach Klein

49. pamhule Johan Larsson katerha
read subscribe follow
Note: this is only a small sampling of resources!

50. read
A new way to present

51. read
Content & Delivery

52. read
Visual design

53. subscribe
Phil Presents & Ethos3 Blog

54. subscribe
Six Minutes & Creating Communication

55. Follow
Empowered Presentations & Slides that Rock

56. Follow
JesseDee & Emiland

57. Follow
David Crandall & Mars Dorian

58. It is not the strongest
nor the most intelligent
of the species that survives,
Flickr: zachstern

59. but the one most
responsive to change.
(Charles Darwin)
Flickr: zachstern

60. Flickr: JD Hancock
Tweak your
speech &
change the world.
chiara.ojeda@gmail.com
@The_Bombadier on Twitter
http://tweakyourslides.wordpress.com