Communication Fundamentals

• The three purposes of communication are to persuade, inform, or follow.

Audience: Those to whom you will speak or write

Outline: A diagram that shows how your communication will be organized

Six Vital Communication Principles:

1. Be Clear - Make your meaning clear by using definite, specific, concrete language

2. Use Familiar Words - Use a familiar word unless a ten-dollar word is needed

3. Eliminate clutter - Omit needless words

4. Stay Active - Write and speak in the active voice

5. Put Statements in Positive Form - Tell the reader or audience what is happening, what you believe.

6. Use parallel structure - Use the same grammatical form for expressions that are part of a group

• The main goal of writing is to share meaning, and in doing so, inform, persuade, or entertain

Arguments: Reasons given in proof or rebuttal

Topic sentence: Introduces the main idea of a paragraph

Thesis statement: The central message of an essay

Objection: Reasons or arguments presented in opposition; improves your communication as well

Conclusion: Final remark to reiterate thesis in different words

Staff study: Provides a professional format for presenting concerns and solutions

4 Most Common Formats of a Speech:

1. Manuscript - Employed only when the material being conveyed is so important or complex that an inaccurate phrase might cause a great misunderstanding

2. Memory - The speaker becomes overwhelmed with accurately stating the speech as memorized, so he loses spontaneity

3. Impromptu - The speaker is given a topic and only a few minutes to gather his thoughts before speaking

4. Extemporaneous - Extemporaneous speakers study their outline in depth, but instead of planning what they’ll say word-for-word, they grant themselves freedom to be spontaneous

Parts of a Speech:

1. Specific purpose - A clear statement of what you hope to accomplish as a result of your speech

2. The Central Idea - A compact expression of your argument

3. Introduction

4. Body & Conclusion

Signpost: Brief verbal cues indicating your progress through an outline

Resume: Briefly documents your work history and gives you the opportunity to show what makes you qualified for a job