Communicate With Impact

I talk...a lot.  And I'm not just referring to my tendency to be long winded in conversations.  A big part of my job & my ministry is communicating the principles and truths of the Bible in a relevant and meaningful way.  I love what I do and it's a joy to get to use my gifts and abilities to make a difference for Jesus and His kingdom.

From time to time I get asked different questions about preparing and delivering a speech of some kind. So today on the blog I thought I'd share a few brief tips when it comes to communicating with any audience.

When I work on a sermon, speech, or message, I try to remember the 3 S's of A Speech with Impact.  Here you go:

S #1:  Short & Simple:  Too often people confuse impact with length.  The two are not identical.  If you want to communicate with impact, focus on delivering content that is simple and brief and captures the attention span of your intended audience.  Longer is not necessarily better.

S #2:  Share Stories:  People love stories.  There is something about a personal story that gives a message or a speech an added level of authenticity and allows the speaker to connect in a real way to his/her audience.  The more personal stories you can use, the better connected to your audience you will be.

S #3:  Show The Need:  In the past (think back decades & centuries, not just years) attending an event with a speaker or great orator was considered entertainment in our culture.  That's not the case anymore.  People choose movies, television, and youtube over listening to someone verbally communicate a message.  As a speaker, you need to give your audience a reason to listen.  The sooner you can show them the need that you are addressing in their lives, the quicker you will engage your audience & show them that you can add value to where they are in life.  Don't think that just because someone is sitting in the audience that they are dying to hear your message and captivated by your every word.  Truth is, their mind will wander quickly.  So show the need you are addressing early in your communication and remind them of that need often as you continue through your message.

There you have it.  The 3 S's of a message with impact.  Keep it SHORT, share a STORY, and SHOW the need.  Try out these principles the next time you have to share a message or communicate to a group and you'll be on track to not just talk, but to communicate with impact!