TOP 3 Tips To Improve Your Communication Skills!

Summary

In this insightful video, the speaker addresses the question of how to improve communication skills, particularly for beginners. The top three recommendations include eliminating auditory clutter such as filler words to enhance clarity and credibility, removing visual clutter by controlling body language to avoid distraction, and smiling more to convey authenticity and warmth. The speaker uses personal anecdotes and student examples to illustrate the transformative impact of these simple yet effective communication techniques.

Takeaways

• 🗑️ Remove auditory clutter: Eliminate non-words and filler words to enhance clarity, credibility, authority, and certainty in communication.
• 🔍 Example of transformation: Before and after examples demonstrate the power of removing verbal clutter in improving communication.
• 🤹‍♂️ Remove visual clutter: Avoid excessive hand movements and purposeless body language that can distract from the message and reduce respect.
• 🕺 Personal experience: The speaker shares a story of being an extra in a film to illustrate the discomfort of visual clutter.
• 👓 Nervous ticks: The speaker admits to adjusting glasses excessively when nervous, which can be a form of visual clutter.
• 🤲 Hand gestures: Lack of variety in hand gestures can be monotonous and detract from the message.
• 🎭 Student example: A video showcases the impact of purposeless movement as visual clutter and how removing it can improve perception.
• 🚦 Life's choices: The speaker uses a swimming story to emphasize the importance of courage over fear in making life decisions.
• 😁 Smile more: Encouraging a genuine smile, not just a polite or posed one, to convey authenticity and happiness.
• 📸 Different types of smiles: Explaining the difference between polite, posed, and genuine smiles and the impact they have on communication.
• 🌟 Impact of small changes: Highlighting that even minor adjustments in communication style can have significant effects on perception.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is to discuss the top three things one can do to improve their communication skills.

What is the first thing suggested to improve communication skills in the video?

The first thing suggested is to remove auditory clutter, which includes non-words and filler words, to increase the clarity and credibility of one's message.

What are the negative effects of using non-words and filler words in communication according to the video?

Using non-words and filler words can decrease the clarity of the message, rob the speaker of credibility and authority, and make the speaker seem unsure even if they are certain about what they are talking about.

Can you provide an example of a non-word or filler word mentioned in the video?

Examples of non-words and filler words mentioned in the video include 'um', 'uh', and phrases like 'do you know what I mean'.

What is the second improvement strategy discussed in the video?

The second strategy is to remove visual clutter, which involves controlling unnecessary hand movements and body language that can distract from the message being conveyed.

Why is controlling body language important in communication?

Controlling body language is important because excessive or non-functional movements can distract the audience and cause them to have less respect for the speaker.

What personal example does the speaker share about visual clutter?

The speaker shares a personal example of adjusting glasses nervously on stage and using repetitive hand gestures, which were forms of visual clutter.

What is the third and final suggestion made in the video for improving communication skills?

The third suggestion is to smile more, specifically to practice a genuine, authentic smile that involves showing teeth, moving the cheeks, and having crow's feet around the eyes.

Why is a genuine smile considered better than a polite or posed smile in communication?

A genuine smile is considered better because it conveys authenticity and happiness, making the speaker appear more approachable and sincere, which can positively affect how they are perceived.

How does the speaker encourage viewers to engage with the content of the video?

The speaker encourages viewers to leave comments with questions or topics they'd like to know more about, emphasizing the value of different perspectives and the opportunity for the speaker to learn from the audience.

What is the significance of the story about swimming lessons shared in the video?

The story about swimming lessons is used as a metaphor for courage and making difficult choices in life, illustrating the point that taking action can lead to personal growth and enjoyment of life.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Improving Communication Skills: Eliminating Auditory Clutter

The speaker addresses a question from a Scottish viewer on how to improve communication skills, focusing first on the importance of removing auditory clutter. This includes eliminating non-words (um, uh) and filler words that can obscure clarity, diminish credibility and authority, and give the impression of uncertainty. The speaker provides a compelling example of a student's transformation after removing such verbal clutter, illustrating the dramatic impact on communication effectiveness.

05:04

🎭 Tackling Visual Clutter for Enhanced Communication

Building on the previous advice, the speaker emphasizes the second key aspect of communication improvement: eliminating visual clutter. This involves reducing excessive or distracting body movements and hand gestures that can detract from the message being conveyed. The speaker shares personal anecdotes of nervous tics that once hindered his speaking ability and demonstrates the stark difference in a student's presentation before and after addressing visual clutter, highlighting the profound effect of these adjustments on audience perception.

10:08

😁 The Power of a Genuine Smile in Communication

In the final part of the video script, the speaker introduces the third and simplest piece of advice for enhancing communication skills: smiling more. He differentiates between types of smiles, from polite and posed to the genuine ' Duchenne smile,' which involves the entire face and signals true happiness. The speaker confesses his own shortcomings in this area and shares examples of his own insincere smiles versus a heartfelt one, advocating for the authenticity and positive influence of a sincere smile on audience engagement and connection.

Keywords

💡Auditory Clutter

Auditory clutter refers to the unnecessary sounds or filler words that people use during speech, such as 'um', 'uh', and 'like'. In the video, it is explained that these non-words can decrease the clarity of a message, reduce credibility and authority, and make the speaker seem unsure. The script provides an example of a student who improved their communication by removing these fillers, resulting in a more powerful and clear delivery.

💡Non-words

Non-words are the sounds made to fill silence or express hesitation, such as 'um' and 'uh'. They are part of the auditory clutter that the video advises to eliminate. The script illustrates how the overuse of non-words can negatively impact the perception of the speaker's confidence and the clarity of their message.

💡Filler Words

Filler words are additional words used to fill gaps in speech, often without adding meaning. The video script describes how using too many filler words can detract from the message's clarity and the speaker's credibility. An example from the script shows a student who used many filler words before learning to communicate more effectively by removing them.

💡Visual Clutter

Visual clutter pertains to excessive or distracting body movements that can take away from the message being communicated. The video emphasizes that such movements can cause the audience to lose respect for the speaker. The script includes personal anecdotes and examples of students to demonstrate how purposeless movement can be a form of visual clutter.

💡Body Language

Body language refers to the gestures, movements, and postures that accompany speech and can convey additional information or emotions. In the video, it is mentioned that body language can either support or detract from the message being communicated. The script provides examples of how repetitive or nervous gestures can be a form of visual clutter.

💡Nervous Tick

A nervous tick is an involuntary action that a person may perform when they are anxious or nervous, such as repeatedly adjusting glasses or tapping a foot. The video script uses the example of the speaker's own nervous tick of tilting glasses on stage to illustrate how such behaviors can be distracting and part of visual clutter.

💡Hand Gestures

Hand gestures are movements of the hands that can emphasize or illustrate points being made in speech. The video script discusses the importance of having variety in hand gestures to avoid monotony and visual clutter. It contrasts repetitive hand gestures with more dynamic and engaging ones to enhance communication.

💡Smile

Smiling is a facial expression that conveys happiness, warmth, and approachability. The video script suggests that smiling more can improve communication by making the speaker seem more genuine and likable. It differentiates between a polite smile, a photo smile, and a Duchenne smile, with the latter being the most authentic and effective for communication.

💡Duchenne Smile

A Duchenne smile, named after French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne, is a genuine smile that involves not only the mouth but also the muscles around the eyes, creating 'crow's feet'. The video script explains that this type of smile is the most sincere and can significantly enhance the way a speaker is perceived, making them appear genuinely happy and engaged.

💡Communication Skills

Communication skills are the abilities to effectively convey information, ideas, and emotions through speech, body language, and other forms of expression. The video's main theme revolves around improving these skills, with a focus on reducing auditory and visual clutter and increasing the use of genuine smiles to enhance the speaker's message and credibility.

💡Perception

Perception refers to the process of interpreting and understanding sensory information. In the context of the video, it is how the audience interprets the speaker's message and demeanor. The script explains that by reducing clutter and smiling genuinely, a speaker can change their perception in a positive way, making them seem more confident and credible.

Highlights

The importance of removing auditory clutter for clearer communication.

Definition of non-words and filler words as auditory clutter.

Consequences of using non-words and filler words on message clarity, credibility, authority, and perceived uncertainty.

Example of a student's transformation by eliminating verbal clutter.

The concept of visual clutter and its impact on communication.

Personal anecdotes about visual clutter and nervous ticks during speaking.

The negative effects of repetitive and non-functional body language.

Demonstration of how to remove visual clutter through student examples.

The power of a genuine smile in communication.

Different types of smiles and their perceived authenticity.

The significance of a Duchenne smile for sincere expression.

Self-reflection on the speaker's own use of inauthentic smiles.

The impact of simple changes like smiling on perception and communication.

Encouragement to remove auditory and visual clutter and smile more for improved communication skills.

Invitation for viewers to ask questions and share their thoughts in the comments.

Acknowledgment of the value of viewer input for expanding the speaker's perspective.

Transcripts

[Music] I got a question recently on Facebook  and this particular person when they asked me the  

question I clicked on their profile to see where  they're from and I noticed they're from Scotland  

so the question they asked me was hello then  I'm just wondering if somebody's just starting  

up their Journey on improving their communication  skills what top three things would you get them to  

focus on thank you for this question my Scottish  friend and in this video I'm gonna get into the  

top three things you can do to help you improve  your communication skills let's get into it now  

the first thing you can do and the first  thing you must do is remove auditory clutter

[Music]  

what I mean by auditory clutter is remove  your non-words and your filler words  

non-words being the sounds that you make  to feel the silence um uh uh those things  

four words being the words that you use to fill  the silence and so like do you know what I mean  

when you use lots of non-words and filler words  meaning there's more verbal clutter in the way  

that you communicate the following occurs the  first thing is that it decreases the clarity of  

your message the second thing it's going to rob  you of credibility the third thing it's going to  

rob you of authority and the fourth thing is that  it makes you seem as if you're unsure about what  

you're talking about even if you are sure about  what you're talking about it seems like you're not  

I'd love to throw you to an example of one  of my students I want to show you them before  

when there's lots of filler words and  non-words and then I want to show you  

what happens when we remove the filler words  and non-words from their communication watch  

how powerful this example is let me let me  grab the video from the top and pull it down

uh just because I wanted to challenge myself I  signed up for a 300 level history course American  

Revolution and uh as we were kind of uh winding  through our class we'd kind of gotten through  

most of the inciting incidents to the American  Revolution and uh and the the professor he would  

always uh sit at the edge of a table uh with his  notes right beside him and uh so you know me the  

youngest student in the class by about a year and  a half and uh he he looked out at the class and  

said now why do you guys think it was important  uh that the uh that the signers of the Declaration  

uh addressed it to uh to the king uh so um yeah  reason I'm telling you all this uh is uh that uh  

wound up being four years later um uh became jack  of all trades uh master of two okay you got this  

you got this uh sit at the edge of the table notes  next to him and he posed the question of the class  

why was it important that the framers of the  Declaration of Independence why was it important  

for them to address the Declaration to the king  and not to Parliament and timidly raised my hand  

and said because it was a revocation of everything  it was to be British he paused for a moment looked  

at me and said exactly boom big round of applause  yeah you see that video right there just goes  

to prove that if you just removed the verbal  clutter it can completely transform how other  

people perceive you now the second thing that I  will tell you to do is remove the visual clutter

remove the visual clutter visual clutter is  the same as verbal clutter you can move your  

hands too much and then it distracts people  from the message and then causes people to  

have less respect for you because you can't  dance and you've discovered My Kryptonite I  

can't dance and I gotta tell you this I  was once on set for a short film [Music]

and they made us dance in a nightclub with no  music because they had to record the dialogue  

from the actors and actresses so I had to  stand in front of people that I just met  

for the first time being an extra and when I was  dancing I literally I literally danced like this

and I did this for 30 minutes in front of  strangers as my face was going beetroot red  

back to what I was saying when it comes to  visual clutter that's the visual tips that  

you may have body language tips let me share  with you a couple of mine the first one was  

the classic tilting of the glasses when I first  started my speaking career I would know word of  

a lie do this at least 50 to 100 times when I'm  on stage because this was my nervous tick when I  

get nervous I keep adjusting my glasses and the  pace at which I adjust my glasses will increase  

as I become more nervous it was the most mental  thing and it drove people insane and the second  

thing that I would do which was again it's  a form of visual cutter was I'd use the same  

hand gestures and I wouldn't have any Variety  in my hand gestures and when I speak I just I  

just keep doing different pieces of this so I'd go  really fast if I'm excited and then I'd slow down  

as I become less excited it was it was ridiculous  for clarity's sake visual clutter is when you're  

using your body language in a non-functional way  where it doesn't support the things you or saying  

let's go to a student example in this video the  visual clutter takes the form of movement and I  

want to show you how when my students move  around with no real purpose how it can be a  

form of visual clutter and distract people  from the message and watch the before and  

after I think you'll find this one also very  inspiring and inspiring because the smallest  

changes can have the most drastic impact on  the way people perceive you and your message  

so as we throw to this video I'm gonna I'm gonna  spin into the video so you ready for this it's  

pretty cool it's a pretty cool party trick one  two so I looked up swimming lessons I went to  

the classes diligently there were little kids in  the pool with me and I was swimming next to them  

and I was feeling so embarrassed but then that  voice in me kept saying courage courage courage  

and and over time I started enjoying the  water again and I started doing all the  

water activities which I would have missed had I  not shown the courage so the point of my story is  

at often times in your life you will come  at a fork where you have to make a decision

so the point of my story is you will always have  a fork in your life where you have the easy path  

or the difficult path which may seem difficult at  first but not really so which one are you going  

to choose stay in fear the rest of your life not  enjoy the world what the world has to offer or  

do something about it you know take that step show  some action and then enjoy life to the fullest big  

round of applause not it hold on and unfortunately  I've got to spin back into the video again and  

okay I think I'm getting old yeah definitely  getting old that that was only three spins and I  

actually feel quite dizzy and the final thing you  can do to help you improve the communication game  

is very simple it's smile smile more now there's  a few ways you can smile and and I'll tell you the  

optimal way but what I've learned from my mentors  and teachers is that the first form of smiling is  

called a polite smile and the polite smile is  when you're walking past a stranger and they  

look at you you look at them it gets a little  bit awkward and then you you only smile with  

your mouth no other area of your face you look  at them and you do the whole hang on hang on a  

second when I when I do this face I kind of look  like Kermit the Frog hi guys oh my God this is

give give this video a like or a thumbs up  you know this is pretty good wow you're an  

idiot of him but you see that is a polite smile  that's when we're only smiling with our mouth  

the second kind of smile that we do it's one of  those Smiles we use when we're taking a photo  

and it's not not really a real smile it's where  you show your teeth but again you're you're not  

moving any other area of your face and when  you do this one it kind of looks like this

and it just doesn't look real we're trying  to smile in a way where we don't want the  

wrinkles to appear around our eyes now that's  actually the best smile we can do it's the most  

sincere and authentic smile because when you're  truly laughing with your friends you don't care  

how your face looks you're not posing you're  not being polite you're just truly expressing  

laughter and happiness and when you do that  you're doing a dishin smile and if the shin  

smile is when you're smiling your teeth are  showing your cheeks are moved up and you've  

got the crow's feet appearing around your eyes  I am guilty of not doing this smile enough I'm  

going to show you a few photos where I do the  classic photo pose smile have a look at that  

cheesy smile not even real look at them being fake  and phony and not sincere or authentic that's me  

that's what I used to do but the moment I learned  this let me show you an example of me doing a real  

smile look that just looks way more authentic  and way real it looks like I'm genuinely happy  

as opposed to posing for a body photo these  are the three things that I would encourage  

all of my students do especially those who are  early on and just starting their communication  

skills Journey make sure you remove the auditory  clutter make sure you remove the visual cutter  

and smile more it may seem super simple but  these three things can completely change the  

way other people perceive you thanks for  joining me for this week's video everyone  

if you've got any questions on communication  skills or anything you'd like to ask me please  

do leave them in the comment section below  I love getting questions because you can see  

things I can't there are times you're going  to come up with a topic that I wouldn't even  

thought of so I'd love to hear from you drop me  a comment down below see you next week foreign

[Music]