1. Keep it simple
Using big words, complicated sentences and long explanations doesn’t help anyone. Chances are that your listeners will become bored from trying to decipher your message and you’ll quickly end up losing their attention. Use simple words that everyone can understand. Keep your sentences short and simple. Create enough context but don’t go overboard with examples and explanations.
2. Structure your speech
Let’s say you want to make a point about meetings being too long. Structure your presentation to help you stay on point and deliver your ideas clearly. One example structure could be:
Introduction – Prep the listener with what you are about to talk about
Idea – State your point
Benefits – Make it relevant to your audience
Suggestions – Present some ideas on how to achieve the goal
Your speech would then sound something like this: “I’d like to talk about our weekly meetings, which tend to be quite long and take up the bulk of our Monday mornings. I’d like to propose that we shorten our weekly meetings from two hours to one and a half hours. I believe that shorter meetings will make our discussions more focused and productive. Finishing earlier will allow us to get on with our tasks sooner. We could impose a 15-minute limit on each person to talk about main tasks that are relevant to everyone, and schedule separate meetings for longer discussions that are relevant to smaller teams.”
3. Prepare
Preparation is key to communicating your points clearly. You could write your points down and refer to them when you speak. You could also practice presenting your points by saying the words aloud to yourself. You might be able to try out different and better ways to say something when you hear your points spoken aloud.
Another good way to communicating your point more clearly is to talk about it with someone else first. They might be able to clarify your ideas by asking you questions, poking holes in your argument, and making suggestions.
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