L301: Lesson 7: Communication Skills

Communication Skills

Key Verse: “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be know what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.” 1 Corinthians 14:8-9

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the disciple/leader learn basic communication skills.

“The average American spends 70% of his active hours communicating verbally.” –The Process of Communication, D. K. Berlow

“Since 1955, 50% of the cost of running the American economy has been related to communications.” – Kaiser Aluminum News

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak to an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.” –Gerald Ford

60% of all management problems are the result of poor communication.

Great communicators look to GOD.

They understand that God is the source of true inspiration and anointing.

They understand that without God they can only communicate according to their own ability.

Isaiah 50:4–5 (NKJV) “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. 5 The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.”

Great communicators believe in THEMSELVES.

If you cannot believe in yourself, then you will not attempt to communicate at all.

Great communicators believe in their SUBJECT.

They believe in what they say.

Ordinary people become great communicators when they begin to express their convictions with passion.

Great communicators believe in PEOPLE.

Great communicators believe in people. People believe in great communicators.

When people know you love and believe in them, they become motivated to listen and learn.

There are no small audiences–only small communicators.

Great communicators are CREDIBLE.

Credible people live what they say.

In the beginning people will believe what you say; in the end people will only believe what you do.

Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.

Great communicators have a sense of TIMING.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Timing involves discerning “when” to say “what”

The nature and state of the people

The place and setting

The relevancy of the subject to the people

The moment of highest impact

The leading of the Holy Spirit

Great communicators can communicate CREATIVELY.

There are no boring subjects, only boring communicators.

You cannot communicate your message until you can capture and retain the attention of your listeners.

Creativity allows you to become unpredictable. The greater your predictability, the lower your impact. The lower your predictability, the higher your impact.

Great communicators know how to help people RETAIN the information they have received. People retain or remember:

20% of what they hear

30-40% of what they hear and see

50-60% of what they hear, see, and speak

90% of what they use to make definite decisions.

Great communicators know how to use a good “HOOK”.

A “hook” is the tool or method used to get people “hooked” or interested in what you have to say.

There are several qualities of a good “hook”.

It gets people’s attention.

It sets a goal (Be sure it is one they want to reach).

It leads to the subject information.

Great communicators can IDENTIFY with people.

They learn all they can about the people to whom they are communicating.

They establish common ground based on that knowledge.

They are willing to risk revealing their life and feelings in order to help others identify with them.

Unless people can identify with the speaker, they will have a hard time believing that what they have to say will have any relevance to their lives.

Great communicators maintain EYE contact with the people.

Eye contact is person to person contact.

A lack of eye contact breeds distraction, distrust, discomfort, and disinterest.

Great communicators know what they want to COMMUNICATE.

Great communicators communicate their message in an ORDERLY manner.

People naturally learn through orderly thought processes.

When the information shared has no apparent relationship to the goal, people lose interest.

When the information shared is not presented in an orderly manner, people become confused.

Great communicators communicate their message in a way that people UNDERSTAND.

Avoid the use of confusing terms, ideas, philosophies, etc.

Communication only takes place where understanding begins.

Great communicators focus on APPLICATION.

“Preach for a verdict.” –George Blackstone

People must see the connection and practical application of what they are learning to their lives.

Ask yourself, “What’s the purpose?” and “Why is this necessary?”

Show people how the information should be practically applied in their lives.

Great communicators strive for TRANSFORMATION.

Five steps toward transformation

Information: The purpose is to communicate biblical information.

Revelation: The purpose is to seek spiritual understanding.

Inspiration: The purpose is to inspire motivation.

Application: The purpose is to move to action.

Transformation: The purpose is to change lives.

Great communicators are RELAXED.

They do not take themselves so seriously.

Relaxed does not mean boring or impassionate. They take their message seriously but not themselves.

When communicators are relaxed, the people become more

Receptive

Focused on what they are saying

Interactive with the communicator

Great communicators INFLUENCE others.

Great communicators get FEEDBACK to help ensure that information has been understood and received.

If people cannot tell you what you have said, then you have not communicated no matter how much you have said.

Great communicators are always striving to IMPROVE their ability to communicate.