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Do you speak
with all the energy of a house plant? Do you pepper your
conversation with too many “Uhs” and “Ums.” Do you keep your face
in a permanent state of “boredom”?
More
importantly, do you want to change some of these habits?
If so, then do
what Benjamin Franklin used to do. Pick one point of improvement and
work on it continuously for a single month. Ben didn’t know it at
the time, but he was changing habits using a technique that
psychologists call “reticular activation.”
Reticular
activation is the little bug we plant in our heads to sensitize
ourselves to certain things. For example, reticular activation is
what makes you suddenly begin to notice all the blue Toyota Camry's
on the road two days after you've bought your blue Camry.
You can use
reticular activation to change and improve your communication
habits. You simply need to plant in your head a bug to change a
habit. Write down what you want to improve at the beginning of
every day. For example:
·
Want to eliminate “uhs”, “ums” and other “filler words”?
Sensitize your brain to make yourself pause every time you’re about
to use a filler word.
·
Want to remember to smile?
Tell your brain to remember to smile as you speak. Do like the best
telemarketers do and put a mirror on your desk and make sure you're
smiling while you talk into the telephone. The listener on the
other end of the line may not be able to see the smile, but they
sure can hear it!
·
Voice energy an issue?
Put
sticky notes everywhere
to
remind you to speak with passion.
What does this have to do with Benjamin Franklin?
Ben didn't know
the term reticular activation. But he certainly understood the
concept. After some experimentation, Franklin learned that it took
21 days to change a habit. He'd pick one thing he'd want to change
and work on it for three weeks. Then he'd work on something else
for 21 days.
So take a tip
from one of our founding fathers. Pick one thing you want to work
on and focus on it for 21 days. Before you know it, you'll no longer
be using those annoying filler words and you'll be coming across as
a confident communicator.
At Speechworks we help our
clients learn how to give presentations that connect with the
audience. If you’re interested in becoming a great communicator
give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
