By JoJo Tabares
Have you ever heard a boring speaker-someone who puts you to sleep as he’s talking, or worse yet, makes you wish you WERE? Maybe it was your mom as she droned on when you were a child about how you should have been more careful with your toys. Perhaps it was your coworker while he regaled you with his accomplishments of the last twelve years. Remember that teacher you once had who couldn’t have made geometry more interesting if it came with chocolate triangles? Or that neighbor who would catch you on your way to the store and insisted upon sharing his latest escapades with crab grass? Aunt Martha was famous for her gallstone surgery stories and Uncle Fred could always be counted upon at family gatherings to bring up the times of his youth he walked to school…in the snow…uphill…BOTH WAYS!
From the time of your youth, you understood how to tell a boring story, didn’t you? All you need to do is speak in a monotone voice, talk about things your audience couldn’t possibly care less about and make sure your face looks like you might be deceased. But how does one make a story interesting? How do we speak in a way that gets people’s attention? How do we get our point across such that Marvin doesn’t feel like it’d be more fun to sit in a dentist’s chair while having a wisdom tooth extracted? Here are Seven Simple Steps to Avoid a Being Boring.
1. Tell a story your audience will want to hear.
Tell little Johnny, again, about the time you saved grandma from the burglar. Share how life was like when you were a kid and there were no…VIDEO GAMES and you had to read by candle light during the snow storm of 1973! Throw in a little education along the way giving historical facts, scientific advancements and what life was like back in the “Dark Ages” during the sixties!
2. Have fun with the story and notify your face!
Make your face light up with excitement as you tell the Ketchup Bottle joke! After all, it’s all in the delivery! Well, a lot of it is! Have fun with the examples you give.
3. Put your personality into it
Do you like to entertain? Use humor? Remember interesting statistics? Use that in your speech or story. Give folks a little more of you when you speak. God made each of us a unique creation. Give them something they don’t have already…YOU!
4. Be animated
There’s nothing worse than listening to a speaker drone on. Even if the information is vital or interesting, a dull delivery can just kill a good story. Here’s an audio I created as my alter ego, Mona Tone. Now I’m very animated when I speak so I think this was about Take 27!
5. Use your hands
Use gestures to enhance your story. Don’t just tell them; SHOW them! Some folks are visual. Others are auditory. The more senses you appeal to, the better your story will be! Just make sure that your gestures don’t take away from the story you tell. Repeated gestures can leave your audience focusing on the gesture instead of the message. If you have a habit of swinging your arm, it can be like someone constantly saying, “um.” The focus is on the habit and not the message. Making a gesture occasionally, is helpful. Using it too often is distracting.
6. Insert humor
As I mentioned before, using humor can enhance a story. I don’t mean for you to become the opening act for a comic, or even to open with a joke. However, it can help make a story more interesting and memorable if you interject a bit of humor here and there. Just make sure it is consistent with your personality and the subject.
7. Use fun examples they can relate to
Using a funny example can be a good thing, but only if your audience will understand and relate to it.
Let’s face it, life’s too short for dullness. Put some pizzaz into your words. Pack a punch. Wake ‘em up! Keep ’em listening. Don’t be a Boring Bernie. Use these seven simple steps to avoid being boring. Your audience will thank you!
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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
