Poor listening skills create roadblocks to communication, especially when the single-minded goal of the speaker is to be heard.A speaker communicates best while he or she listens actively, which helps them to respond more organically to the needs of the audience, while simultaneously expanding their understanding of the nuanced dialogue taking place.

Use active listening to your advantage

It's often a good idea to send your draft material to someone you trust for honest, constructive feedback.Practice it in front of someone with a good eye and ear for impeccable delivery. Whatever you do, don't become defensive. Throw your ego out the door and apply what you learn.

Ask for feedback

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

Effective communication is an attainable and deliberately acquired skill set, one that can be learned and practiced over time.While it’s true that individual attributes can make these abilities easier to acquire, there is nothing that the world’s best communicators have that you can’t acquire through hard work.

Learning to communicate effectively

... involves purposeful exchanges between all interested parties. If you’re doing all the talking, you’re not maximizing opportunities to create reciprocal understanding or expand the reach of your thought leadership.

Real communication

To become a more effective communicator, you must 'smoke out' original thought. Rather than conforming to the status quo, make a conscious decision to abandon overdone and clichéd material/Citing tired platitudes might win you a few "cool points" in social media circles, but they will only take you so far if you're truly striving to effectuate change.

Smoke out original though

Once you’ve developed a fresh idea, work on organizing your message and polishing your delivery. Think about:<ul><li>How  you will launch a stunning opening and closing line</li><li>How you will organize your material succinctly so that it is both moving and memorable (perhaps tweetable and repeatable)</li><li>Compelling details that should be included.</li><li>Your vocal and non-verbal communication (body language).</li></ul>

Prepare an impactful delivery

Check in with your audience to make sure that they "got" what you intended to give:<ul><li>Emphasize the main points of the presentation by strategically reintroducing them at the end.</li><li>Elicit feedback and answer audience questions, especially when a live Q&A session is part of the engagement. It allows the audience to flesh out any unanswered questions, resolve any misunderstandings and walk away with greater value. </li></ul>

Follow-up with your audience

Develop rapport by engaging in real dialogue.People who engage in dynamic, interactive dialogues, rather than defaulting to stale monologues, establish trust, develop rapport and experience greater empathy from their audiences.

Real dialogue

8 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Silver-tongued orators are like world-class magicians. They float onto the stage with enviable swagger. They use choice material, and their compelling delivery keeps audiences rapt. They know that to touch the heart is to affect change; to stir the imagination is to inspire action.

Learning to communicate effectively

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