Communication skills – it sounds so rudimentary, but it can really make or break your career.


Can you name any great leaders who couldn’t communicate their ideas or share their vision? If you want to be a great employee and leader, you need the ability to command a room with your communication and presentations.


Here are a just a few tips for becoming a great communicator:


1. Listen first. The best communication springs from a firm understanding of the issues, concerns, and needs of the audience.


2. Be Yourself. For some reason, when it’s time to make a presentation, people become stiff, robotic, and boring. Be conversational and relaxed, and you reel in your audience.


3. Use powerful talk. Sugarcoating, umm’s, maybe’s, and ya know’s won’t get you the kind of attention you are seeking. Eliminate these speech “fillers” and be direct and confident.


4. Connect with the audience. Standing behind a podium and reading from a PowerPoint doesn’t demand attention. Move around the room, use hand gestures, and acknowledge different people with your eye contact.


5. Leave the monotone voice to Ben Stein. He can pull it off; no one else can. Vary your tone and your volume to keep people following and listening to your message.


6. Tell a story. All good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. When making a presentation, think about how you can weave in your main points with smooth transitions.


7. Practice, practice, practice. We never said it would be easy. The more you present in front of people, the more comfortable you become.