Communicating from the soul will touch others

SPEAKING OF COMMUNICATIONSSusan Young

   The job of any speaker or writer is to reach beyond the glitz and glitter that’s quite popular in our culture these days, and make a real difference in someone else’s life.
   Whether you’re making a short presentation for a team project in your conference room, and several of your colleagues or bosses are there, or you are the editor of the quarterly newsletter at your firm or you speak to 100 people at a conference, the opportunity to enrich someone else’s world is always present.
   Consider how many times you may have missed the opportunity to impact another person through your communications because you either didn’t know how, or weren’t willing, to go deep.
   The disconnect here is that you look simply to share information on a superficial level. That’s where the mistake is. You must know how to speak, write and communicate from the soul.
   Your soul is your deep essence, inner spirit and being. Your body is just a physical shell that houses your soul. When you are willing to step beyond the sizzle and get to the steak, to the soul, your communication will improve, your relationships will shift and you will touch people’s lives in new and exciting ways.
   Business professionals typically have an area of expertise. As a great communicator, you need to be open to not only sharing information but open to sharing yourself. It’s a leap of faith. If you believe you are vulnerable by sharing a personal story or situation, you’re wrong.
   It’s what makes you human.
   It’s what connects you to the people you are trying to reach. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about your authenticity. People will remember what you have said when you communicate from the soul and speak the truth of how you feel, not just what you know. The slides will come and go but the humanity will remain.
   Dare to go deeper, to share your own truth in a way that connects your information to your audience.
   How do you share your soul?
   First, be yourself. Don’t try to masquerade as someone else. When you’re genuine, real and honest, you shine. You will communicate that message without having to say anything. Your words and actions will be congruent.
   Second, reveal yourself. Watch yourself as you go through each day. Funny stories that teach lessons that can apply to work often happen outside of the office. Be aware of situations that happen when you’re with your friends, partners, spouses and kids. Some may be entertaining and others can be heart wrenching. Look for real-life nuggets that you can intersperse in your presentations, speeches and communications.
   Third, speak from the heart, not the head. When you’re truly passionate about your job, presentation, meeting, project or the company softball team, you will communicate that passion in many different ways. That’s because it comes from deep within; from the soul. You will have more impact on your audience when you speak from the heart than when you dump statistics, charts and studies onto a computer screen and call it a presentation.
   By revealing your own soul, by getting out of your own way, and by losing your own vulnerability, you have the power to enrich others and teach them to communicate from the soul. After all, you’re only human.
   
Susan Young, president of Susan Young Media Relations Inc., helps businesses, nonprofits and professional associations to increase their publicity, name recognition and revenues. The firm specializes in creating exclusive media projects, public awareness campaigns, and managing crisis communications. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and is a presenter at professional meetings and conferences. Call (732) 613-4790 or visit www.sueyoungmedia.com.