Communication Unit 3 - Effective Speaking

What is Effective Speaking?

Effective speaking is simply the art of good conversation carried a step or two beyond the usual.
It is largely through the spoken word that we communicate with each other, develop understanding, exchange knowledge and find mutually acceptable goals.
Through effective speaking we can encourage, teach, entertain and inspire others.

Restaurant and Hotel English

In the hospitality industry, as an hotelier or restaurateur, every day you have to meet with many guests.

 According to different time and situation, you have to greet and introduce the guests.
You are suppose to use some essential expressions and styles to greet a guest, respond to any expression or give farewell to guest with courtesy etc.

Greeting Guest 

To ensure guest repetition and to make long lasting relationship it is very much indispensable to make good first impression to guests as it is said that first impression is that last impression.
All guests are need to be greeted affably after their arrivals at the hotel by an hotelier.

Essential Expressions

There are some magic expressions to greet guests and response to any greetings.
 Generally people use these words according to the level or gravity of relationship with the person he or she greets and timing of the greeting.
You should remember that there are some expressions which you should not use in formal situations like greeting a guest.

Essential Expressions (For Thanking)

Thank you very much Mr…. 

 I am very grateful for ….
 I really appreciate …
Thanks
Thanks a Million/ Lot

Essential Expressions (For Apology)

Sorry Sir
I am very sorry Ma’am/ Sir for …
Terribly sorry ….
Pardon me
Excuse Me
I apologize for …

Essential Expressions (Polite Replies)

You’re welcome
It’s my pleasure
It’s not a problem at all
Never mind
It’s okay
Not at all
I understand/ I completely understand
No problem
Don’t worry about that I’ll take care/ handle it
Let it be

Essential Expressions (Polite Inquires)

Would you like to have a cup of tea, sir?
Could you possibly spell your last name
May I have your passport, please?
Could you talk to our sales department?
Allow me to call a taxi/ cab for you.

Guest Complain Handling Guidelines

Here is a step by step guest complaint handling guideline for hotel or restaurant staffs.

Step 1: 

When a guest with a complaint or request approaches you, follow the basic steps of Making it Right.

Listen: 

Listen intently making mental notes, with the right body language (put on a serious face, nod your head). Take notes if information is very detailed and specific.

Apologise with Empathy: 

Apologise and put yourself in the guests, situation. No matter how insignificant the matter is to you, it must be dealt with seriously.

Find a Solution: 

All problems have a solution – that’s the approach to use. Try and find the simplest and clearest solution. If you are unable to, inform a supervisor or manager.

Follow Through: 

After the problem has been resolved, go back to the guest to ensure he is satisfied. Even if the problem is being solve by someone else, you were the one who the problem was brought to – follow through accordingly. Take personal responsibility of the issue.

Step 2:

The guest, who is complaining, should be informed of the action(s) being taken every step of the way. If you are unaware of what to do, inform the guest that you will inform a Supervisor /Manager and follow up with him/her within the next 10 minutes. Just tell the guest:

“Mr/Mrs/Miss “XYZ” I will inform the situation to my Supervisor/Manager n I shall revert back to you within the next 10 minutes.”

Step3:

Inform the Supervisor/Manger of the situation – make sure to give him / her all the information, including a background of the guest.

Step 4:

Supervisor/Manger must contact the guest and explain to him/he that he/she has been informed about the situation. The Supervisor/Manger must apologise for the situation and offer him/her an alternative  with something that the guest feels “outweighs” the problem.
If the guest is still not satisfied, the Department Head must be informed.

Step 5: 

After a solution has been reached, the key person who dealt with the guest on this case should go back and check to see if the guest is satisfied.

Step 6:

A log must be maintained detailing the situation.
Guest Complain Handling Guidelines

Step 7: 

The entire making it Right procedure should be completed within 24 hours.

Addressing a Group

Following are some steps of maintaining audience’s interest while addressing a group: 

1.Giving an indication of what will come later in your talk proves fruitful e.g.
In a few moments I will show you a video on ….

2.Using Illustrations:
Using examples, anecdotes or verbal illustrations to interest and suit your audience that comes from within the experience of the audience can break the ice and create empathy rather than sharing complicated anecdotes.

3. Asking questions and inviting participation:
Asking some general and easy question which can be aimed at the audience to invite them to participate and draw them into the natural thinking process develops a rapport between the speaker and the audience.

4. Talking directly to the audience:
Reaching out to the audience by walking out towards them with their name and making them feel like individuals and not just a part of the mass means half the battle is won.

5. Eye Contact:
Making an eye contact with the audience establishes a bond. Eye contact involves glancing at the faces of the audience for a few seconds and not staring continuously. A speaker can check his progress by gauging the audience reaction by looking at their faces which can indicate interested, puzzled, bored, pleasure etc.

6. Speaking Well: It depends upon factors like pace, pitch, tone, volume and pausing at the right places and articulation.
a) Pace- Addressing a group of audience requires a slight slower pace than informal conversation which can be brought through emphazing the main points which speaking.
Addressing a Group
b) Tone- It is the quality which expresses feelings. It can reveal emotions like warmth and sincerity and how strongly the speaker feels about a topic. A harshly critical or judgmental tone should be avoided as it makes the speaker’s sound harsh, aggressive and biased.
Addressing a Group
c) Volume- High volume doesn’t mean shouting. It means being audible to the people sitting in the back rows. Volume can be varied to make the seminar more lively and interesting.
d) Pausing- Pause doesn’t imply failure in fluency. It can be used to create great effect. It can focus attention on what has been said or about to be said or can be used to prepare the audience for a change in ideas.
Keeping in mind, the above points can be beneficial in addressing a group and bringing clarity in the speech.

Essential Qualities of a Good Speaker

Good Organisation

Prepare your notes in advance.
Notes preparation should be done keeping in mind the time allocated.
Make a note of all the peripherals you will require for your presentation.

Preparation

Speak from clear, comprehensive lecture notes.

Practice your presentation or voice, language and timing.
Do not read your presentation.

Confidence

Do not begin with an apology for your knowledge or your English. If you lack confidence in yourself, the audience will perceive it and lose confidence in you, too.
Be thoroughly prepared and familiar with your material; preparation creates confidence.
Pause occasionally. Never be afraid to stop speaking for a moment.
Speak at normal, slow rate. Do not rush.

Responsiveness

Start your presentation with a smile. You will put your audience at ease.
Make eye contact with members of the audience.
Do not talk to the back wall, the table, or your notes.
Find a few friendly, encouraging faces in the different parts of the audience and talk to them.
Check to see if the audience is following you.
Make sure you talk with, not at, your audience. Talking at an audience comes across as talking down to them.

Clarity

Be sure the organization of your talk is clear to the audience.
Make short, simple, specific statements.
Strive for a smooth transition from one point to the next.
Use visual support to illustrate and clarify difficult points.
Visuals should complement the oral presentation.
Visuals should be simple and should not require complex explanations.

Enthusiasm

When something is important say it slower and louder.

Try to communicate to the audience your own interest in and enthusiasm for your subject; enthusiasm is contagious.

Others

• Stand straight distributing your weight on both the legs. 
• Do not hold onto the mike or to the podium for support. 
• Have a good posture and appearance. Do not lean on the podium. 
• Be confident, relaxed and energetic. Do not play with your clothes or fingers. 
• Wear clothes that befit the occasion. 
• Close the speech with a striking, impressive, concluding remark. 

Purpose of a Speech.

The purpose of any speech can be categorized into broad headings: 

• General 
• Specific

There are three general speech purposes:

• To Inform: The main concern of the speaker here is to make the audience understand and remember the information presented. 
• To Persuade: The major objective of a persuasive speech to induce the audience to think, feel and act in a manner intended by the speaker. 
• To Entertain: Through such speeches, the speaker wants the audience to have an enjoyable time.

Specific purpose describes the exact nature of response you want from the audience.
It has three requirements:

• Central Idea 
• Clear and Concise message 
• It should be worded in term of the audience desire.

Steps in Organizing and Delivering the Speech

Organizing Speech: Jot down 3 or 4 main points that you want your audience to remember.
Summarize each idea in a single clear sentence: Sentences should be built around facts and supported by examples.

Write you speech: Use short and clear words. Don’t pronounce it with professional or technical jargons.

Use humour: Cracking a sensible joke or the adding a punchy one liners as per the environment. However, excess jokes can make the speaker sound unprofessional.

Write main points of Cue Cards/ Note Cards

Rehearse Your Speech: Time the delivery of speech while rehearsal to match the allotted time.

Look at the audience: Make an eye contact with the audience to make them realise that you are there for them.

Deliver your speech to the audience speak slowly and loudly (volume) when required. Stand upright in a relaxed manner with your feet slightly apart and hands by your side.

Visuals may be used where possible as it demonstrates certain points more effectively.

Audience Analysis

It is significant to communicate the purpose effectively.
Audience analysis means to discover the receiver’s view point so that the speaker can adopt his material directly to audience needs, wants, experiences and attitude.
Communication is a two way process involving the sender and the receiver. The heart of communication is in the change in behaviour.
As a public speaker, an analysis of audience is must to:

• Make the speech meaningful for them. 
• To gain support 
• To be understood 
• To establish a rapport with listeners

There are three phases in audience analysis. 

The first is adapting to your audience before you speak.
There are three ways to do this: demographic analysis, attitudinal analysis, and environmental analysis.
Demographic analysis involves age, gender, culture, ethnicity, race, religion, and educational level.
Attitudinal analysis addresses the audience's attitudes, beliefs and values.
Environmental analysis is the importance of seating arrangements, audience size, and room lighting, etc.

Importance of Audience Analysis

Audience is center to the communication process. The purpose of communication is to transfer the message with transmission of understanding among the audience.
Therefore good communication is always audience-centered. It is the audience that determines how one achieves the objectives of communication.

If the communicator fails to analyse the attitude, interests and knowledge of the audience, he is likely to be failure.
Why certain politicians with bad records can grab the votes? it is because their message strike to the waves of that time as well as wavelength of the public and consequently they can manage to manipulate public sentiments to their advantage.

Therefore, audience analysis is essential before designing the message.
Communication can take place only when the message is received in the same sense and spirit that sender intends to carry.
Therefore, the sender has to devise some common ground between him and the audience.
He has to choose the information that audience needs and finds interesting.
He should encode the message in words and other symbols that audience will understand easily.
Lastly, he should transmit the message along a channel that the audience will attend to.