How To Articulate Your Thoughts and Make People Listen To You

Picture this. You're in a coffee shop, working on a presentation for work. In your mind, you got everything perfectly planned out. The words flow smoothly, and your ideas make perfect sense. But the moment you stand up to present, your mind goes blank. Words get tangled, and your confidence evaporates. You feel the eyes on you, the silent judgment, and you can't help but question if there is something wrong with you.

Sounds familiar? You're not alone. Struggling to articulate your thoughts can make you feel isolated and misunderstood, triggering anxiety in social situations. This can lead to avoiding conversations, insecurity, and even fear of public speaking. Effective communication is not just a skill; it's a critical part of success in both personal and professional life. Seventy-five percent of people experience fear of public speaking, also known as glossophobia. Additionally, a survey says that sixty-five percent of recruiters and hiring managers say strong written and spoken communication skills are more important in an entry-level job applicant than their college major.

The ability to communicate clearly and articulate your thoughts is one of the most underrated yet essential skills. Humans have been using words to communicate for ages. Well, unless you're from a village in Turkey where they use whistles to talk. Come on, he invited him for AI and he said yes; crazy right?

Effective communication is crucial, but it's not always easy. In this video, you'll discover tips to articulate your thoughts more clearly and confidently. Being articulate isn't about using big words to sound smart and come off as a jerk. To me, true articulation means communicating clearly and effectively. When you look at how most influential people speak, you will notice they communicate simply and effectively, avoiding misunderstandings and unnecessary jargon.

Unfortunately, most schools don't teach us how to articulate our thoughts, leaving many of us struggling with public speaking. Even with the best ideas in your head, you won't get promoted if you can't express them as effectively. A common misunderstanding that prevents us from communicating better is believing others will listen to us just by speaking our thoughts. This definitely doesn't help introverts like me, who are already avoiding other people.

For me, it's a recipe for being antisocial, and I'm just proof. A study published in the Early Childhood Research Quarterly highlights that difficulties in articulation often stem from various causes, many rooted in childhood experiences. Growing up in an environment where you felt rushed to speak, whether due to many tired working parents or neglect, can make you feel like your words don't matter. This can lead to rushed speech, blurred words, and speaking without thinking clearly about what you want to say.

Often, it's recommended to pause and think before speaking, but in today's fast-paced world, especially if you're not in a position of power, most people won't give a damn about what you want to say. The more you experience this, the more you might stop communicating altogether. About eighty percent of the time, people are not listening to you; they are thinking random things in their heads. Can you remember all the words I've said in this video up to this point? You can't remember much, can you?

No matter how good you are at doing presentations or giving public speeches, nobody will be able to remember word by word what we said. So, if you want to get your point across and make people remember, there are three rules we can use, starting with rule number one: having a clear purpose and structure. Our goal when it comes to communication is not only getting our point across but knowing what we want the other person to do with the information we've shared.

Let's say you're planning to present something at work. What's the goal? Are you aiming to persuade your colleagues, hear their thoughts on your proposal, or get them to act on something? It's the same in your personal life, too. Imagine you're telling your partner about a sad thing that happened. Just getting the words out there isn't enough. You've got to make it clear whether you need them just to listen, offer support, or jump in and help fix things. It's not fair to expect someone to just know what you want. We got to communicate, and we've got to do it clearly.

Effective communication involves both logic and emotions. Using the pyramid principle, widely used in McKenzie, which starts with a conclusion followed by insights and then supporting data, can be effective but needs more than just information. I learned from a Japanese book to make the audience visualize the outcome using examples. For instance, if you're discussing launch plans, compare these.

So, let's say you're discussing launch plans with your friend. What most people would do is just like sending maybe a link and saying, "Let’s go here." It's short and simple, yes, but it raises more questions. So instead, say this: I would send them the link of the restaurant and then say, "Let’s go here. It has a 4.5 rating, it's Japanese, all the menu items are under 50 bucks, they have the signature dish," and then I would send the picture and I would say how far away it is from their place and also my place.

I would say it's just like three stops away from your place and just like four stops away from my place with metro. So, in this way, I know it sounds kind of really long and extra, but it is what effective communication is. You're answering all the potential questions they might have in their head, and you're also explaining the reason why you want to go there, which is your conclusion, right?

You're basically supporting with all the information that you have while you want to go there. You basically make it really easy for them to react to you because then the other person can say like, "Oh, actually, this time I'm feeling like more bougie; I want to go maybe like a more expensive place." Then you could say like, "Okay, you know the reason why they didn't like it," and the other person also knows why you suggested that place.

So it's much better communication, in my opinion. Is it requiring more effort? Yes. But it is what effective communication is in my opinion. At the end of the day, if you wouldn't, you know, give all the details and reasons why you want to go there, then there's going to be lots of messages saying like, "Oh," which is really long and not effective. So most people don't do it.

If you want to stand out, try it out. Or if there's a better way to do it, just let me know because I personally do it all the time. When it comes to your workplace, one tool that can help you apply this principle is today's sponsor: GMA. Thank you, GMA, for sponsoring this video and supporting this Channel, and thank you guys for being here.

So what is GMA? GMA is an AI tool that can turn your ideas, documents, and notes into beautiful presentations and web pages in just a couple of seconds. And the best part of GMA is you can start for free. There are three ways to generate content: generating with AI, pasting in text, and importing files. It is the perfect tool, in my opinion, when you have a presentation next day at work or maybe at school and you don't have enough time.

If you have already existing content like meeting notes, class notes, reports, articles, maybe even lecture slides, all you need to do is simply copy all the text and paste it to GMA. So let's say I want to turn this video script into a video presentation. I'm just going to copy the whole script of this video and just simply paste it to GMA. Your text can be short as a paragraph or even some sentences or just like a very long article.

Then you select the format you want to create, whether it's a website, presentation, or a document. So once your text is pasted, you can select the tone of the voice, the length of the presentation, and also the number of the cards you want to present. You can let the AI do the distribution of content, or you can like manually select and divide the content into different parts.

The great thing is you can select from thirty-three languages available. So if you're like me, you know, when you think in another language and want to express something in another language, GMA can be an amazing tool. Once the presentation is generated, you can modify, add, or remove sections. You can change the tone of the voice, the layout, the design, everything basically.

Okay, so what if you don't have any existing content? Let's say you don't even have meeting notes or class notes. The good thing is you can generate now with only a prompt. So what you need to do is simply paste the prompt, edit the outline, pick your theme, and click on generate. Having a structure clear in your hand and being able to refer to that whenever you are speaking or presenting will help you articulate your thoughts better.

There are various scenarios where you can use GMA, but no matter what the scenario is, it's a really great tool. And if you want to check it out, there's a link in my description below. Thank you, GMA, for sponsoring.

Rule number two: Speak simply. Remove unnecessary words and focus on getting your message delivered. Many people clutter their speech with fillers and excessive details. They ramble, thinking that more words equal more clarity. But in reality, it just makes their message harder to follow. Famous architect and writer Frank Lloyd Wright once said, "Less is more only when more is too much."

The principle doesn't just apply to design but to communication as well. So focus on being concise. Don't go on and on either. Going through every tiny detail can make people zone out. Instead, jump right to the good stuff, your conclusions, and the reasons behind them. After all, communication isn't about showing off how much you know but about making sure others understand you. The most effective communicators deliver their message in as few words as possible.

Rule number three: Learn to deliver. Communication is not only about the words you use but also how you present yourself. How you carry yourself can significantly impact the message you're trying to convey. There are four key elements that influence your delivery.

Eye contact is crucial; it shows confidence and helps build a connection with your audience. It lets them know you're engaged and interested in the conversation. Gestures are your non-verbal tools to emphasize points and express enthusiasm, but be mindful; overusing them can be distracting. Voice is more than just the words you speak; it's about your tone, pitch, and pace. A well-modulated voice can keep your audience engaged and make your message more compelling.

Posture speaks volumes before you even open your mouth. Standing tall and open signals confidence and openness, while slouching can indicate the opposite. But what happens when someone asks you a question and you start to panic? Here's how to handle it. First, calm down and listen attentively. Focus entirely on what the other person is saying. When listening to the question, discern what kind of response is required. Is it a yes or no? An idea or opinion? Or maybe addressing concerns or providing details?

While listening, resist the urge to formulate your response immediately. Instead, focus on fully understanding the question. Once the person has finished speaking, take a moment to gather your thoughts. Picture a pyramid structure for your response. Start with your conclusion. State clearly whether it’s a yes or no or present your main idea. Provide your reasoning; explain why you reached this conclusion. And then lastly, give specific examples. These help illustrate your point and make your answer more relatable and credible.

For example, if you're asked if a project can be completed by the end of the week, you might say, "Yes, it can be completed by the end of the week because we have already finished most of the groundwork and the initial designs are done, and we've received client approval.” Or if asked for an idea, you might respond with, "Yeah, so I think implementing a weekly meeting could improve our communication as a company because this has worked well in company X, leading to better collaboration and fewer misunderstandings."

Remember, the key is to stay calm, listen carefully, and structure your response clearly and concisely. So, next time you're faced with a question, take a deep breath and follow these steps. You will find yourself responding with confidence and clarity.

To develop these skills, you need to invest time and build daily habits that reinforce them. Here are some essential practices: Read regularly. Reading exposes you to new vocabularies, ideas, and perspectives, which can enhance your communication skills a lot. Another one is making a daily writing habit. Writing helps you organize your thoughts and turn them into words, a crucial skill for articulation.

Next one is to listen to good speeches like Ted Talks. Analyzing how great speakers present their ideas can provide valuable insights into effective communication. Lastly, record your own speeches and listen back. This practice allows you to critique your performance and identify areas for improvement. Even if you know these specific skills, applying them in your daily life takes time and practice. It's not an overnight transformation, but with consistent effort, you will see improvement.