VIVEURA
How to Speak Eloquently:
The Art of Articulation
L I F ES T YL E • M E TI E R
The ability to communicate effectively is a skill
set everyone needs but many lack. Here are
simple tips to become more articulate.
Eloquence is the art of articulation. It's the practice
of efficiently and effectively using language to
influence or persuade others. This is a critical life
skill as communication is key to the ability to foster
healthy connections and relationships.
To speak eloquently is to speak in a way that
delights others so they are more inclined to agree
with or go along with what you are saying. This
requires you to be mindful of when and how you
speak. Here's how to craft a more charming
communication style.
Hold back
First, hold back. You don't have to participate in
every part of the discussion. If there's a meeting
going on or a conversation taking place, you aren't
required to share your thoughts or opinions on
every aspect of it. You can sit quietly, allow others
to speak, and wait until there is something you truly
want or need to say.
While you wait, observe and listen to others.
Leverage your emotional intelligence — let their
words sink in and process them fully, so when you're
ready to speak you build on what has already been
said. This will increase the chance of your words
being more meaningful when you do speak. When
you are ready, don't interrupt. Allow the person
speaking to fully complete their thought before you
chime in.
Often, we are driven by fear or ego and either don't
want to be judged for not participating or don't
want to be skipped over in conversation. So we
jump in and say something just to say something.
Instead, sit calmly and wait until your words can
truly be of value. Hold back until you have
something to say that's going to push the
conversation forward in a useful way.
Say less
Second, say less. You risk being confusing when you
are too verbose. Eloquence is being persuasive but
that is not necessarily correlated with frequency or
length of speech. So, learn how to use fewer words
to say what you want to say. Being clear and
concise is key.
This is another reason why it's important to hold
back, so you can formulate your thoughts around
how to best respond. When you jump into a
conversation without listening, observing, or getting
a sense of the direction it's going in, you risk
speaking before knowing what you should say. This
leads to rambling or even offending the other
parties.
Once you do formulate a useful response in your
mind, get to the point. Being a good
conversationalist is not about how much air time you
take up or how long you command the attention of
others. It's about moving the discussion along in a
positive direction. Sometimes that means sharing a
significant but short statement or making a powerful
but pithy point.
Slow down
Filler words, such as "uh, well, I mean, and you
know", aren't inherently bad and help a person
sound natural and less robotic when speaking.
However, overusing them is the enemy of
articulation. Usually, this happens when you are
nervous or haven't thought through what you want to
say. The aforementioned points should help with
both of these issues. Another technique is to speak
slowly and pause often.
Eloquence is not a reflection of how fast you can
make a point. Sure, some people are quick-witted
and can swiftly flow through a discussion,
responding to every question or comment with ease.
This is usually the sign of someone who has a
strong command of the subject or is quite used to
being in the hot seat. It's a skill they have likely
cultivated over time.
Becoming this good at speaking takes practice, and
one area to work on is not muddling your words.
First, slow down so you have a chance to think
before you speak. Second, pause before you
respond and interchange pauses with filler words
as you speak. For example, instead of saying "um"
to fill the gap while you search for the best word,
just pause. Don't fear brief silence. It's better to
speak slowly and surely than to speed through a
response that's riddled with words that make you
sound uncertain.
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Use structure
Try to tell a story when you speak, especially if you
have the floor for an extended period. If you are
making a longer presentation, use a narrative
structure to guide your listeners along. An example
of a business communication framework is SAR:
• Explain the situation (S) or lay out the context
• Describe the action (A) that has been or
should be taken
• Discuss the results (R) or expected outcomes
Another example you can also use in informal
conversation is to outline what you want to say in
three bullet points and list them along the way (e.g.
first, then, finally). This sequential tactic will prevent
you from forgetting your points and keep listeners
engaged with your story.
Whatever structure you use, the goal is to move
through your points in a compelling and organized
way so you don't lose your listeners. To keep them
in a state of anticipation, introduce your framework
at the beginning. To ensure they understood you,
recap your points with concluding remarks at the
end.
Be expressive
Some of the most captivating orators are those who
convey feeling through their words or gestures. They
enthrall listeners by incorporating emotion into their
speech. Without being overly theatrical, there are
two ways to become a more influential speaker in
both personal and professional settings.
First, expand your vocabulary so you can integrate
more descriptive words. Build a repository of words
to draw from that allow you to better illustrate your
point. These words can be simple and colloquial
but should be vivid and dynamic so they draw
listeners in. It's the difference between saying "it
was really good" and "it was an unexpected feast
filled with delicacies that delighted my taste buds",
in response to a question about a fancy dinner you
attended.
Keep in mind, quality over quantity is the secret to
eloquence. Enhance how you speak with richer
descriptors, but don't stuff your sentences with
complicated words. Overly complex language could
potentially confuse others and make you look
pretentious.
Second, be aware of and use your body language
to express what your words can't. Match your facial
expressions to your feelings about what you are
discussing (e.g. if you were delighted, smile when
saying so). Animate your body so it works in
partnership with your words, highlighting and
emphasizing the most notable parts of your
narrative.
If your conversation is over a phone or conference
call with no video, play with intonation. This means
varying your pitch to better indicate your stance on
the subject. No one appreciates a monotone voice
that drones on without offering any clue as to how
the speaker feels. This flat style of communication is
not only boring, but it's also hard to absorb as the
brain uses emotion to process and assign meaning
to words.
Read
How to Win Friends and Influence People is a
classic Dale Carnegie book that includes time-
tested advice on how to communicate effectively.
The Art of Seduction isn't a book about
communication, per se, but it is a book about charm
and the power of persuasion.
If you've ever been inspired by a Ted Talk, then
you'll appreciate The Official TED Guide to Public
Speaking and its insider tips on how to
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