Communication techniques

BODY LANGUAGE

• Intention—knowing the difference between casualness and relaxation
• Both feet firmly planted on the floor
• Placement of hands (never in pockets)
• Body should be straight but not rigid
• Approach to ambo—departure from ambo

• Voice quality
• Slowness—slowly enough, loudly enough, clearly enough, directly enough
• Breathing—diaphragm breathing as opposed to "from the neck up"
• Mechanics—know your mike system—multi-directional...distance from...projection power...

• Lazy speech
• Dropping voice

• Timing important—more effective at the end of a thought or sentence

• Mikes
• Mis-readings

• A reader is a member of a team—not a soloist who is independent of the other elements in the ceremony

• Sound intellectual and emotional understanding is of first importance. The reader is aware of:

1. 1. WORDS that need emphasis
   2. IDEAS that need to be given
   3. PLACES where pauses are needed
   4. PLACES where inflection is needed

• A good reader is interested in his/her listeners. He/she forgets himself/herself and concentrates on "SELLING THE GOODS."
• Read IDEAS, not words
• Concentrate on MEANING