The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.
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Is the state of the art instruction about the instructor’s proficiency in performing drills, or is it about the instructor’s ability to connect with their student? Communicating above or below the digestion rate of the student is ineffective. While tennis knowledge and drilling efficiency are important, I believe a master teacher connects to the student and monitors the rate at which each student digests information. As we saw with Wendy and her father, the message received within the dialog is much more than the facts.
As I researched how to sharpen my communication skills, I realized that the way in which information is presented influences the outcome. I learned to focus on communicating honestly and with authenticity, but also to consider stressing or de-stressing the learning environment based on the energy in the room.
Successfully communicating the facts is highly dependent on WHAT message is being delivered and HOW the message is being delivered. The following list offers eight techniques I recommend applying to communicate effectively:
- Intertwine sports science facts with personal, emotional storytelling.
- Impart humor within a conversational tone to bond the relationship.
- Avoid a distancing style with an elitist attitude and academic language.
- Use inclusive pronouns like “We all need to…”
- Apply cadences, rhythms, and dramatic pauses to accentuate meaning.
- Vary their volume from a scream to a whisper to deepen the message.
- Pull listeners in by modifying the pace of delivery from excited and fast to dramatic and slow.
- Match and mirror the listener to make them more comfortable.
Great communicators presenting in groups or one-on-one have developed their presentation power. Armed with a full toolbox of delivery methods, they trade in intimidating, interrogating, and dictating with sharing everyday experiences to engage the audience which is the heart of genuinely connecting.
