When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen. You all heard of that commercial years ago.

In this blog, I will talk about being a super communicator and will mention some great communicator in the process as well. Some may surprise you.

A great communicator must be able to explain the complicated so anyone can understand. They must speak or write in everyday language; because not everyone are able to comprehend what is being said. This is one of the reason I write in the simplest form. I’m just a simple man. I’m no expert and I’m not a genius.

A great communicator used storytelling to captivate and educate. They used analogies to explain unfamiliar areas. They tried to be relatable to the common man.

Many of us shut out new ideas if there’s a hint that the concept at hand may be too hard to comprehend. In other words, if the concept is over our head, we will turn it off. We should learn to communicate with ordinary people, by not putting them down and making ourselves better than them.

It’s vital to know our audience. We must know who we are speaking to. Believe me, I learned this back in Journalism class in college. Yet, at the same time, what we may say or write can easily be misinterpreted. Some people may take it the wrong way just because they are not fully comprehending what is being said. It happened more and more as of lately. Take Trump for example. Because of some people hatred for him, they turned around some of the things he said to make him look bad.

You must know your subject before actually speaking or writing about it. That’s why, there are some subjects I won’t touch upon , until I have enough information. You must be a master of your subject. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

Bad writing or ineffective speaking can kill your project before it even gets off the ground. If you can’t articulate your message in a way that your audience can comprehend, you can’t expect them to share your enthusiasm.

Make what you are saying simple without condescending anyone; so that it will be easy to understand. Our job as communicators is to provide the audience with truth in a way they can understand. People resist change, especially if it takes them out of their comfort zone.

Be human in what you say or write. Be genuine. Share your experiences that make you sound like a real person trying to get through life like anyone else. Make yourself authentic. Tell stories where you come across as an average Joe who faces learning opportunities and struggles. Never brag or put yourself on a pedestal.

What happens when a speaker kicks off a presentation with a good story? You get the audience attention. Sometimes, even a good joke if the punchline actually works.

A great communicator must be relatable. They must be able to relate to what their audience is going through; otherwise they may turn them off to what they are trying to say.

I’m going to give you some examples of great communicators. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a great communicator. When he had his fireside chats on the radio when he was President, people tuned in together as a family just to hear what he had to say. That was their entertainment back then.

You may be surprised to hear me say that Adolf Hitler was a great communicator. Even though he was an evil dictator, he knew how to get the people fired up. He had a huge following during the beginning of World War 2. He had young people doing what he wanted and turning against their parents.

Both John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were great communicators. Their speeches were legendary.

Ronald Reagan was a great communicator. Some may say it was because he was an actor first. Even though, he was old when he ran for President and was President, he was able to attract the younger generation. I became a Republican because of him. He used humor when needed. He came across as relatable. He said all the right things. He didn’t come across as being old and out-of-touch, like Joe Biden. I mean, think about it, when Biden speaks, he reminds me of an old man that you goes, “here we go again as we are sitting trapped as they speak. You can’t get away fast enough; and you cannot fully believe what Biden says, not like with Reagan.

Bill Clinton was a great communicator. He was able to spin lies and make you believe it as being true. He had the “It” factor; something that Hillary Clinton lack. That’s why Hillary couldn’t win the American people over like her husband.

Barak Obama was also a great communicator. He came across as relatable. I believe that was one of the reason he was able to become President and defeat McCain and Romney. He was able to relate to the American people.

Say what you want about Donald Trump, he was a great communicator as well. He knew exactly what to say to the American people. He knew how to get us fired up. You may not like everything he said, but he said exactly what the American people were thinking. I believe that was why he had such a huge audience at his rally.

I may not be the best communicator. Sometimes, what I may write or say may be misinterpreted. Sometimes, my speech can be hard to understand. I try to be relatable. I’m working on becoming a better communicator. I want to know what you think.