Before getting into the advantages of oral communications, have you ever wonder why we have global summits like Paris Agreement happening periodically across the countries? Why do governments of different countries spend a fair share of their money on the events like this?
Well, a lot can happen over a coffee ( Not because of the coffee ;)). It is because of verbal or oral communication between different parties or nations.
Let get deeper into the topic to identify the hidden science behind giving preference to oral communication to resolve any major conflicts or agreements. Let us get deeper into advantages of oral communication and see if we could apply any of the learning in our personal or professional life.
Let us begin with the first thing first.
What is oral communication?
In simple terms, oral communication is the exchange of information between any species through their mouth. It could happen between any two individuals or between one to many individuals.
When we catch up with our friends, we communicate with each other personally. In our professional life also, the major brainstorming sessions happen at the group level discussions in conferences. In both these scenarios, the exchange of thoughts, ideas, feelings is happening through oral communication.
Why is oral communication important?
Here we are going to see few advantages of oral communication that dominate others.
Effectiveness in communication
Before initiating any topic or conversation with someone, we try to analyze or at least try to get a hint to know the other person’s feelings or opinion on the subject.
Take an analogy of an employee seeking personal leave from his manager.
When you are in this type of situation, you always try to understand the mood of your manager. If it is not in our favor, we try to get him to that by making an extra effort to reduce his stress by sharing some of his burdens.
Not until we are very sure that he is out of his stressed mind, we put up our request in front of him. Here we have done all activities only to ensure that we have very little chance of rejection.
This very nature of understanding first before getting others understood derives effectiveness in Oral communication. Which ensure you put up your thoughts in front of other people effectively.
Transparency in communication
When you are learning a new topic, you tend to get a lot of doubts. We tend to have many questions about the subject to get a better understanding of it. Getting the queries answered on time will give us an in-depth insight into the discussion.
Most of the online schooling during this pandemic are facing problems due to a lack of immediate clarification.
During traditional schooling, students used to have access to their teachers and mentors on-premises. They used to get all their doubts cleared by them almost immediately. Thus make them understand the concepts of the subjects thoroughly.
Now the limited interaction with their teachers is causing much difficulty in understanding the subject.
This openness in discussion adds one more advantage we have in oral communication. Provided it comes with personal interaction.
Trust and Call Closures
Do you know most of the purchase decisions you take are due to emotions? And if you gain the trust of your prospects, it will not take much time to convert your prospects into customers.
So, how does a prospect get the trust?
When anyone is interested in a product, he would like to ensure that he is fully aware of the product. As part of which he might be having concerns or doubts which he wishes to get clarified.
The advantage of oral communication is that it will allow your prospect to put up his concerns with you before purchase. Once his concerns are satisfied, he shall gain your trust and makes the deal a successful closure.
Significance of oral presentation (Mass communication or transformation)
Don’t worry. Even I got initially confused with this term oral presentation. But, later made sense. To understand its importance, let go through some situations.
Many of us feel that talking is very natural and much comfortable than writing. In most cases, it is true in the case of a casual meeting with friends.
But can you imagine, what if you need to talk in front of thousands and lakhs of audience? We can also call it Public Speaking.
For a situation like public speaking, anybody needs some preparation. One should be aware of what is one wants to convey. Mere clarity on what is not sufficient one should know how to get to that point.
One must always begin with thorough research on the topics to collect the statics. Link them with the pain points which one is going to address and talk to his audiences in such a manner to make them realize the pain points.
Post addressing the pain point, the focus must go towards the solutions and remedies to the pain point. Should also be prepared to present those proposals to the audience to gain their trust in the proposed solutions.
The entire scenario that we discussed so far is known as an oral presentation.
The fun fact is that oral presentation is being practiced by many of us already. Very often used at the personal or private level like proposing a girl, discussions on the appraisal cycle, to name a few. This level of implementation can satisfy only personal gratification.
The real power of the oral presentation comes when you apply it at the mass level in front of a larger audience. The result could derive a mass transformation towards any right cause.
We already have enough wittiness to see oral presentation skills in action.
Swami Vivekananda’s speech in Chicago, Steve Job’s speech at Stand ford University, Barack Obama’s speech that made him the president of the united states of America.
With the discussion we have had so far, we must admit that the advantages of oral communication outperform written.
Having got to know the importance and advantages of oral communication, how could we improve ours? Let’s take that discussion in some other article. In the mean time I have written an article on the topic “What is corporate communication?” do check it out.