The German researcher Peter Wellhöfer recommends the following actions to make the communication process more effective.
Tasks for the presenter
- Clear presentation of content: adapt language to the audience, use examples, avoid difficult terminology and foreign words.
- Logical structure of content: start with an overview, show how topics are linked to each other, highlight what is most important, repeat main ideas, summarise.
- Be precise: present information to the point, avoid using redundant words.
- Be interesting: address different sensory channels, demonstrate personal interest in the topic.
- Non-verbal contact: establish eye contact with the audience, react to participants’ non-verbal feed back, e.g. irritation or sleepiness.
- Encourage questions: ask for feed back, clarify what has or has not been understood, involve participants by asking questions.
Tasks for the receiver
- Relate what is said to yourself, make an effort to understand what the presenter wants to say.
- Do not start formulating your own ideas before the presenter has finished his/her message.
- Look for interesting aspects in the presentation.
- Avoid interpreting what has been said if it is not clear, ask clarifying questions instead.
