Let’s face it, communicating to groups on a regular basis is hard. For many youth workers, speaking and teaching are some of the most important things we do. However, the fact that we do this each and every week makes coming up with great content and delivery even more challenging! Teaching students God’s Word is too big of a deal to not do it well, so what are a few simple steps that you can take immediately to become a better communicator?

Here are 7 simple steps that I believe hold the keys to communicating better today.

7 Keys to Better Speaking

 Have a tweet-able bottom line

     What’s the point of your message? You know, what’s your sermon in a sentence? Great communicators can always answer this question. Before you start developing content and writing an outline, you need to be able to preach your sermon in a sentence. If you can’t do this, odds are its not clear enough in your head yet. And let’s be real, if it’s not clear to you it won’t be to your listeners.

     A great bottom line should be clear and concise. It should also be memorable and portable. When a student is asked about what you talked about in youth group, you want your bottom line to be their answer. A great bottom line is also short. If you can’t fit your bottom line into a 140 character tweet then you need to keep working. Crafting a tweetable bottom line is a simple yet highly effective way to take your speaking up a notch.

 Tell a Story  

    People love a great story. Think about it. People don’t usually watch movies and read books because of the content they teach. We watch and read because of the stories they tell. One of the best ways to communicate better is to tell a story. Great communicators tend to be great storytellers because they know people connect best to stories. In his book “Talk Like Ted,” Carmine Gallo writes “The most popular TED presentations start with a personal story.” TED communicators are some of the best on the planet, and one of the techniques that sets them apart is that they tell great stories. If you want to speak better, tell a story about yourself that helps drive home your content. People love a good story, and they will love your presentation when you tell a good story through it.

Be Truth Centered 

     It doesn’t matter how good of a story you tell if your message is not truth centered. The story we tell as youth workers is the greatest story of all time, and we cannot and should not sacrifice truth to make our teaching more appealing. Students are looking for purpose and meaning in life, and we know where to find it! God’s Word will change a student’s life, and we owe it to them to make sure our messages are centered around these truths. Your job is not to be interesting, but to be life changing. Your message will be more life changing when it’s interesting though.

When you put together a presentation or sermon, don’t start with a great story or catchy phrase, start with a truth from God’s Word that puts a burden in your heart. Once you have that you can craft a great story and memorable bottom line, but make sure your start is always truth centered.

Solve a Tension

     Want people to lean in close and listen when you speak? The best way to do this is to solve a tension in your talk. A tension can be defined as “mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement.” In another sense, tension is the act or state of being stretched. Great communicators ask this question: What is causing tension in the lives of those I’m speaking to? What is causing emotional strain in their lives? What is the source of their anxiety and excitement? When you find these answers, you’ve found your tension. You have a truth to teach and your audience needs to hear it. But why do they need to hear it? Great communicators don’t just teach a truth, they help listeners alleviate a tension in their own lives. The next time you speak, find out what is stretching your audience and show them how how to fix it.

Be Tomorrow Relevant

     The best messages I’ve heard are ones that are practical and relevant to my tomorrow. You can teach something that is true, but if you can’t show your listener that its relevant it won’t have an impact. Andy Stanley says it this way: “All Scripture is equally inspired, but not all Scripture is equally applicable or relevant to every stage of life.” Great communicators know how to take the truth they are teaching and make it applicable and practical to the listener’s tomorrow. If you can help someone change their tomorrow, they will listen. If you can help them change their tomorrow, then they can begin to change their life. Changing your tomorrow is the best way to change your life. So work hard to make sure  your message is relevant to the listener’s tomorrow!

 Take Your Time

     Perhaps the most difficult part of speaking for most communicators is time. Part of what separates great communicators from average ones is that they know how to take their time! If you have 30 minutes to speak, don’t speak for 15 and don’t speak for 40. Speak for 30 and take your time! Speaking too long takes time away from others. It takes time from your audience and people coming after you. Don’t steal other people’s time. On the other hand, take the time that you’ve been given. If you’re given 30 minutes to speak, prepare for 30 minutes and don’t take time away from what was asked of you.

     The best way to take your time is to practice. When I practice, I know if a sermon is too long and I can fix it on my own time. If I don’t practice or fix it on the fly, I end up leaving out important content just to stay on time. This steals time from the listener. Practicing before you speak also helps you take your time with your rate of speech. The practice will give you a good idea of how fast or slow your delivery will need to be. Practice your presentation, take your time, and honor the people who give you the stage and listen to you.

 Prepare Thoroughly 

     Practice also has a lot to do with good preparation, but there’s more to it than just that. Great communicators prepare thoroughly. They start early, practice well, and internalize the content. I’m often baffled by the lack of preparation student pastors take in their messages. You cannot be your best when preparing a message the same day or the day before you give it. I’m best when I start thinking and praying through a message at least a week  before. Once I feel comfortable with the direction, I start to outline it on paper. This works best for me about 3-4 days before speaking. This timeframe gives me a few days to polish and practice a sermon. I practice not only to work out the kinks, but also to internalize my message. This allows me to speak more confidently on stage and rely less on my notes. If I can’t remember my sermon without notes, then how can I expect students to?

     The best communicators I know prepare well. They start early, practice well, and internalize their message. Now, you might be a good or even above average speaker who barely prepares, and I completely understand that. Gifted communicators can get by with less than thorough preparation. Here’s my question for you though: If you message is good without preparing well, how much better could it be if you put in the time? You don’t have to prepare well to be a good communicator, but you do if you want to be a great one.

What would you want to add? Can you think of another key to better speaking? Let us know what you think in a comment below!