When communicating, take cultural differences into consideration. 
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I have been lucky enough to travel to many places in my life from Soviet Russia before the fall of communism to all throughout Europe and into Africa. Travel has taught me that it is not only different languages that inhibit communication, but different cultures. Since America is the melting pot, we get to experience many cultures in one place. But even if everyone is speaking English, cultural differences can still inhibit communication. By taking cultural differences into consideration you can improve communication. For example, if someone doesn't look you in the eyes when you are speaking, before you jump to the conclusion that they don't care about what you're saying, consider that they may come from a culture that shows respect by looking away when someone is talking.

When you want your audience to remember something, use the primacy principle and the recency principle. 
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The primacy principle is that people remember what you said first and the recency principle is that people remember what you said last. So, instead of debating which is the more valid principle, use both. Start out your communication with your most important point and end with that same most important point. So regardless of which principle is best, your audience will remember what you said.

Don't fidget because it distracts your audience. 
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When you are giving a presentation to a small or a large group, don't fidget. Playing with the change in your pocket, twirling your pen, flipping your hair. All this fidgeting distracts your audience and makes them think of things other than what you are saying. To be an effective communicator, keep your body still expect for purposeful motions that have intentional meaning. That way your audience will focus on what you are saying and not on what your body shouldn't be doing.

Let there be silence. 
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It is part of the American culture to speak on top of each other. It happens at the dinner table at home and in conference rooms in the office. But there is power in silence. When you are communicating, let there be times of silence by waiting for another person to finish completely before you start talking and by avoiding filler words (ah, um) as you speak. You will find that listening increases with more pauses in the conversation and communication becomes much more efficient because people don't need to repeat themselves to get their points across. If you find someone is always interrupting you, use nonverbal communication, just as raising your hand, to let them know you want to finish without being rushed. If you think of silence as being a part of the conversation, communication will improve.

Use the Uncertainty Reduction Theory to your advantage. 
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The uncertainty reduction theory by scholar Charles Berger explains why people try to find commonalities with others – it reduces our uncertainty about them and helps us know what to expect in the future. When you communicate with others use this theory to your advantage by finding things you have in common with other people and highlighting the commonalities. For example, ask your sales prospect what plans they have for the weekend. If they say they are going sailing and you like to sail, then strike up a conversation about sailing. Then remember to bring up that topic again next time you meet that same sales prospect. You will reduce their uncertainty and improve communication.

When you communicate online, give time for relationships to develop. 
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The social information processing theory by scholar Joseph Walther shows that it takes four times as long to build a relationship online in text-only interactions than it does to build a relationship face to face. Keep that in mind when your primary communication with someone is online. Make the effort to add side conversations to your online interactions, just like you would if you talked to someone in person. Share information about yourself that someone would garner from meeting your in person, like your cultural background or propensity for exercise.

Use good posture when you are speaking in public. 
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An upright posture communicates authority. You will find your credibility with your audience increases when you stand with good posture as you speak. To get better posture, imagine you have a string tied to the top of your head and to your tail bone and that the strings are pulling in opposite directions. This will help you keep a straight posture without looking unnatural.

Know your audience before you speak. 
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Understanding the demographics of your audience – their age gender, economic status, and interests – is critical in order for you to communicate effectively. Often the nature of the speaking engagement will predetermine the audience so you can prepare in ahead of time. But, if you don't know your audience in advance, scope the room just before you speak to see what you can learn. Use what you see to adjust your message. If your audience is primarily older white males, your message needs to be different than if the room is filled with 20-year old women. Knowing your audience and adjusting your message will improve your communication.

Use font sizes 36-24-18. 
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Research on PowerPoint recommendations in communication textbooks showed that the most common suggested font size for presentations is 36 point font for headlines, 24 point font for main text, and 18 points for detailed text. No font smaller than 18 points should appear on your slides because your audience will not be able to read it. I remember this tip of the week from the '80s song Brick House by the Commodores – 36-24-36, what a winning pick. You have to adjust that a bit to 36-24-18, but the song still helps me remember.

Dress the part. 
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The communication tip of the week is dress the part. If you are speaking to an audience of business people, make sure you are wearing a suit and not jeans. In contrast, if you are speaking to a group of youths about getting politically involved and you are wearing a suit, chances are they'll feel they can't relate to what you are saying because you are dressed so differently then them. So, know your audience and then dress appropriately. The communication tip of the week is dress the part.

In times of crisis, think before you act. 
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Whenever a crisis hits a company, adrenaline kicks in and everyone moves into action. The adrenaline is needed to get everything done, but it can get in the way of clear thinking. Before any communication takes place, a crisis team needs to be established and a crisis plan needs to be created. Thinking before acting is critical in times of crisis.
The communication tip of the week is: in times of crisis, think before you act.

Keep consistency among presentations. 
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When you are planning a conference with multiple speakers from the same company, consistent presentation templates demonstrate the cohesiveness of your team. Even if each presenter creates the first draft of their own presentation, make sure that you have a resource that collects all presentations in advance and ensures that they use a consistent style and format.

Match verbal and nonverbal communication. 
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Have you ever been confused by someone who is saying one thing but whose body language is saying something completely different? Usually that person is distracted by a thought and their body language is in line with their thought but not with the words they are speaking. You can avoid conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication yourself by staying completely present to your conversation.  When you are fully engaged, chances are your words and your body with match.

Keep you eyes on the audience. 
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Whether you are speaking to a small group of five people or a large crowd of 200 people, the audience needs to know that you see them. Look directly at several people in the audience as you speak.  If you need to capture a thought into words, look down for a moment at your notes and then look up and regain a connection with the audience with your eyes. Making eye contact with the audience keeps them engaged and it lets you know if you are boring them.

Show the glory, tell the story. 
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When you are presenting use your voice to tell the story and use graphics or pictures to show the glory. The human brain can capture more information when it is simultaneously presented with both words and pictures that are related. If you are using PowerPoint or Keynote as a visual aid, make the slides full of pictures and use your voice to tell your story. The audience will be more interested and they will learn more of what you are sharing.

Switch it up. 
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Whenever you are communicating and you have lost your audience, switch it up. If you are sitting around a conference table with a small group and they look bored, then stand up and go to the white board for a while. If you are speaking to a large audience and they are falling asleep, leave the podium and walk into the audience. By switching how you are communicating, you are likely to get your audience back from the abyss and engaged in your conversation.

Leave soldier boy for the dance floor. 
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When you are presenting, don't grasp your hands behind you like a soldier. Use your hands to complement what you are saying. If you have three points, enumerate them on your fingers. If you are describing and increase in sales move your hands from down below to up above. Using your hands in a purposeful manner makes your presentation more interesting for your audience.

Include Q&A as part of your prep. 
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When you are preparing to present, in addition to creating your own story with key messages and a supporting visual presentation, create a Q&A. Think of all the questions the audience might ask you and how you would answer them. Most of this material should be covered by your presentation, but sometimes you don't want to bring up an issue unless your audience does. Create a complete Q&A before you present will make you feel more confident and sound more professional when you are answering questions from the audience.

Keep the light on you. 
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When you are presenting along side of a PowerPoint or Keynote slide show, make sure there is a light on you so the audience can see you. Ideally you can control the lighting options in the room in which you are speaking. If so, place the projector and screen on one side of the room where is it dark up front and you stand on the other side of the room where it is light up front. If you don't have control of the lighting, just look for the lights spot in the front of the room and stand there. Don't worry about being away from the projected slide image, the audience can look back and forth. If the whole room needs to be dark to see the slides, then start your presentation in the light and dim the lights when you want to show your slides. Make sure you turn the lights back on as soon as possible. Remember that you are the speaker and should be in the limelight.

Use your nervous energy to your advantage. 
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Whenever humans speak in public we have this tendency to get nervous. This nervousness is really our flight or fight system kicking into action. Instead of flighting out of the situation, it is better to stay and fight by using your nervous energy to present well. Think of the nervousness being the same as excitement and rev up your presentation with energy. A loud enthusiastic voice will channel that energy right from inside you to your audience.

Stand during a conference call. 
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If you are speaking on a conference call, stand up. Your voice will become more powerful and you will sound more enthusiastic and engaged. This simple change from sitting to standing can make all the difference in the world to the audience on the other end of the line.

Remember the narrative. 
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The art of the narrative or story telling sometimes gets lost in our technical world of presenting with slides. A story is a perfect way to engage your audience and demonstrate a key point. When you get to the point in your presentation you want to tell a story, simply hit the black screen button for your presentation to go dark. Then all the attention will be on you and you can verbally illustrate your key point with a story.

Be yourself. 
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People can tell when you are not being genuine. When you are communicating to a small group it is more obvious and you are more inclined to be genuine. But even when you're speaking to a large group you need to be yourself. If you start to perform or act fake, the audience might still be engaged and even entertained, but you will lose credibility. Yes, you need to be animated and speak more loudly, but you also need to be yourself. Even the people in the back row will be able to tell.

Watch for cues. 
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The human communication theory of Constructivism states that people who are more cognitively complex or create more schemas are better able to deliver person-centered messages to achieve the outcomes they desire. That means if you are able to accurately interpret cues from another individual and adapt your message to those cues, you will be more likely to get what you want. Interpreting cues is a learned skill and it starts by paying close attention to other people. Practice watching for cues next time you communicate and see how many cues you can pick up and then write down what you think they mean. If you trust the person, share the interpretation and see whether they agree with your interpretation.

Use your face. 
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In Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink, the author describes studies of facial expressions using FACS (Facial Action Coding System) that identified three thousand facial expressions that communicate human emotion. Only about 500 people in the world have mastered this system and are certified to use it in research. But you and I can use our own facial expressions to communicate more effectively every day. The best way to get in tuned with your own facial expressions is to use a mirror or videotape yourself. Watch to see if your face is communicating what you want it to.

Try Pecha Kucha. 
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Have you heard of Pecha Kucha night—a party where people compete to demonstrate the best 20-slide presentation in 6 minutes and 40 seconds—20 seconds per slide. Think of speed dating, only it is speed presenting. Even though we usually aren't under that kind of pressure when we present, I think it is worthwhile to try the style. Take your presentation and speed through it, spending only 20 seconds on each slide. Try it more than once. You will find that your key point for each slide really bubbles up and becomes solidified and you get the flow of your overall presentation down pat. Try pecha kucha, it is fun for a party and good for your presenting skills.

Take your own pictures. 
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Take your own pictures for your presentations. One complaint you hear about presentations is too much clip art. Although it is easy to come by on the Internet, clip art can be overused. One way to get around using clip art for your presentations is to take your own photos. You can either determine what you need for a presentation and then go shoot the picture, or you can start collecting interesting shots now for future presentations. I have started a collection for myself. If I see a tree standing alone if front of a big bunch of trees, I take the picture. A funny road sign, I take the picture. A person helping another cross the street, I take the picture.

So many of the analogies, examples, and even irony that we want to display in presentations are available in our everyday lives, just waiting to be photographed.

Enunciate your words. 
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To be a better communicator, enunciate your words. The bigger the crowd the more clearly you need to enunciate. If you are chatting with a friend your enunciation is not so important, but if you are speaking to a crowd of 500, it is critical. Just think of those who practice drama – they over enunciate on stage so that their words can be heard well in the audience. If you are speaking to the crowd, you need to do the same. Really move your mouth and clearly enunciate every single syllable. It may feel strange and look odd up close, but those in your audience will appreciate it.

Don't block the projector. 
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This communication tip is don't block the projector. It seems so very obvious, but it is easy to fall into the trap of standing in the light of the projector. What happens is that the projector is in the center of the room and so is the podium or the table that hold your notes. As a good speaker, you want to move around the room and engage the audience, but you also need to refer to your notes. That's the trap. You walk from one side of the room to the other, right through the light of the projector screen. Or worse yet, you stand by the podium or table and constantly invade the projection with your hand movements. The audience gets irritated and starts focusing on your shadow and not your words. The solution is in the room set up. Try moving the projection as far over to one side of the room as possible so that the audience can still see. Place your notes on the podium on the other side of the room. You now have the entire space in between to move about and engage the audience without blocking the projector.