Editor’s note: This is a contributed post by Jordan Driediger, an entrepreneur, public speaker, and writer from Toronto, Canada. He is the CEO of his own company DM2 Studios LLC. He has been speaking and teaching formally for 5 years. The biggest crowd he has had the privilege to speak to was around 2,000 people.

As an introvert, my ability to communicate didn’t come naturally. I consider this apparent flaw one of my greatest strengths, as it forced me to learn how to strategically present information. This led to a lifelong study of the art of communication.

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Regardless of what you do for a living, your ability to communicate effectively is crucial to your personal and professional success. While entire books could be dedicated to this art, I am confident that these few insights will assist you at becoming the master communicator you wish to be.

Recommended Reading: 5 Effective Communication Tactics/Tips For Designers

Use Different Methods to Communicate

There are two parts to communication:

1. What you say (the message)
2. How you say it (the presentation)

The presentation you use to get your message across does not have to be verbal; in fact, using only verbal communication is, in my opinion, the most common mistake made when trying to present information.

Your message can be packaged in anything from a video or drama, to a picture or graph. Choosing which method you will use will take careful thought and planning.

It’s in the Presentation Details

My favorite form of communication is design; it really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Imagine a poorly designed business website which is unorganized, cluttered, and clearly hasn’t been updated in close to a decade.

At the bottom of the site, you read words like "professional, informed, expert, care, and value". The greatest writer in the world couldn’t redeem that website using words alone – its message is flawed based on its presentation.

Whatever methods you use, it is always essential to look at every single aspect of your presentation and ask yourself "does this communicate my message effectively?"

Full-form Delivery

Even when you speak, only 10% of your communication is verbal. What you wear, your body language, your expressions, and your tone of voice are just as important as the words you say. This is a principle that is incredibly important to understand, as it changes your entire approach to how you present your message.

For example, studies have shown what within the first 12 seconds of an interview, the interviewer has gathered enough information about you to decide whether or not they want to hire you – a good thing to know if you are looking for a job right now.

Give It To Them Straight

The same thing applies to TV commercials, listeners at a conference or meeting, and people looking at advertisements. You have a very short time to communicate your points; so don’t bury your message too deep. The first thing someone hears or sees should clearly present your message to your audience just as much as your closing statement.

Preparation Time is Never Wasted Time

People’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. We have moved from book to paper, to email, and text, and now we even have to communicate using only 140 characters! This can make getting your point across very difficult if you don’t plan your message carefully.

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Some people like stories and details; others just want the highlights and headlines. Some people prefer just listening; others need something to help them visualize. Regardless, you should be prepared to present your message effectively whether you have 5 minutes or 50.

Research what you are saying, and whom you are saying it to. I can’t tell you how important preparation time is to effective communication. Taking the time to understand your audience’s mindset can completely change how you present your message, so before you do anything – study.

It’s All About Them

I used to be a nervous speaker simply because my mind was focused on me. I was so concerned with what the audience thought about me that I got caught up in self-absorbed criticism of myself, resulting in terrible presentations. What I discovered after years of public speaking is that the opposite is true – your audience wants you to succeed.

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No one wants to listen to a nervous speaker; it’s awkward for everyone. People want to learn, they want the information you have, and they want you to ‘wow’ them with a great presentation – so give them exactly what they want.

Allow Questions

You have two ears and one mouth for a reason – to listen twice as much as you speak. Unless you are giving a lecture or speech, you should always allow the listener to ask questions, or give input. Of course when the other person is speaking, ‘it’s all about them’; listen carefully and repeat parts of what they said back to them to prove you are paying attention.

It’s About Them

When it comes to general conversation, everyone’s favorite subject is themselves. Asking people questions about themselves is incredibly useful for several reasons.

1. They don’t need to think very much when talking about themselves. This takes away that tension in the room, creating a more friendly atmosphere.

2. They feel you are genuinely interested. Nothing makes someone feel more valued than when you sincerely want to know about him or her.

3. This takes the pressure off of you. Just keep asking the listener questions until you have something of real substance to contribute. This gives you a persona of intelligence.

Ultimately, your message and presentation revolves around your audience, not you. You should always think from their perspective, concentrating all your efforts in packaging your message to tailor-fit your audience.

Be the Expert in the Room

Whatever you say, say it confidently. When conveying any information, you should be perceived as an expert on the subject (if you spent adequate time preparing then this shouldn’t be a problem). By portraying the confidence an expert would have, you reassure those listening that you know what you’re talking about, and you are worth listening to.

 

This is especially important when speaking to people in authority, such as a job interview or sales pitch. If you want the listener to take you seriously, you need to take yourself seriously.

Eliminate Bad Habits

People will pick up on the subtle things you do when you communicate (avoid eye contact, fidget or shake, stutter or ‘umm’) so when practicing your presentation, try to eliminate your bad habits and distracting mannerisms.

Don’t Lie To Your Audience

Even experts can admit they don’t know something. Try to anticipate questions about what you’re presenting as best you can, and come prepared to answer them. If you don’t know the answer to something asked, say "I am unsure about that" or even better, "I don’t know, but I will find out for you". It’s always better to admit you don’t know, than lie to your audience.

Get To The Point

There is a saying that goes along with public speaking: "tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them". This saying goes straight to the heart of any good presentation: get to the point and repeat your point.

Whether you’re communicating through a speech, a book, a design, or some other means, you should have a clearly summarized objective of what you want to communicate. The objective for this article for example is ‘to teach someone how to communicate better’. From that simple sentence, I was able to expand the article into different key truths, then to add specific examples and details – but all of it is meant to reinforce my main point.

Planning to communicate

The first thing you should do when planning any communication is to write out in as few words as possible, what you want to say. A great question to ask is "if my audience only remembers three things from my presentation, what should they be?" When you know your key points, you can strategically plan your presentation to highlight those points. Using repetition and emphasis is the best way to ensure a message sticks.

Finally, and most importantly: find your voice. Your ‘voice’ is a term used to describe your unique and authentic perspective, which you should nurture and cherish. Apply the principles mentioned in this article along with your unique voice, and you will become a great communicator.

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The newly launched Apple iPad Mini is out to have a beat down with other tablets in the market. If you have jailbroken your iPad Mini and have run into problems, there is probably a need for you to restore your iPad Mini to its original factory settings.

Restoring the iPad Mini to its default settings is also essential if you are thinking of selling or giving away your iPad Mini to someone else as you can fully erase your personal info from the device before it leaves your hands.

Here are 2 simple ways to restore factory settings and erase all the content on your iPad Mini, with the help of iTunes, and without.

1. Restore to Factory Settings Without iTunes

It is just as simple to restore your iPad Mini without iTunes. Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap on Erase All Content and Settings.

You’ll then be asked if you want to continue; after the confirmation, your iPad Mini will reset and the Apple logo together with a loading bar will appear on screen.

Upon the start up, all content, apps, music, photos, and personal account information will be erased from the iPad Mini. And you’ll have to go through the process of setting up the device from scratch (choosing language, Apple ID, etc.).

2. Restore Factory Settings With iTunes

Start by connecting your iPad Mini to your desktop computer with the provided cable. Start iTunes. Locate your iPad Mini under ‘Devices’ on the left panel and click on Restore.

If this is your first time restoring, you’ll have to wait for the firmware file to be downloaded. Once it is downloaded, it’ll ask if you really want to restore. Confirm to proceed.

Once your iPad Mini starts up again, you’ll have a clean iPad Mini with the latest firmware installed.

More Troubleshooting Tips

Here are a few more handy tricks to troubleshoot your iPad Mini.

Force iPad Mini Reboot

If you find your iPad Mini frozen (hang) due to app failure and nothing you do changes anything on screen, you can try a force reboot.

Simultaneously hold down the top power button and center home button of the iPad Mini until you see a black screen. Remove your finger only from the home button. Continue pressing on the Power button until the Apple logo appears on screen.

Once it appears you can release your finger from the power button and wait for the device to start up.

This process of forcing a reboot will not delete any of your personal information from the iPad Mini. This is just a way to restart the device when it starts acting wonky.

Back Up Frequently

If you work on the iPad Mini or use it extensively to store your information, you should constantly backup your information. In the event you need to restore your device but still want all your personal information, you can choose to restore from a backup.

These same tips also work for all your iOS devices.

Do you experience any other problems with the iPad Mini or have tips on how to fix some of these problems? Let us know in the comments.

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3. iPad Mini: A Not-So-Mini Review
4. 40 iPad Mini Cases, Covers & Sleeves You Can Buy