2009 was a big year of communication for me. I made 109 presentations to live audiences. Most of the presentations were to small groups of 20 - 40 people to ask them and encourage them to donate to United Way.
I've learned a lot about communication, both in writing and public speaking over the past few years. As I think back on 2009, there is one thing I learned about communication that had the most profound impact.
I learned that there are speakers who write, and there are writers who speak.
I learned this from Charlie Wetzel when I read an advanced copy of John Maxwell's newest book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect
It was eye opening when Charlie talked about how anyone who writes and speaks naturally does one or the other more easily. You can't be both a speaker and a writer. You have to have one as your primary and most natural style of communication.
I realized that I'm totally a writer who speaks. Even though I love people and want to help people, I'm extremely introverted. Much more introverted than many people would guess who know me. Back when I was a single bachelor one of the most enjoyable things I would do was go on long runs by myself, have a Sunday at home to watch TV and read by myself, and to sit at my computer and write alone.
Now that I know I'm a writer who speaks, I know that before I speak I always have to write out my entire speech. I need to have taken the time to write out my speech, read through it, revise it and clearly know exactly what I want to communicate and how. I'm terrible at "winging it."
How about you? Are you a writer who speaks or a speaker who writes?
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