Communication is key in almost every area of our lives. It happens in our marriages and family life. It happens in our careers. It happens even in our hobbies and fun activities.

In order to be a great communicator, you need to connect well with your listeners. Otherwise, miscommunication occurs, leading to confusion, misunderstandings and frustration.

For some, however, communication is more than just an everyday necessity. It is a way of life, a career, a job, or a ministry. For these people, communicating well is essential. Being a great communicator is foundational to everything else they do.

But being a great communicator is just like anything else; you must practice in order to be as effective as possible. Otherwise, you’ll stay in the same rut for a long time.

The best communicators connect well with their listeners. And the best communicators evaluate themselves regularly to make sure that they continue to connect well with their listeners.

Here are four questions that great communicators must ask to maintain their connectivity skills.

Did I connect with my listeners?

After every sermon I preach, or class I teach, I ask myself if I connected with the people in the audience. In order to know this, you’ll need to be able to read your audience’s signals as you speak. Learn to recognize when someone is tracking with you and engaged in what you’re saying. And recognize when they’ve lost interest as well.

When did I connect with my listeners?

The goal of every great communicator is to connect with his listeners from the start, and keep them engaged in what he is saying. My goal is to draw in my listeners every Sunday with something interesting at the start of my sermon to grab the attention of my listeners. Humor often works well, but be wary of over-using it.

If you find that you aren’t connecting with your listeners until mid-way through your presentation, you’ll need to look at your communication style or skills and see where you can adjust yourself to connect better.

How did I connect with my listeners?

A connector sparks something in his listeners. He does this by displaying his passion and enthusiasm for his subject matter. As a minister, I’ve heard hundreds of sermons. The ones that inspired me did so because the speaker was inspired. The ones that didn’t connect well were there ones that displayed no enthusiasm or excitement about what they were talking about.

Creating an environment of passion will help build anticipation for what you’re going to say next. And when your passion shines through, your listeners are more likely to stay connected with what you have to say.

How long did I connect with my listeners?

The final question I ask myself is how long I maintained the connection with my listeners. Did I go off on a tangent and lose some listeners? Was my passion my evident, and people lost interest too soon? Or was I able to keep the connection strong throughout the duration of my sermon? Great communicators keep this in mind while they speak.

So how do you evaluate yourself? What can you do to make sure you are growing as a connector? There are several things you can do that will help you succeed.

• Monitor your listeners. See if and when they connect, or disconnect.
• Watch faces. Gauge the interest level of those in the audience.
• Make eye contact with people.
• Record your presentation. Watch it later with an eye for these four questions.
• Recruit someone who loves you to evaluate your presentation skills.
• Be willing to learn and grow, changing your style where necessary.

Great communicators are connectors. But connecting with others doesn’t just happen from the pulpit or the stage. It happens in all areas of life.

So, the question I have to ask is this: How well am I connecting with others, no matter where I am or what I’m doing? How about you?

How well do you connect with others? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.