Have you ever been so crippled by wanting to say something but afraid of saying something offensive that you end up saying nothing at all?  I know this could describe half of all conversations that take place.  Conversation really is a tricky thing.  The biggest problem, interpretation, in fact it may be the only problem, that counts.

Written conversation ie: letters, chat, comments, forums are all one sided, mono tonal and you’re at the mercy of whomever reads it to interpret what you really intended to say.  There isn’t the same emotion and inflection to ensure your meaning is understood. This isn’t a problem if you’re in a climate of similar interests and the subject matter is well known, but quickly deteriorates when you move to a more public forum.  In the public forum, it’s very, very important to be explicit in explaining what you really mean.

That being said, live and vibrant conversation is another area where a whole new set of communication rules take effect.  Now you have emotion, inflection, tone and also body language that all goes together to help people understand what you’re saying.  Sending all sorts of messages, intended and unintended.

Have you ever listened to someone telling you something but getting the uneasy feeling that they either didn’t believe what they were saying or were lying to you?  This is directly related to body language and your subconscious interpretation of it.  The tone of your voice, the way you stand, the facial gestures you make all give the audience a clue not only to what you’re saying, but how you feel about the subject in question.

All this is to say that when you want your subject to be understood and interpreted correctly, you need to write it out, reread it, tweak it and have someone else read it to you as well in order to ensure you’ve said exactly what you want to say.

Don’t get stalled by analysis paralysis on the spot, research your subject, be sure about what your saying and deliver it with meaning and conviction.  Research your choice of words (google is your friend) and your audience will be less inclined to write you off or lose interest in your topic because of the delivery.