• Top communicators are better thinkers than everyone else. They are better at communication because they make decision before taking action. And their reason for being better thinkers is not because they are smarter than you, but because they take the time to deliberate and contemplate before making a decision.

• Apply focal point process to everything that you communicate. Figure out what is the specific goal that you would like to achieve and then focus on it like a rifleman – focus on one thing that you can do to achieve that goal. Talk single mindedly in a straight line with absolute clarity.

• What is clarity? Clarity is knowing exactly what you are about to say, and how you are going to go about saying it. It is essential to define the core of the message that you want to get across. Most of us communicate in a way when a shotgun is shot where pellets fly all over the place. Instead we need to be communicating like a rifleman, single bullet with a single target.

• Operate your message like a turn around. Focus on the core of the message. Expand on the core of the message with details, but always return back to the core of the message, give it a boost and then return to the details if you need to.

• Identify what are your key constraints in getting your point across effectively. Don’t blame external factors, but take complete responsibility. The reason you’re not achieving your goal is an internal reason. Ask yourself, “What is holding me back from really achieving what I have set out to achieve?” Be honest with yourself, bring your weaknesses out of your blind spot and identify them, and then deal with them. Top communicators are concerned about results. Weak communicators are concerned with pleasing means and circumstance.

• Take account of yourself. Were you able to get your point across effectively? What lessons can you learn to improve for the next round? Don’t focus on the mistakes, but focus on what you would do differently. What gets measured gets managed, and what can’t be measured, can’t be managed.

• You should have the ability to think fast and you should have the ability to cut your losses fast. If a strategy is not working, don’t keep using it. Assess the effectiveness immediately, judge the facial expression, the body language, and the speech patterns of your audience and then adapt quickly and on the go.

• Complacency is your enemy, and excellence is a journey. Indeed Allah has prescribed excellence on everything (Sahih Muslim). Do the job with excellence and the reward will be excellent, do the job with mediocrity and that’s what you’ll get. Stop competing with unsuccessful people; excellent people compete in degrees of excellence. Do better than just good, do excellence.