The Blarney Stone is a historical stone, or actually part of the Blarney Castle in Ireland where it was believed that kissing the stone can grant you the gift of gab.  Yeah, it seems strange in this day and age, but who are we to question tradition?
 
There is so much to know about conversation that anyone, even I, could ever realize.  You can go though watching talk shows; radio programs; clubs dedicated to public speaking; ordinary conversations; certain rules still apply when it comes to interaction through words.  It may sound tedious, I know, but even though it is your mouth that is doing the work, your brain works twice as hard to churn out a lot of things you know.  So what better way to start learning to be an effective communicator is to know the very person closest to you: yourself?

1. What you know.  Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker is to practice what you have learned.  We all have our limitations, but that does not mean we can not learn to keep up and share what we know.

2. Listening.  It is just as important as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little bit confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with conviction.

3. Humility.  We all make mistakes, and sometimes we tend to slur our words, stutter, and probably mispronounce certain words even though we know what it means, but rarely use it only to impress listeners. So in a group, do not be afraid to ask if you are saying the right word properly and if they are unsure about it then make a joke out of it. I promise you it will make everyone laugh and you can get away with it as well.

4. Eye Contact.  There is a lot to say when it comes to directing your attention to your audience with an eye  atching gaze.  It is important that you keep your focus when talking to a large group in a meeting or a gathering, even though one or two of them may be attractive.

5. Kidding around.  A little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension, or worse boredom when making your speech, that way, you will get the attention of the majority of the crowd and they will feel that you are just as approachable, and as human to those who listen.