Possession of good and impressive communication skills can make you the star anywhere you go. Good communication skills can help leave a positive impression of you in the mind of your perceiver.
From my office meetings to the games at breakout escape room Koramangala, it feels like communication skills are always at the forefront of my every life experience. And I doubt if it is hardly any different for other people out there. Whether you want to be a successful businessman, a revered artist, or a renowned world leader, communication is the key to making your way through life successfully.
In this article, we will look at some of the best and most proven tips that can help you to improve your communication skills. So, let’s get started now.
1. Listen to what others say
To be a good speaker and to communicate effectively, you must start by becoming a good listener first. Everyone wishes to know how people are hearing them out, and thus being a good listener becomes crucial. Instead of interrupting and butting in while someone else is speaking, try to be an attentive listener and pay attention to every word that is said.
You can ask for clarifications at times if you feel you haven’t understood something. While he or she explains it to you, minutely pay attention to every word that they utter, in a way as if nothing else in the world matters to you at that time. Thus, give the speaker your undivided attention by keeping your phone down and focusing on what is being said.
Other than this, you must also pay attention to the different non-verbal aspects of the communication of the speaker. You can start by noting the following factors:
- Check if the person is avoiding or maintaining eye contact with the audience
- Notice if their posture is open and accessible, or is it closed
- Check if the person is continuously fidgeting with their hands
- Do you think the person gives out an air of confidence as they speak?
2. Know whom you are talking to
The way you communicate with an elderly person is going to differ from the way you communicate with a kid. Similarly, while it is alright to use informalities while talking to your friend, it is not okay to do the same as you address your boss or teacher.
There are different registers of language that we tend to rely on while communicating with different kinds of people. Usage of acronyms too must be avoided if you are communicating with someone senior as it might be misunderstood by them. So, you need to focus on polishing and sanitizing your language based on whom you are communicating with.
3. Body language is vital
Especially in the case of video conferencing or face-to-face meetings, body language becomes another key factor that you need to pay attention to. Since there would be people looking at you, make sure that you make yourself appear accessible and maintain an open stance. Maintaining proper eye contact with your audience is vital to ensure that they remain engaged with you and not get bored over time.
Your body language can leave a profound impact on your audience in addition to what your speech could alone do. It is only by asserting positive body language through yourself that you can expect to find the same in your audience too.
4. Proofread whatever you are communicating
Proofreading becomes quite an essential factor when it comes to effective communication. Doing a proper check of your messages for any spelling or grammar errors can do you good. By proofreading your message, you can ensure that whatever you intend to communicate is done truly.
When it comes to giving a speech, proofreading will help you ensure that you don’t speak with the wrong syntax or incorrect grammar. The presence of grammar mistakes in your speech can reduce the impact that you had thought of creating on your audience. So, make sure you keep a check on these!
5. Remain to the point
Communicating far too much useless information cannot do you any good. Make sure that you communicate only the necessary information to your audience and keep it brief.
Remaining to the point is essential as you communicate both verbally as well as in writing. In the former case, make sure that you practice saying it before finally doing it, while for the latter, proofread all that you have written. In this way, you can check if you are communicating any bit of needless information and remove it.
6. Work on and improve your verbal communication
To be a good and effective speaker, you must ensure that you get better at not just what you are saying but also paying attention to how you say it. There is a difference between saying the same thing in a dull tone and saying it in an energized tone. While the former will make your audience disinterested in what you have to say, the latter has the power to retain your audience and keep them engaged.
Start by communicating your purpose to your audience, followed by moving on to reasoning your speech, and then finally end with reviewing the possible positive outcomes. Know what you have to say and then back it up with relevant data and facts to make yourself sound professional and decisive.
7. Keep your emotions in check
Knowing how to effectively manage your emotions while you communicate is essential for creating an impact. To ensure your wellbeing and to communicate with your audience, you need to keep a check on your emotions. Make sure that alongside controlling the overwhelming outburst of your emotions, you appropriately express them.
Management of your emotions becomes vital to consider, especially when you deliver a speech in a formal context. Under such circumstances, the overexpression of your emotions can lead to a breakdown of the professional setting, leading to poor communication and chaos.
8. Ask for feedback from your friends and colleagues
Once you have spoken in a public space, you can ask your friends or colleagues for their honest feedback. Getting to know which areas you lacked in and how you can improve your communication skills to effectively communicate with the audience can be of help.
You can even ask your subordinates for advice on how you can improve your communication skills and thereby work on them. Asking your peers and coworkers about ways in which you can work on your communication skills will also help you to forge better relations with your coworkers.
9. Seek out public speaking opportunities
Public speaking is indeed a daring task to do. But undeniably, there can be no better and more effective way to work on your communication skills than by seeking out public speaking opportunities. To communicate with your audience in the best possible way, you must ensure that your language is lucid and simple for everyone to understand.
You should be able to articulate your feelings and ideas into words and should be fretting from speaking before several unknown faces. Venturing out on these public speaking opportunities can help you face your fears of speaking before strangers and to command their undivided attention.
10. Do not accuse people on the go
Even though you may be conversing with your group on a certain problematic issue, remember to not use an accusatory tone. Tough and harsh situations are always bound to happen, so while you discuss such a matter, try to keep your cool.
Starting your communication with an accusatory tone is an invitation for a fight amongst your audience. The natural human instinct to an accusation is to feel humiliated and hence to get defensive of oneself. Of course, nothing good can be achieved from this. Thus, make sure to stray away from using an accusatory tone while you communicate.
Conclusion
These are some of the great tips that can help you to improve your communication skills effectively. Don’t give up if being expressive and communicative does not come naturally to you. Yes, it will take some extra effort, but with conscious practice, you will realize it has started to get easier with every interaction. It is okay to take some time off and recharge in between big milestones. Progress is all about the slow consistency, not the rapid breakthrough moments.
Author
Aniya more is one of the brightest content writer at Breakout escape rooms. She is a passionate writer who loves to read books and explore different escape rooms. With a great work ethic, she spends most of her time researching and reading. When she is not working, she likes to relax with a cup of coffee and enjoy watching her favorite tv show or walking her dog peanut. You can find her on LinkedIn.
