Effective communication is one of the easiest ways to success in any sphere of social life. Sometimes, the cognitive skills, understanding of a certain field, and even years of experiences cannot help you reach the desired results in the way communication does. Ability to find a common ground with different people is one of the most essential skills for managers, supervisors, and everyone whose job is connected with people. Besides, effective communication skills are useful in everyday life. Everything depends on how you use these skills.
Despite the fact that communication is one of the most basic parts of life (moreover, this is an integral part that lies in the foundation of a person’s hierarchy of needs), not everyone is good at it. The matter is that communication involves more aspects than just talking and listening. These aspects are confusing to many people. It is difficult to make yourself heard and it is even more difficult to hear other people. In this article, we present you the most important tips that will help you to improve your communication skills.
Mind your body language :
People who try to build an effective connection always keep in mind what they say and how they say it. However, they may forget about body language, perhaps, one of the most distinctive elements of any communication process. If you cross your arms and legs, look at your phone all the time, hide your eyes, your interlocutor may think that you are not interested in talking to them. For better communication, keep the eye contact, do not make unnecessary gestures, stop touching your hair or ears – these are the basics that make you look confident and build the trust between you and your interlocutor.
Do not fill pauses :
One of the main indicators of the lack of confidence and one of the most annoying habits is filling the pauses with sounds. Your speech suffers, as well as the impression you create. If you have noticed that you use ‘umm’, ‘erm’, ‘mmm’ and other sounds when you speak, pay more attention and try to control it.
Have ideas for small talk :
If you feel uncomfortable communicating with strangers, you need to be prepared for possible conversations. Prepare a few ideas that will help you run a conversation even when you do not know anyone in a room. Remember that to create a proper impression and make the conversation more effective, you need to avoid such topics as religion, politics, and sex. Small talk usually includes weather, family, occupation, dreams, etc.
Become a storyteller :
The effectiveness of communication frequently depends on a person’s ability to tell stories. If you know how to capture the attention with a story, you can create a good foundation for further communication. Of course, it is better to have several stories for different occasions.
Ask questions :
If you are not a storyteller, you can choose another way of holding a conversation which is by asking questions. In fact, this is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate that you are really interested in holding a conversation with a person. There is an additional secret method that makes asking questions even more effective. Repeat the last words of a person giving them a chance to explain what they meant.
Turn off your phone :
If you want to ruin a conversation, check the messengers and social media on your phone. This is the most effective and easy way to show that you do not want to talk to a person. Of course, if your aim is to hold an effective conversation, you need to avoid using the phone or any distracting gadgets. Turn your attention to the process of communication, and do not get distracted.
Listen to people :
The main problem of a modern society is our inability to listen to each other. We are selfish and we care only about our problems. We do not really want to know what other people think, as we believe that our ideas are the best ones. For a productive communication and development of your communicative skills, you need to learn how to listen to other people. Forget about what is bothering you. Empathize and try to understand the problems of other people. This is perhaps the most complicated although the most effective strategy for an effective communication.
Remember the golden rules for a satisfactory conversation and productive results of communication: you need to be clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous. By implementing the above-mentioned tips, you can enhance your abilities to talk to people effectively and become a communication pro. Get ready to spend some time on this before achieving the desired effect, and keep in mind that persistence leads to success.
