improve your communication skills
The first thing many people think of when it comes to learning how to improve communication skills is talking. However, listening is actually one of the most important qualities of successful communication. When you take the time to truly listen and give your full attention to the person who is speaking to you, you will learn what their needs are and be able to better communicate with them. When you think, you will be more honest and the ideas you are trying to convey will be clearer.
Once you have thought about what you want to say and you have listened to the person who is speaking to you, the next best piece of advice on how to improve communication skills is to have eye contact. Good eye contact will allow you to inform whomever you are talking with that you are interested in what they are saying to you and that you understand them. When people, especially those you love, do not feel as though you are listening to them while they are talking, they will more than likely shut down and begin not communicating with you at all.
Do you have to want to improve your networking skills? Do you struggle while networking with people? If yes, then read this article, I will give a basic understanding of Networking and ways to improve your networking skills.
Networking:
Networking is known as an interchange of knowledge, thoughts, and ideas between people for a common profession or specific interests.
Ways to Improve Networking:
Start with Close Ones:
Starting a conversation with a complete stranger can be hard. So, I would suggest starting networking with the people around you before approaching a stranger(s).
Meet With A Smile:
Always meet them with a smile, it will not only put a strong and positive impression but it will also lighten your nervousness.
Timing Your Entry:
To join a conversation, you have to time your entry because it may annoy any group is talking and you suddenly barge in, it will also destroy the flow. So, listen to the conversation for some time with a smile, then make your entry with a question.
Address With Name:
Address people with their name because not only it helps you remember their name but it also makes them happy and comfortable and gives a friendly impression.
1.) Informative:
Topic you are communicating, you should have adequate information about that. Else you can’t be able to answer any query made by your audience. Apart from this, being over-informative is also a problem. Suppose you were talking about effective communication, and there from you started taking about advertisement – this would adversely impact your reputation, and your audience will tend not to prioritize your words.
2.) Conciseness of Communication:
Subject matter should be concise to do effective communication. Repetition of the same things, again and again, makes your communication dull and less interesting.
3.) Know your Target Audience:
Communicating, you must know whether the person or group of people in your audience or not. Else all your efforts and energy will be in vain.
4.) Be a Listener:
Also, we have said that to communicate effectively, you should listen carefully. Then only you can respond correctly & earn respect.
TAKEAWAY:
Skill is an essential skill everyone should acquire. Be it a professional field or be it a personal one- it’s required in all aspects of life. So, expertise in soft communication skills and touch the heights of excellence.
A) Interactive communication:
Of the most effective tools to communicate effectively is to indulge yourself more in interactive sessions with your audience. This way, your audience pays more attention to you and listens carefully. Also, you can understand the effectiveness or result of your communication by merely discussing it with them. This way, you can also rectify or learn more to achieve betterment.
B) Timeliness:
Communication can only be effective if that is communicated at the proper time. Suppose someone is saying that yesterday was the last day to submit the presentation- this communication is not an effective one as the deadline is already over. Weather is also a piece of useful information if the forecast is communicated before. After the day is gone, it’s not helpful information.
C) Be confident:
Very important to be confident in yourself. If you lack confidence, it will reflect on your body language, expression & eye contact. Thus the audience will likely ignore your words.
"The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." -- Colin R. Davis
I) Importance of Non-Verbal Communication:
Do you know that the effectiveness of non- verbal communication 55% depends on how the audience perceives the presenter? Surely you can now understand that your body language, appearance, eye contact is more important than the matter you are communicating. To communicate effectively, you must adopt these physical cues.
II) The need for Over-communication:
This means communication something more than required. Whenever you are having more number of the audience, there are more chances of less effective communication. Over-communication thus helps you out in this kind of situation.
III) Take Feedback & learn from there:
It comes only if you don’t stop to learn. Perhaps the best way to learn is to take feedback from your audiences. Be it your senior manager, colleague, junior, or team members, feedbacks, especially the negative one, are the most constructive if you want to improve your soft skills.
IV) Minimal use of Visual Aids:
Much use of visual aid may divert the attention of the audience from you towards the slide/ visuals. Your body language, approach, voice modulation, appearance, and words should be the point of attraction. Not the visual traits. So if not necessary, avoid using them.
1.) Importance of Non-Verbal Communication
2.) The need for Over-communication
3.) Take Feedback & learn from there
4.) Minimal use of Visual Aids
5.) Interactive communication
6.) Timeliness
7.) Be confident
8.) Informative
9.) Conciseness of Communication
10.) Know your Target Audience
11.) Be a Listener
2 points that can be further highlighted as essential for effective communication:
A) Creativity:
It refers to the uniqueness of your communication. We all tend not to pay attention to any known affair. So if you can provide any unique information, people will pay you attention.
B) Sense:
Your sense, presence should reflect in your words. People don’t take seriously the persons who lack common sense.
It’s a process between two or more people when they exchange their thoughts, ideas information. The word communication implies both sharing your thought & also listening & understanding the opinions of others.
Communication skills can be referred to as one’s ability to convey and understand things efficiently & effectively. It’s one of the very first things a newborn learns from its mother. In Professional life, it’s considered an essential soft skill. Without having proficiency in this skill, you may not be able to crack an interview.
01 Maintain strong eye contact
Maintaining steady eye contact during a conversation established trust and lets the listener know that you are serious.
02 Familiarize yourself with body language
Understanding non-verbal cues will vastly improve your communication skills. Be able to gauge your audience based on their body language.
03 Become a master of small talk
Understand which topics make for good small talk. Great relationships (personal and professional) all usually start with small talk. Being comfortable during this type of communication will improve your communication skills in other areas.
04 Never over talk
Become an active listener and never talk over another person during a conversation. This is a massive issue for many during communication. Avoid it completely.
05 Know your "why"
Know precisely what you are trying to accomplish during specific discussions. Are you attempting to network? Do you want to learn something? Understanding your end goal while communicating will help you communicate more effectively.