Tips to Improve your Communication Technique

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Communication training.

Communication skills training is important, because in order to achieve your goals, you need to gain the willing cooperation of other people. And the only way you can do that is to communicate your message.

Communication has six major channels:

1. Words: language.
2. Voice tone.
3. Body language.
4. Written word.
5. Listening.
6. Reading.

Here is one excellent piece of advice for each set.

1. Words: Language.

Always strive for verbal clarity.

Avoid using open ended words and phrases which have multiple meanings. For example; the phrase, "As soon as possible", denotes multiple possible meanings and is therefore a poor choice of expression.

Your first duty is to be understood. And to be understood you need to use clear and specific language. Not unclear and ambiguous language.

2. Voice tone.

Voice tone concerns the musical element of your voice.

People judge your emotional balance largely on the tone of your voice. Good voice tones are generally slower, louder, deeper, and more variable.

Bad voice tones are the opposite: faster or quieter, shriller, or monotone.

Therefore speak with a voice tone that is generally slower, louder, deeper, and more variable.

3. Body language.

Body language is a huge topic and pertains to how you appear to your listeners. Body language is about your dress code, your facial expression, your eye contact, your posture, gestures, proximity, scent and orientation.

A good piece of advice I can give you is this:

Give good eye contact and try to maintain a relaxed and friendly facial expression.

4. The written word.

A vast amount of communication that occurs in business world is in the form of the written word. Therefore, it is important to get your writing up to standard.

The best one-line piece of advice I can offer you is:

Never send unstructured, rambling messages; instead always structure your message.

5. Listening.

Listening is the art of paying attention to the other person, understanding, judging and remembering what you heard.

The best piece of advice I can give you is this:

When listening, give the other person 100% of your attention.

• Don't split your focus or doze off.
• Listen with intent to understand, not with intent to disprove.

6. Reading.

Reading is a uniquely human activity. No other animal in the universe reads. Many people are not good readers. They read, but they don't absorb what they read. So, read slowly and with a pencil in hand. Try to reduce what you are reading into simple summaries. Then review your summary notes and memorise them.

For example: Here are the summary notes for this blog.

Six pieces of advice to improve your communication skills.

1. Always strive for verbal clarity.

2. Speak with a voice tone that is generally, slower, louder, deeper, and more variable.

3. Never send unstructured, rambling messages; instead always structure your message:

4. When listening, give the other person 100% of your attention.

5. Listen with intent to understand, not with intent to disprove.

6. Read with a pencil in hand; and memorise the key sentences.

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Further Reading in Communication - Clear Communication

• Communication Skills in Business
  Being able to give proper feedback relies on the ability to communicate effectively. Any criticism must be delivered in a constructive way, in order to give the receiver confidence and inspire them to improve.
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• Communication skills for managers and leaders
  Leaders and managers need to lead their teams in order to achieve the successful outcome of their vision for their organisation. One of the main ways in which they do this is through being great communicators.
  Read Article >
• Twelve Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills
  Some people seem to have been born with the gift of the gab. Mastering communication skills is the key to your future success.
  Read Article >
• Improving Your Communication Skills
  Would you like to be a better communicator? Improve your communication skills with these simple, but effective, tips. Communication is not just what you say, it is learning how to be a better listener as well.
  Read Article >
• Six Essential Business Communication Skills
  In order to do business you need to be able to communicate with potential clients. In this blog we examine the six essential communication skills you need in business. How many do you possess?
  Read Article >

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