An Intro to Communication: The Basics of Effective Communication

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Communication is a challenging skill to master, especially when trying to be understood by various people with different ways of thinking. Yet the process of communicating is one of the most important skills you can develop. It also has the potential to be one of the most rewarding when it comes to your career and personal life. Effective communication is a difficult skill to acquire or hone. However, it is possible with some practise, preparation, and understanding of what makes communication challenging for most people. This article will cover some basic principles and techniques for improving your communication skills and helping others understand their message more clearly. Keep reading to find out more!

Be a Good Listener

First and foremost, you must be a good listener. If you want to be a good communicator, you have to be truly interested in the people you are speaking with. You have to be willing to put the focus on them and listen to what they have to say. You also have to be glad to be open-minded and ready to hear something you may not have expected or wanted to hear. If you’re constantly speaking over someone or trying to get your ideas out there, you’re not really communicating. You’re just talking. This doesn’t mean you should sit silently and say nothing. On the contrary, you can be a good listener even while you are speaking. You can ask good questions and show genuine interest in the other person by keeping eye contact, being attentive, and responding with things like “mm-hmm”, “ok”, or “really?” to show you are engaged in what they are saying.

Make Your Words Count

Next, make your words count. This doesn’t mean you should ramble on about everything and anything. It means you have to have a clear, concise message focusing on the most important thing. For example, if you’re in a meeting with a higher-up, your letter should be “I am ready for this promotion” or “I have the skills to do this job”. What does that have to do with making your words count? Well, if you ramble on about something else — something not at all related — you’ll likely confuse the person, and they may not be able to understand what you’re trying to say. Focusing on one key message will make it much easier for the person to understand you and respond accordingly.

Be Clear and Concise

Next, be clear and concise. Making your words count and doing this go hand in hand. You must be lucid and succinct in your language as well as in your message. This means using simple, straightforward language and avoiding overly complicated phrasing and terminology. Your goal should be that the other person fully understands what you are trying to say without explaining it multiple times. You know you haven’t been clear enough if you repeatedly repeat your message. This also goes for emails and texts. If the person is still confused after reading your message, it’s safe to assume you didn’t use clear enough language.

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Don’t Forget Body Language

Don’t forget about body language. This is a crucial part of effective communication. You have to be mindful of your body language and the body language of the person you are speaking with. You may be saying one thing, but your body language is saying something else. Likewise, the other person may be saying one thing, but their body language is saying something else. Imagine you are in a meeting with the CEO of your company. You are sitting up straight, making eye contact, and paying attention. Meanwhile, the CEO is playing around with his phone, staring out the window, and not interested in what you have to say. Your body language may show interest and engagement, but he is leading the opposition.

Summing up

Finally, summing up. This is a great way to end your conversation. When you are wrapping up the conversation, you can summarize what you have been talking about. Therefore, there is no doubt as to what the conversation was about. This gives the other person a chance to think about your words and respond to you. This is particularly useful for phone conversations. It is possible to forget the precise purpose of the discussion when speaking on the phone. Summing up at the end allows you to clarify any points that weren’t clear or that the other person might have missed. You can attempt to enhance your communication abilities and engage in more fruitful talks by keeping these suggestions in mind. You will benefit from investing the time necessary to develop your communication skills because they will be useful to you in many facets of your life.