This is how you improve your communication
Looking to improve your communication skills? If so, you’re not alone. Communication is a key skill that can help you in both your personal and professional life. There are a number of ways to grow your ability, but it can be tough to know where to start.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best skills to practice to improve your communication. It doesn’t matter if you want to use it in school, work, public speaking, or networking. These tips will help you hone your skills and make a positive impact in your life.
7 Tools for becoming a master communicator:
- Listen more than you talk
- Understanding body language
- Consider your audience
- Manage your emotions
- Think of the end goal
- Filter your thoughts
- Take your time
Now that you know the steps, it’s time to explore why to practice them and how to apply them. If you really want to take this seriously and master your communication abilities.
Be sure to check out our top 15 recommended reads on improving communication and be sure to visit our Library too! It’s an investment in yourself that will keep paying you interest for the rest of your life!
Communication is not what you say, but what the other person takes away
Listen more than you talk
The first one is easy, all you need to do in order to improve your communication skills, is simply to listen more than you talk. This will allow you to better understand the other person’s point of view and come up with more effective solutions to problems. Additionally, listening attentively will show the other person that you value their opinion and are interested in hearing what they have to say.
Use a skill such as active listening to really take your ability to the next level and lay the cornerstone to mastering communication. Check out our post on How to become an active listener and learn the five key elements to applying it effectively! It is one of the best ways to improve your communication skills.
Body language and why it matters
For anybody looking to improve their communication, body language is a field that can’t be overlooked. The way you carry yourself, the expressions on your face, and your overall body language can say a lot about what you’re thinking and feeling – even if you’re not saying anything.
That’s why it’s so important to be aware of your own body language, as well as the body language of others. By doing so, you can ensure that your communication is clear, effective, and respectful. Here are a few reasons why body language matters:
It can affect how you’re perceived.
Your body language conveys a lot about your attitude and how you feel about the person or situation you’re in. If you come across as closed off, disinterested, or angry, that will color how others see you – even if that’s not how you truly feel. On the other hand, if you appear open and receptive, people will be more likely to approach you and want to talk to you.
It can influence the outcome of interactions.
Your body language doesn’t just affect how others see you; it also affects how they respond to you. For example, if you want someone to agree with your proposal, it would help to stand up straight with your arms open rather than crossing your arms in front of your chest, which conveys defensiveness. There are plenty of helpful little hacks that will have you presenting yourself in the best possible way!
It is a language and it changes everything
Once you start learning the different components and start recognizing some of its “words” It opens up endless doors of social dynamics and will end up changing the way you interact and communicate with people forever! Be sure to check out What every BODY is saying by the author Joe Navarro as a good introduction to the topic.
Consider your audience
If you want to improve your communication skills, one of the first things you need to do is consider your audience. Who are you talking to? What are their needs and wants? What are their levels of knowledge and understanding?
Answering these questions can help you tailor your communication to be more effective. For example, if you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know much about your topic, you’ll need to provide more explanation and background information. On the other hand, if you’re talking to someone who’s an expert in the field, you can assume a higher level of knowledge and use more technical language. In this case, overexplaining will have a negative impact on your conversation.
In addition to considering your audience’s needs, it’s also important to think about their feelings and emotions. Are they likely to be receptive to what you have to say? Or are they likely to be defensive or resistant? If they’re feeling positive, it’ll be easier to get your message across. But if they’re feeling negative, you’ll need to work harder to win them over.
Who you’re talking to and how you talk to them, matters!
Finally, remember that communication is a two-way street. It’s not just about what you say, but also how you say it. Pay attention to your tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions. Understanding these nonverbal cues can make a big difference in how your message is received.
For some of the very best tips and tricks on the topic, I strongly recommend Leil Lowndes’s – How to talk to anyone. It is a light read or a fun listen on Audible, where you enjoy a 30-day free trial or a reduced rate for the first 4 months of your subscription.
Manage your emotions
One of the best ways to improve your communication skills is to manage your emotions. When you’re able to control your emotions, you’ll be better equipped to handle difficult conversations and manage conflict.
Here are a few tips for managing your emotions:
Identify your triggers: What are the things that typically set off your emotions? Once you know what they are, you can work on avoiding or diffusing them. A book like the Power of Habit is a great way to become more aware of how the patterns within us govern our lives!
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, which can enable you to better control them. Meditating is also a great way to bring you into the moment and improve how comfortable you are with just being.
Stay calm: In times of stress or conflict, it’s important to stay calm. This will allow you to think more clearly and make better decisions.
If you can learn to effectively manage your emotions, you’ll find that your communication skills will improve significantly. You can find some great exercises and practices under our reconnecting with the universe section.
Think of the end goal
If you want to improve your communication skills, it’s important to start by thinking with the end goal in mind. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to be able to communicate more effectively with your boss, colleagues, or customers? Are you seducing a potential partner or do you simply want to be a better communicator in general?
Once you’ve identified your goals, you can start brainstorming ways to achieve them. If you want to be able to communicate more effectively with your boss. You might consider taking the time to really listen to what he or she has to say and then respond in a clear and concise way. With customer services, on the other hand, you might work on honing your ability to empathize with others and understand their needs.
To reach the goal of improving your communication, checking out Chris Voss’s Never Split the difference is a fantastic place to start. If however, you are looking to understand the language of seduction, then you may be more interested in something like Robert Greene’s Art of Seduction
No matter what your goals are, there are plenty of ways to improve your communication skills. By taking the time to identify your goals and brainstorm some strategies for achieving them, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better communicator.
Filter your thoughts
This is an invaluable tool when you’re communicating with others. It’s important to be aware of the thoughts running through your head. If your thoughts are negative or judgmental, they will color the way you interact with the other person. To ensure that you are putting your best foot forward, take a moment to think about what you’re about to say.
Try to focus on the positive aspects of the other person, and look for things that you have in common. This will help you to build rapport and create a more enjoyable conversation. If you find yourself getting caught up in negativity, take a step back and refocus on the positive.
When taking what we have previously learned in this post, there is nothing strange about taking our previous tip, knowing your audience, and going on to create a mental profile or persona for yourself with predetermined views and conversational habits. These can be applied depending on what different people or platforms you are dealing with, and you may even want to construct these profiles as tools the same way actors, politicians, and good public speakers do.
The right tool for the right job makes a big difference to the quality and ease of work and the right words work exactly the same!
Take your time
When it comes to communication, there is no substitute for taking your time. Rushing through conversations or trying to speak over others will only impede your ability to communicate effectively. Instead, take a deep breath and focus on what you want to say before speaking. This will not only help you articulate your thoughts better, but also allow you to listen more carefully to the response.
Taking that pause and not predetermining your answer or counter-argument is what makes the difference between a poor and an excellent communicator.
Nobody likes being talked at and adding this trick to your conversations will not only avoid that, but also make your audience appreciate you more, and provide you with the opportunity to apply some more advanced communication techniques such as echoing. This will allow your audience to truly connect with you and your intentions and ensure that you reach to goals you’re striving for.
To improve your communication – understand that it is manipulation!
And for some reason, we view that as a negative thing. Our ability to relay our thoughts and intentions to those around us, inevitably determines how successful we will become. Manipulating the world around us through the various forms of communication is the way we interact with the universe and is something that should be practiced as a skill! The more you improve your communication, the easier time you will have at the game of life.
You now have all the tricks and tools you need to be an amazing communicator and the more you practice the better you will get! Be sure to check out our library section on communication as well as our category on improving communication for more great content on the topic!
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