Life Skill

How to improve your communication skill in 11 easy ways?

           Communication skill is an important skill that every individual needs to have for advancement in their life and career. As said that it is an important skill nevertheless it is the most difficult skill to develop. We often falter ourself in developing a proper communication skill which creates a gap in the final outcome of what we want to go from where we are?

The real path and wisdom require to attain the communication skill in a more better way is not only tough but it also requires perseverance and a constant effort to learn from trial and error methods. Important is not only the way we communicate but also how we communicate so that it brings some impact on the people we are interacting with.

Thus we need to improve our communication skill in a vivid way. The Inspiring Life is providing the following hacks to develop your communication skill.  

               11 steps to develop your communication skill.

1. Listen before you speak.

Listening is an important tool for us, if we really want to develop as a good communicator we must first learn to listen. “Listen more than you talk.” This is what Richard Branson tells business people who want to connect with others. To communicate effectively, first listen to what others have to say. Then you can provide a thoughtful answer that shows you have taken those ideas into account.

2. Develop nonverbal communication.

         One study found that nonverbal communication accounted for 55 percent of how an audience perceived a presenter. That means that the majority of what you say is communicated not through words, but through physical cues. To communicate clearly and confidently, adopt proper posture. Avoid slouching, folding your arms or making yourself appear smaller than you are. Instead, fill up the space you are given, maintain eye contact and (if appropriate) move around the space.

3. Stick with the Facts.

New situations warrant presenting facts and asking reasonable questions rather than talking excessively about your emotional concerns. So resist being dramatic, especially around those who you don’t know well. If your listeners are reasonable people, they will understand and respond appropriately.

4. Have an engaging communication.

Regardless of how compelling the speaker is, all audiences have limited attention spans. To become a more effective communicator, make presentations and discussions interactive. Ask the audience a question, encourage people to call out their thoughts during a brainstorming session or at the very least ask hypothetical questions to stimulate the audience.

5. Know your Audience.

To communicate effectively, it is important to get to know your audience first Rather than underestimating or overestimating someone else’s background in a certain subject, ask what they know about your topic. (Keep in mind that audience members’ lack of knowledge in your field does not mean that they are ill-informed or poorly educated in general.) Check for understanding during your conversation and make adjustments as appropriate.  Each audience is different, and will have different preferences and cultural norms that should be considered when communicating. A good way to understand expectations is to ask members of the audience for examples of good communicators within the organization.

6. Develop extemporaneous speaking style.

This is the most important skill that needs to be developed to evolve yourself as a good and better communicator. Your communicating skill shall reflects the positivity and positive framework of mind. This usually is seen among the professionals like lawyers as they speak extemporaneously. That is to say, the lawyers write down a series of topics they intend to discuss, but they do not memorize what they would say word for word. This method of communicating allows the lawyers presenting a case to cover all of the necessary points, while giving them flexibility as to how to communicate based on audience reaction or questions.

A good and a versatile communicators should consider adopting an extemporaneous speaking style. It takes practice, but it will allow for more natural communication, and can help with audience engagement. Get yourself inspired and learn more on increasing your productivity in this article.

7. Learn the art of timing.

While communicating we may drop some anecdotes or some quotes to make our communication more effective. We have to effectively drop these things in a proper timing. They should not appear to be force fully dropped but rather seems to be more obvious. For some comedians, some of their jokes might not be appropriate for the workplace, standup comedians are certainly effective communicators. Great comedians, like all great communicators, are able to feel out their audience to determine when to move on to a new topic or when to reiterate an idea.

8. Over communicate to communicate properly.

Overcommunicating may sound counterintuitive—after all, if you’ve delivered the message, why are you wasting time repeating yourself? But when done correctly, overcommunication can help leaders reinforce important messages (like the organization’s vision and values), help employees retain key information, and ensure that everyone heard and understands the message. 

   In other words, overcommunication helps prevent misunderstandings, keeps key information top of mind, and makes sure everyone is on the same page

9.   Texture and speed

Speaking softly is fine in face-to-face conversations with close friends in quiet homes, but it doesn’t work well when making a presentation in noisy workplaces. Likewise, those who speak to large crowds on a regular basis may need to turn down the volume when chatting with a small group. If you are new to public speaking or have limited experience in this area, slow down. Conversational pace does not translate well to speeches to large groups, who may not be familiar with your manner of speaking. Pause at the end of key points so that listeners can process your content easily.

10.Ask for honest feedback.

As with most leadership skills, receiving honest feedback from peers, managers and members of your team is critical to becoming a better communicator. If you regularly solicit feedback, others will help you to discover areas for improvement that you might have otherwise overlooked

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