how to improve communication skills having good communication skills is
fundamental to success in many aspects of life it can help you from personal to
professional life and in many other situations people who have good
communication skills will see better productivity and improved relationships
in every aspect of their lives according to a survey by the National Association
of Colleges and employers communication skills are recorded as the most
important quality looked for in job candidates here are 12 effective tips
you can use to improve your communication skills tip number 1 learn
to listen listen more than you talk Richard Branson when communicating with
others we often focus on what we should say however effective communication is
less about talking and more about listening the better you listen the
better you are at communication first listen to what others have to say and
then you can provide a thoughtful answer that shows you have taken those ideas
into account don't just wait for their mouth to stop moving to make your point
listening is not the same thing as hearing learning to listen means making
it a point to listen closely to not just the words they speak but also to their
body language and the emotions they're displaying if a speaker can see and feel
that someone is listening and understanding that can help build a
stronger deeper relationship between conversationalist s' tip number 2 pay
attention to body language your nonverbal communication cues the way you
look listen move and react to another person tells them more about how you're
feeling than words alone ever can when you're nonverbal signals match up with
the words you're saying they increase trust clarity and rapport when they
don't they can generate tension mistrust and confusion they
SiC rules for good body language when communicating include feeling relaxed at
all times avoiding crossing your arms always making eye contact and taking
your hands out of your pocket while you speak this helps the other person know
that they have your full attention and that you are open to a two-way
conversation if you want to become a better communicator it's important to
become more sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal signals of
others but also to your own tip number 3 show respect people have different
opinions different abilities and different talents respectful
communication involves the ability to effectively assert your own views and
fully listen to the views of others if you respect the ideas and opinions of
others they will be more likely to communicate with you active listening or
simply using the name of the person you are speaking to can both be effective
don't multitask while communicating avoid using your phone make eye contact
use people's names and make sure what you've said is professional and
respectful basically be a human tip number 4 maintain eye contact some are
blue and some are green some are brown and others hazel that's right the
subject is eyes but more importantly than the color of someone's eyes is what
their eyes are saying eye contact is a type of body language that is extremely
important during communication and conversation sometimes our eyes and body
language speak even more than our words when you keep eye contact with a person
to whom you are talking it shows that you are focused and paying attention it
means that you are actually listening to what the person has to say avoiding eye
contact shows that you are not paying attention to what the other person is
saying it could mean that you may not like the person and you don't want to
continue the conversation anymore these are the negative effects of avoiding eye
contact sometimes the other person might read it wrongly and therefore produce a
negative feeling towards you as well tip number 5 ask questions asking questions
is a powerful tool in community questioning is a very good way of
starting a conversation and keeping it going it is also a very good way of
obtaining more information about a particular topic asking questions also
shows that you are paying attention to what the other person is saying because
you tend to spend far more time drawing information out from others than
broadcasting your own opinions by asking questions you learn more and that helps
you build stronger personal and professional relationships tip number
six have emotional awareness emotions play a major role in effective
communication with others emotional awareness or the ability to understand
and manage your emotions will help you succeed when communicating with other
people if you have emotional awareness you will communicate more effectively
you will also better understand what the other person is communicating to you and
why sometimes understanding how a person is communicating with you is more
important than what is actually being said sometimes we try to hide our
feelings but why that's because emotions don't lie instead of trying to hide your
feelings focus on becoming aware of your feelings and the feelings of those
around you in order to be a better communicator tip number seven avoid
interrupting interrupting is the ultimate conversation killer sometimes
people have problems with interrupting others with constant interruptions
effective communication is almost impossible when we interrupt someone it
usually means we are not listening and paying attention to what they are saying
interrupting has two unfortunate outcomes first we don't get to hear what
the other person was going to say which might have been some useful information
second it most likely damages the rest of the conversation because when you
interrupt a person it makes them feel they haven't been heard and can cause
them to shut down entirely if you want to be a good communicator avoid
interrupting because it will reduce the power and effectiveness of your
communication tip number eight keep positive an important aspect of good
communication skills is the ability to communicate positively no matter how
upset and stressed you are try to stay positive because no one wants to be
around someone who is miserable and depressed do your best to be positive
and friendly with other people maintain a positive cheerful attitude when you
always maintain a positive attitude people would love to listen and talk to
you all the time and also respond positively to you tip number 9 speak
clearly speaking effectively is defined as speaking in such a way that your
message is clearly heard speaking clearly is a major part of communication
some people tend to speak in a very low voice others are naturally soft-spoken
and there are those so fast that one word gets blurred into the next whatever
your speaking style is if people have difficulty hearing what you are saying
you can be sure you are not speaking clearly when listeners struggle to
understand you they eventually ignore you enhancing clarity not only
strengthens your communication skills it improves your image and makes others
more responsive to your message tip number 10 avoid using your phone it is
very rude to use your phone while someone is talking to you while you are
having a conversation with someone avoid using your phone look at the person who
is talking to you and pay attention to what he or she is saying using your
phone while you are talking decreases the quality of what you talk about a lot
of people have the habit of using their phone while communicating don't be that
kind of a person and if you have to take an important call while talking to
someone excuse yourself first remember no one is more important than
the person you are speaking to at the moment tip number 11 think before you
speak thinking before you speak is a really
good habit to develop to avoid causing problems in your life whether it's in
your relationships career or elsewhere on the other hand speaking before you
think is a bad habit that can get you into trouble
and hurt you in the most important areas of your life Napoleon Hill said think
twice before you speak because your words and influence will plant the seed
of either success or failure in the mind of another after you've listened and
understood pause take a deep breath and take time to draft in your head what you
want to say avoid saying the first thing that comes to your mind tip number 12
avoid filler words words such as like well you know um I guess and uh are
meaningless and really have no value in any conversation instead of using these
filler words take time relax and pause a little before speaking for example if
someone were to ask you how was your trip to Turkey instead of saying well it
was fun uh I enjoyed it a lot take time pause and say it was fun I enjoyed it a
lot good communication skills can play an important role in every aspect of
life communicating effectively is achievable the popular saying
practice makes perfect is very applicable here by using the tips we
discussed in this video you can become a more effective communicator and you will
reap benefits in both your personal and professional life thank you for watching
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