To survive today’s world – from career to general relationships – there are a number of technical and social skills that are required. While a lot of people pay attention to building technical skills, they put less focus on important social skills like effective communication
Knowing how to effectively communicate is an important foundation that can transform your relationships – both professionally and personally. From work presentations to regular chit-chats with friends and family, knowing how to articulate your message makes it easier to navigate daily life.
Whether we realize it or not, we spend a significant part of our days talking or passing on information. However, that doesn’t necessarily make us good at communicating. Essentially, we are all communicators, but not all of us are great communicators. Great communicators are not born; they are made. This means that anyone can be a great communicator if they put their mind to it and work at it.
Who is a great communicator?
A great communicator is simply a person that has effective communication skills and can get their message across to their audience without misunderstanding. They have an ability to reduce the likelihood of mistakes and conflict because they pass on a precise message.
Effective communicators go through a process – exchanging ideas, knowledge, thoughts and information to a point that their intention is fulfilled in the finest possible manner.
Great communication is when the parties involved – sender and receiver – assign the same or very similar meanings to the message while listening carefully. Communication is also a two-way process. If one person communicates with another, it means that they have successfully made the other party aware of their intentions.
Great communicators speak in a clear and direct manner while using easily understood language. A great communicator typically has a good grasp of the subject matter, the language use, the medium used to pass it and a good understanding of the audience. If you’re struggling to communicate or get your precise points across, here are some tips that can help you.
- Be ready to get uncomfortable
Becoming a great communicator requires that you leave your shell and be open to learning and unlearning a number of things. If you keep to yourself and refuse to communicate with others, there’s no way you’ll become a good communicator. You have to be ready to put in the extra effort and reach out.
- Work on your self-confidence
Self-confidence and belief are important to communicating effectively. Truly, not everyone has the natural confidence to convey their ideas properly, but it’s a skill that is possible to learn. Even if it doesn’t come naturally to you, there are different ways through which you can garner confidence. This will have a great effect on your communication and the general way you are perceived by others.
- Watch other great communicators
This is such an important tip to keep in mind. We gain some of our best skills from following the examples of others. From listening to great communicators in person to following them online through podcasts and YouTube, technology has made many options available to us in this regard. Watching great speakers in their element can help you figure out one or two elements of their delivery or style that you can implement into your daily routine.
You can also take cues from news anchors on TV and radio. Some of the best communicators are newscasters, who are able to speak with poise and clarity on serious issues of the day.
Finally, politicians are another source to consider. From Sonia Gandhi to Barack Obama, an analytic view on their speeches will show that politicians are usually great communicators. Their job is to convince people to agree with their point of view, so they must be able to speak well when delivering political speeches.
- Read good books on communication
Reading has several important benefits. From expanding your vocabulary to absorbing new ideas and ways of organizing and expressing them, reading plenty of relevant books, newspapers and journals will allow you to improve your language and communication skills.
- Ensure that you don’t swallow your words while you speak
Being an excellent communicator means that you convey your words – from the first to the last – with confidence. You should ensure that you don’t speak incoherently or swallow your words. One way to do this is by standing up straight and projecting your words forward no matter how tempted you are to mumble them instead.
- Pay attention to body language
Body language expresses the state of mind that a person is in during the conversation. Paying attention to body language goes both ways. First, your audience’s body language is important. Are they nervous? Relaxed? Bored? This will help you know how to navigate your conversation vibe.
In addition, your body language as the communicator is also important. Are your mannerisms putting your audience off or are you setting them at ease? Is your body language matching up with the words leaving your mouth? Ensure that there’s a good balance between both.
- Take a good communication class
You can hire the help of a professional as you go about building your communication skills. Depending on how much time you have, you can opt for a communication class or even go as far as taking a drama class to bring you out of your shell by acting in different capacities. These options can open you up to new possibilities.
If you’re considering a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), it’s important to improve your communication skills, which are an essential part of this field of work. The BSW program at Spring Arbor University provides a comprehensive education in social work, with a focus on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Avoid unnecessary and redundant conservation fillers
Avoid fumbling while you speak and take out unnecessary conversation fillers such as “so”, “umm, yeah” and “like”, which can break up the flow of your speech and get in the way of clearly expressing your ideas. It can also create the wrong impression in the mind of your listeners.
- Master small talk
Small talk can take people a long way, and that’s one trick that the best communicators understand. Mastering this skill can help ease tough conversations. Small talk is also a great conversation starter, but the key is that it should sound and feel effortless.
- Practice the art of storytelling
Telling stories is something that the best communicators you know have mastered. A story can intrigue and hook your audience so that they remain focused throughout your conversation. However, it’s not enough to just tell stories – you must tell interesting stories and tell them in a fascinating manner.
You can develop this skill by practicing storytelling. First, try narrating experiences that you’ve had to friends, and from there, you can gauge their responses and start picking out ways you can improve your craft. With time, you will master the art of storytelling.
- Maintain eye contact
Excellent communicators make their audience feel like a part of the conversation. They do this by maintaining eye contact with them to establish a proper connection. Maintaining eye contact also allows you to gauge the interest of your audience. One of the biggest mistakes you can make while communicating with others is to avoid eye contact.
- Always be informed
Putting in the effort to stay up to date on current events helps you stay an effective communicator because with knowledge on certain issues, you can navigate your way through many types of conversations. At best, ensure that you know enough about a topic before you begin to speak authoritatively.
- Try to think in a clear manner
You cannot communicate properly if you aren’t thinking properly. It is only when you have articulate thoughts that you’ll be able to communicate in an impressive manner. You can organize your thoughts in a chronological manner to help improve the flow of your communication.
- Stay relaxed
One effective communication strategy that’s typically overlooked is staying relaxed even in professional settings. This puts you in control of the conversation. Being overly tense and anxious will not do you any favors and can also make your conversation partner feel uncomfortable.
- Always listen while communicating
Lastly, active listening is the foundation of good communication. If you don’t pay attention to what the other party is saying, you’ll find it much harder to respond efficiently. Ensure that you focus on the other person so that you understand the ideas they’re trying to convey to you.
Learning to become a great communicator is not a one-off task. Rather, it takes continuous effort. With dedication, your great communication skills will launch you down a successful career path. Excellent communicators stand out, get promoted and progress in their chosen fields. By following the tips above, you’ll be on your way to becoming an outstanding communicator in no time.
