5 Simple Ways to Improve Communication Skills

Good communication skills are a key factor in every aspect of your career from being hired, closing a sale, working well within your organization or earning a promotion. Even if you outperform in every other area, being marked poor in communication you’ll be less likely to advance in your career. Practicing good communication skills on an ongoing basis can help you develop professionally and reach your business goals.

Improving Your Communication Skills

Here are five basic—but crucial—methods to communicate more effectively:

1. Prepare ahead of time. While some people are naturally endowed with the gift of gab, others can struggle to keep a conversation going. One out of every 3 people are introverts, and small talk may be difficult if you’re included in this group. Before you go into any meeting, corporate pow-wow or sales call, make sure you’ve done your research on the topic in question. Have a script handy for both small talk (i.e. weather or current events) and any important points you’d like to make. If you need to give a presentation, allocate at least 30% of your time to practice your delivery in addition to writing the Powerpoint.
2. Observe body language cues. Body language and nonverbal messages account for 55% of all communication, which means you should watch your body language and the body language of others. Be aware of foot placement, smile, and practice posture “power poses.” And, always consider nonverbal communication cues relative to the 3 “C’s” of context, clusters and congruence for more accurate readings. Without applying some context to body signals, you may be misinterpreting their meanings.
3. Practice the art of active listening. If you’re more outspoken, your communication issues might stem from the act— or perception— of not listening. Whether you realize it or not, you may be only sharing your own ideas and opinions without allowing room for others. Despite your best intentions, this gives the impression you care less about what others think. If you find yourself falling into this habit in meetings or interviews, ask questions and repeat other people’s words to affirm you’re listening. Also, give adequate amount of pause between ideas to allow others to interject.
   “Good listeners connect with people in a powerful way where they give their 100% attention to another person. They show their interest by conversing through expressions, body language and words.” – Good MBA Guide
4. Remain positive. Often we face situations in which we find a topic, personality or outcome disagreeable. The way we deal with and communicate how we feel about those situations can either help or hinder our professional reputations. If you feel you need to express your concern to others, phrase negative thoughts in positive language to soften the blow. Focus your language first on the good in the situation, and then in the ways to achieve a better outcome. If you voice criticism, bring alternative ideas or solutions to the table.
5. Fine-tune your follow-up. Take notes during meetings and interviews, and include information from your notes in your follow-up. If you’re tasked with part of a project, touch base with team members on an ongoing basis to update them on your progress and ask about their own progress to keep a project moving. As with all communication, keep all follow-up concise and specific. Outline what you will be doing and remind others what they should be doing to be successful. Learn to “manage up” your communication to your superiors and executives so they have visibility into your projects and contributions. Make sure you’re doing everything in your power for these people to have easy access to all the tools they need to succeed, and they’ll return the favor.

No matter where you’re at in your career, or how well you think you communicate currently, there’s always room to improve. Practicing these five manageable communication techniques on a daily basis will provide a more positive experience for those around you and help you be more successful in achieving your career goals.