Effective communication skills are important at your office and in your personal life. The strength of your communication skills can determine how much you advance in your career. These skills can also determine how well you make friends or develop relationships. If you feel that you are struggling in this area, then there are steps that you can take. The best ways to improve your communication skills are to build rapport, enunciate, relax, animate your voice and listen.
Build Rapport
One way to have good communication with another person is to build rapport quickly. Smiling and using eye contact are two of the most positive signals that you can send when you start a conversation. You want the other person to feel that you are happy to be talking to him or her. It is also important to have something to discuss. It is a good idea to read newspapers or watch the news in order to stay on top of current events. If you have many topics that you can talk about, then it will be easier to develop a rapport with another person.
Enunciate
Speak clearly when you are communicating with other people. Try to avoid mumbling or slurring your words together. It can be frustrating for the listener if it is necessary to say, "huh?" several times while you are talking. A good way to practice enunciating is to record yourself talking. You can listen to yourself and hear if you need to make some changes.
Relax
You can be a much better communicator if you simply relax. If you are nervous, then you will probably speak quickly and be difficult to understand. You may also make others feel uncomfortable. Avoid hunching your shoulders, fidgeting or toe-tapping while speaking. These are telltale signs that you are nervous. If you appear relaxed and confident, then people will likely be more interested in what you have to say.
Animate Your Voice
You don't want people to be bored while you are speaking. You can keep them interested if you avoid speaking in a monotone voice. You should vary your pitch and volume while you are communicating. Watch television news anchors and listen to how they animate their voices by using a range of tones.
Listen
Remember that communication is a two-way process. You need to hear and understand what other people are saying if you want to effectively communicate with them. People may also lose interest in talking to you if you constantly talk and never listen. A way to show someone that you have been listening is to paraphrase what he has said when you reply. A good exercise to improve listening skills is to have your spouse or a friend quiz you on details of a conversation.
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