Effective communication is a crucial aspect of daily living in your family relationships, at work and with your friends. Whether you choose to communicate with people in person, on the phone, in writing or by giving speeches, it is important to know how to make each of these types of communication effective to ensure that communication flows as smoothly as possible.
In Person
When communicating with people in person, it is important to judge the effectiveness of communication by reading their nonverbal body language. If you see people nodding their heads, making eye contact and stating their agreement with you orally, then you can be assured that people understand your communication. However, if people look puzzled or make funny faces at you, are looking away, sighing heavily or shaking their heads no, then it is a good idea to clarify what you are saying and ask others if they have questions.
Telephone
When you talk on the phone, you are no longer able to see the other person you are communicating with, which makes it impossible to read someone's body language. What you can do in this situation, however, is listen for the tone of voice the other people use when responding to you and ask questions to make sure the other person understands what you are saying properly. If you suspect the person on the phone has not heard or understood you well, you can even ask this person to summarize what you have just said to determine if this is true. If someone doesn't understand something you say on the phone, make sure to clarify it right away.
Written Communication
When you prepare any form of written communication, keep in mind that you do not have total control over who could read it, particularly in work settings. Be extra careful about the words you choose to communicate as clearly as possible. Be specific and concise in written communications. If you think something you are writing about could be too complicated for someone to understand in writing, encourage that person to call you to help clear up any potential confusion or misunderstandings.
Speeches
In giving speeches, one of the best ways to communicate effectively is to know your audience beforehand and prepare your presentation based on who these people are. Make sure to practice your speech several times before delivering it. It can be helpful to practice giving your speech to someone before presenting it to a group so that this person can tell you what is confusing about your speech and help you make appropriate changes. Make plenty of eye contact, enunciate your words properly and speak audibly when you deliver your speech.
References
- Principles and Types of Speech Communication; Bruce Gronbeck; 1977
- Klariti: 10 Tips for More Effective Business Communications
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