With the prevalence of social media that encourages us to share our opinions and update our statuses, a lot of us think we’ve got great communication skills. However, these skills involve more than just declaring what we think whenever a thought pops up in our heads.
At HiCounselor, we know that the smoothest career paths are paved by exceptional conversational skills. That’s why we’ve created this list of ways you can improve your communication skills to improve your career prospects. If you need more professional assistance, contact our career accelerator experts to find out how we can be of help!
1. Listen Well
When we think of communication skills, we might think they just involve talking. However, one of the best ways to improve in this area is by becoming a good listener. It’s only when you understand others that you can respond to them effectively. It also makes people feel seen, heard and appreciated when you pay attention to them.
2. Hone Non-verbal Communication
How people perceive our communication involves how we convey it. This includes aspects like eye contact, body position, tone, personal space, etc. Become aware of how you interact with people and make note of the responses you get. Simple things like not crossing your arms and looking and nodding at people can help improve your communication skills.
3. Review & Edit
When it comes to a professional setting, a lot of our communication happens via emails and group chats. Approach these very differently from how you’d email and IM your family and friends. Take the time to go over what you’ve written to make sure names, grammar and facts are all accurate. Don’t use very informal language or unnecessary abbreviations.
4. Opt for Simplicity
Most of us have short attention spans and can’t listen to long, rambling talks without our minds wandering off. Good communication skills involve ensuring you get your message across. To do that, keep it short and simple. When you’re to-the-point and use uncomplicated sentences, people find it easier to understand what you’re saying and follow your instructions.
5. Involve Others
Sometimes, you may have to deliver longer messages. If so, use your communication skills to keep your audience involved. You can break your long message into short sections and ask people to give examples or ask questions after each section. You can ask them to give their opinions, or you can even tell jokes to break the monotony of the speech.
6. Check Cadence & Tone
We live in a world saturated with entertainment. This makes it particularly hard to get people to pay attention to you when you’re monotonous and deadpan. Emotion, rhythm, and different pitches in your speech help improve your communication skills. Don’t speak too softly or too loudly. At all costs avoid tones that make you sound angry or whiny.
7. Add Visuals
This communication skill is easier to utilize when you’re giving a presentation. You can add graphics, charts, clipart, images, etc. to break the text into more readable parts. Even adding colors can go a long way in making text appear more attractive. When you’re simply talking to others, you can use your hands to gesture and create a visual story.
8. Respect Others
Most of us can sense when others like us or not. Once we sense someone doesn’t really like us, we find it harder to go along with anything they say. To avoid making frenemies and enemies, try to approach your listeners with some respect for who they are. Simply thanking them for their time and patience can help improve your communication skills.
9. Do a Final Double-Check
Before you finish your conversation, ask others if they’ve understood you and if they have any follow-up questions. Don’t get annoyed if you have to repeat some of what you’ve already said. It’s better to repeat things now than deal with things going wrong later. End your emails with a line that encourages the recipient to reach out in case of any questions.
10. Prioritize & Practice
You won’t improve your communication skills by employing these tips once or twice. You have to keep at it to make it part of how you converse with others. Prioritize communication all the time, not only when it suits you; that can make you seem self-involved. Try to respond to people at the earliest and keep things civil throughout your interaction.
We hope these tips will help you hone your communication skills! If you need more help in putting your best professional foot forward, get in touch with us at HiCounselor and have a chat with one of our experts. You can read our reviews to see what others have to say about us!
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