5 GOOD TIPS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Having good communication skills is very essential as it plays a vital role in projecting and shaping your personality. It is one thing to have thoughts in your mind and being able to convey it efficiently is another thing. Communication is key in terms of human development. There are various tips on how to and techniques on how to improve your communication skills, I hope you find these useful. Let’s get started!

• Understand your audience/who you are talking to

Before communicating, it is very important to understand the people or person you are talking to. To start with, understanding the emotion and personality of who you are talking to is very necessary because it helps in shaping what you say and your use of language. Therefore, when communicating, do well to study your audience, in order achieve effective communication.

• Calm down, relax and talk

The basic aim of communication is to be able to get who you are conversing with understand what you are saying. Then, why being in a hurry or too careful when talking? Not to get it wrong, it is good to be courteous when communicating, to avoid passing wrong signals. However, do well to come out of your shell and say what you have in mind without overly thinking of what the person/people you are talking to may make out of it. As long as you don’t come off as being offensive, always calm your nerves and clearly communicate in a confident manner.

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• Process your thoughts

You always hear people say “Think before you talk”, right? Oh, yeah! When attempting to communicate, sieve and edit your thoughts in your mind. This doesn’t endorse being too careful when speaking. Processing your thoughts barely takes seconds. In other words, be intentional about what you say. Even though there are times we communicate spontaneously, be smart enough to know when you miss it while talking and make amends.

• Adopt self-communication

The benefits of self communication is usually underrated. Spending time with yourself, thinking, talking and doing some self-assessment can help improve your communication skills. Put yourself in certain situations and practice how you will be able to communicate if the opportunity comes. We indulge in this act always, but being more intentional about it opens our eyes to its importance.

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• Be a good listener

One of the most important aspect of communication is the ability to listen. We often misunderstand staying quiet for listening. You can be quite and look focused without even paying attention. For you to be able to communicate effectively, you have to understand what the other party is saying and this can be achieved only when you listen. Don’t just listening to their words, understand their temperament and body language, take into consideration those nonverbal signs. Good listeners make good communicators. Don’t just listen to speak, listen to understand and give meaningful and related feedbacks.

Having good communication skills is very important as it helps improve inter personal relationships.  It goes a long way in advancing your life, personally and career wise. Good communication creates room for rational understanding, and healthy coexistence. Do not forget, talking doesn’t automatically equate communication. Don’t just talk, communicate!