“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
Jack Kerouac, American novelist and poet.
Miscommunication is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make on a daily basis. Rapport with your clients, clarity with buyers, and success during negotiations depends upon expert communication skills.
So when was the last time you consciously reflected on what it takes to successfully connect with others? Here are four communication tips you can use to mindfully improve your game:
1. Seek to simplify. Don’t try to dazzle with buzzwords or bluster with B.S. You’re not looking to dominate a conversation or simply sell your point of view. True communication is a collaboration.
2. Make certain you’re understood. There’s no harm in double-checking if your message is well-received. Not only will it give the conversation room for questions, it will help you with tip #3…
3. Engage your audience. Make eye contact. Create space for feedback. Work on developing open, inviting body language).
4. Respect both sides of the conversation. This means listen. If you’re too set on delivering a speech, you might miss the very thing which will save the relationship or foster real progress. Listen, process, and take time before you respond.
You might be a solid communicator, but everyone lapses into automatic pilot now and again. Keep these four tips in mind before your next meeting. (Who knows, it might just be one of your best ever!)
