Communication Skills For Daily Business
Some love it, others hate it: public speaking, presentations, and interviews. Effective and convincing communication skills are amongst the most valuable job skills to have. Mastering these skills will make you a better communicator and will have far-reaching benefits – far beyond your job.
5 Communication Skills For Daily Business
1 Speak slowly and clearly
Emphasizing every word will strengthen your message from the very beginning. This will help you avoid misunderstandings. Others will perceive you as self-confident and professional. Speaking slowly and clearly will also make you a more effective and efficient communicator, and will save you and your team valuable time, as you will learn how to stop repeating yourself.
2 Focus on the person you’re talking to
No matter if you’re talking to a colleague or a new client, you must focus on the person you’re talking to. Especially in face-to-face conversations, your audience will notice if you are not concentrated. Be committed and thoughtful, address your interlocutor by name and keep consistent eye-contact. These communication skills make your audience feel significant and engaged. Lastly, make sure to smile periodically during the course of your conversation, especially during your introduction, as it will help you relax and feel more confident, and will set a positive tone for the remainder of the interaction.
3 It’s all about posture
Standing upright is a sign of competence and confidence. No matter if you’re having a presentation, a meeting, or coffee with colleagues, posture matters. In fact, research suggests that posture not only has significant health benefits, but also influences your thoughts (this TED article by Amy Cuddy is worth a watch!). Thus, for public appearances having good posture is a sign of competence and confidence. Good posture also reduces stress, helps you breathe deeply and improves blood circulation; thus, good posture has a tremendous impact on our brains and our subsequent performance. To the article: It’s all about the posture
4 Clothes make the man
We all have so-called “power clothes” that make us feel confident. If you prepare for an important meeting, think about buying a new suit or a pair of new shoes that make you feel comfortable. Comfortable clothes have a massive effect on your self-esteem, gives you courage and affects your mind.
5 Avoid nervous gestures
You should keep an extra eye on your body language when speaking in public. No one likes to see you walking up and down nervously during a presentation. It distracts from your message and might even make the audience nervous, too. Before a presentation, sort out where to stand. If you run a meeting, think about your gestures. Avoid words such as “hm”, “um” or “so”. These are verbal fillers that will detract from your intended message.
Conclusion:
Communication skills and working methods overlap even more than we might think.
Controlling and using these skills and techniques in your daily life is a real bonus for you and your team.
Note: We are preparing our first public seminar in June. It is aimed to benefit individuals who regularly prepare presentations and public appearances for others.
