Communication is everywhere. Whenever you’re working with others, every interaction is a form of communication. Whether you’re presenting an idea, asking a question, sharing a Tweet or sending an email, it’s important that your message comes across the way you intend. Communication remains a highly desirable skill regardless of what career you are in.
No matter what the situation, effective communication is important inside and outside of the workplace. Here are four ways to improve your communication skills:
- Make your message complete but concise. Whether you’re speaking to someone face-to-face or writing an email, it is important to get straight to the point. The only way to receive clear answers is by asking clear questions. This applies to creating social media posts as well. Twitter requires you to keep things short with its 140 character limit. However, make sure your message doesn’t get lost by being too concise. For other social media accounts where character count isn’t an issue, it is important not to take that freedom for granted. You want to grab your readers’ attention with your post and encourage them to keep reading, not test their attention span by making them read a lengthy, rambling post.
- Communicate thoughts and emotions effectively. If you’re passionate about a subject, show it! Another important aspect of communication is conveying thoughts and emotions effectively. It’s difficult to convince your audience to be interested in a subject if you don’t seem like you care about it yourself. In order to convey emotions, it’s a matter of finding your voice. This holds true for social media as well. When communicating online, via email or through social media, always choose your words wisely. Since the interpersonal aspect is missing from online interactions, be careful to make sure your message will be received just as you intend to avoid misunderstandings.
- Slow down. When communicating face-to-face with someone, always remember to breathe. It’s easy to get nervous or excited about a subject, and try to get it all out at once, but that doesn’t guarantee that the listener will understand everything you say. By slowing down you can avoid throwing too much information at your listener at once. The same goes for online communication. Instead of rushing to post just for the sake of having a social media presence, get to know your audience and what they respond to most. Always take the time to develop content your audience will find interesting and want to share instead of bombarding them with information.
- Learn to listen. Listening to what others have to say in response is an equally important part of communication. Never underestimate the power of being a good listener. Focusing and understanding what your peers and colleagues have to say helps prevent miscommunications. If ever something isn’t clear, it’s important to clarify sooner rather than later. With online interactions it’s important to listen to your audience; stay in tune with what they’re talking about and what they’re interested in. Your audience is more likely to engage with you online if you are talking about something that catches their eye. This is just as important as reading carefully. Accidentally skipping over a word can change the meaning of the message completely.
Effective communication skills will not only result in successful every day conversations. This highly marketable skill can help you gain career success as well. Having the ability to convey a message clearly is invaluable. Strong communication skills can translate into any career path, which is why it is one of the most marketable skills in any industry.
Know of any other tips for effective communication? Let us know in the comments!