Communication skills are one of the most important skills that you need to have It does not matter what job you are doing, what business you are doing or what kind of people you are surrounded by. If you are able to express your ideas clearly and effectively, then all the success in this world is yours.
Unfortunately, these skills are not taught in schools, and even in colleges, we only have 1 or 2 lectures for the sake of passing. Communication is much more than just being able to say what you want to say; it is about you speaking what is in your mind exactly the way you see it in your mind. You may have noticed that you have something to say in your mind and it plays very nicely inside your mind, but when the words are out of your mouth, the meaning is very different and you are misunderstood. It may be acceptable among friends and family, but it can be very costly when it comes to giving a client presentation, convincing your boss for a promotion, or proposing to that beautiful girl you like.
Communication is extremely important. You might have a million-dollar startup idea, an incredible point of view on a situation, or a lot of love for your partner. If you can’t tell them this clearly, it’s all for naught. I am discussing in this post about the importance of communication. But if, after reading all of this, you’re left wondering, “What the hell is this person talking about?” then I’ve failed to communicate effectively.
I’ve had a lot of trouble communicating. Actually, my dream was to live in a world where I didn’t have to talk to anyone. Unfortunately, I believe this will remain a dream because real life does not function in this manner. So, my first job as a voice tech support representative taught me the value of effective communication.
Now I’ll tell you about my effective communication method and what tips I have for effective communication.
Reading books
I started reading in the new year and have read a lot of books since then. Reading helps you understand the language and grammar. Your vocabulary grows, and most importantly, you learn how other people express themselves. In some ways, you are learning directly from the author of the book. This is the first and simplest step you can take to improve your communication skills.
I know sometimes it is boring to read. But you don’t have to read boring things. Start with the simplest book that you will be able to read and understand easily. It doesn’t matter if you have to start by reading nursery story books. It’s fine to start. Then Pick a book of your choice with a category of your taste. The book world is very vast and you will surely find something you will like. There are many categories: self help, fantasy, science fiction, romance, cook books, fitness etc.
If reading books isn’t your thing, you could try reading gossip and news articles or something similar. However, do not make these a habit and only use them to get into the habit of reading.
Practice writing
Now that you’ve begun reading, it’s time to begin writing something that others will want to read. Take your time and write what you want. Maybe one article per week, but stick to it. You will gain confidence and a better understanding of how your brain works if you write. Allow people to judge and provide feedback on your writing by sharing it with friends or posting it online. It may be painful at first, but it will get easier. Try to incorporate new words you’ve learned from books into your own writing. You can check your writing for grammar using some of the online tools. There are also some paraphrasing tools that analyse your writing and help you write better sentences.
Speaking
Finally, we are at the step where we will talk about speaking our minds. Speaking is simple, but speaking clearly so that your message is delivered exactly the way you want it is more difficult. For this, You should follow below points to communicate effectively.
- You should understand the topic completely and thoroughly enough to recognize and respond to the types of questions that your listener can have.
- Structure your presentation in a top-down manner, explaining general high-level concepts first and then moving on to the more complicated details.
- Give examples. When you give examples that people can visualise, they understand better.
- Stay on topic and avoid deviating from it.
- Speak clearly and at a reasonable speed.
- Give a preview of what you are going to say, then say it, then give a review of what you just told them.
Conclusion
Communication, just like any other skill, will improve over time with practice. Following the advice in this article will give you enough confidence to communicate effectively.
You can read my other articles like this here.
