How to improve verbal communication skills?

How to improve verbal communication skills?

Do you remember the childhood game ‘Chinese whispers’, also known as ‘telephone’? In this game, one person’s message would be passed along a line of people, and by the end, the message would end up being completely different. This childhood game is an adulthood reality. Miscommunication happens daily at work or at home.

Strong verbal communication skills are important for everyone to master. They are extremely valuable in both your personal and professional life. When speaking clearly, confidently, and with poise, you are much more likely to command the respect of others and build rapport. This is particularly important in business interactions.

Most of us will have participated in formal communication skills training such as ‘Presentation Skills’ or ‘Business Development Skills’ courses. Many courses cover the formal, planned and group situations we often face. But they rarely cover our regular, informal ones, such as discussions, meetings, workshops, telephone calls, and conversations.

The following 7 tips on how to improve oral communication skills, so that you can better connect with your audience, earn respect, and build the relationships necessary for successful business interactions:-

1. Be friendly:- People who communicate with a friendly tone and warm smile almost always have the edge. The reason is simple: we are subconsciously drawn to people who are friendly because they make us feel good and bring more enjoyment to our lives.
   
2. Think before you speak:- By organizing your thoughts in advance, you can eliminate many of the awkward pauses that occur when speaking. It will also help you relay your information more concisely. While writing down your thoughts is not always possible in impromptu discussions, it is still effective to take a minute to organize your thoughts in your mind before you begin to speak.
   
3. Speak with confidence:- Speaking in a confident manner will help you build trust and command the respect of your audience. There are several factors that can impact your ability to speak confidently, including your command of the subject matter, your word choice, the tone of your voice, your body language, and your ability to make direct eye contact with your audience.
   
4. Vary your vocal tone tones:- Speaking in a monotone voice is a surefire way to bore your audience. Instead, use voice inflection to add emphasis to important points, and vary the pitch of your voice to express emotion. This will help keep your audience engaged in your message.
   
5. Prepare:- You would spend time planning what you would say if you were writing. You would also think about how to make it accessible to as many readers as possible. If you know of an approaching situation, take time out to think about the questions you may be asked and what answers you may need to give. If you are delivering a presentation, you should be prepared for awkward questions and situations where you may need to explain something in a different way.
   
6. Listen and be interested:- Listening more and talking less means you will understand and bring your listener into the conversation. This helps them to trust you and make them feel that you really understand their needs. When they talk, be interested and show your interest. This will improve the rapport you are trying to build. Using note-taking skills like Mind Mapping can help you to take more effective and memorable notes.
   
7. Show and seek some understanding:- Look for understanding from your audience. It’s easier to bacbacktrack certain points in your conversation than revisit the whole conversation again or you risk getting the wrong results because your audience did not understand! You can use this when delivering or receiving a message. Occasional summaries and confirmation questions can be extremely useful.
   

how to improve written and verbal communication skills?

Improve Written Communication Skills-:

Improving means there are few things you would like to improve in your written communication.

1. Write every day:- It may sound obvious but it’s not. People, who are not attached to writing as a profession or for passion, don’t tend to think that they can write every day with ease. Yes, you can write with ease, every day. You don’t need to write 1000 words per day. You don’t even have to write 500 words a day. You only need to write super small – as small as 3 sentences. Can you do that? We bet you can. Anyone can write 3 sentences per day. Because in the beginning, you need to make a pathway in your mind which will tell you that writing is easy. Soon enough within weeks, you will start writing 5 sentences a day, then 10, then 20, then a whole page and then maybe the elusive 1000 words. And after a while you will see that when you sit to write words come naturally to you; you don’t need to think much to write. When should you start then? Right now. Write.
   
2. Ask for help from friends who are better at writing:- There is no harm in asking for help. Most of us think too much before asking for help. No-one is an expert in everything. Asking people who are better than us can teach us things that we cannot learn by ourselves. So, go out and seek friends who can tell you something about written communication. Writing is a craft. And judge a friend who has been practicing this craft more than you. Written communication like speaking is a skill and you can improve it simply by listening to your learned, writer friend and applying them in your own writing. One thing you need to remember while asking for help is that your need for written communication may be different for your friend’s need for written communication.
   
3. Read a book on grammar:- People who know the rules well can break them. So, if you don’t know the rules, it would be difficult to use it for your own advantage. Have a basic grammar book handy with you so that if you need to go back and consult, you can have a glance and correct your course. You don’t need to begin with a comprehensive one right away. Take an easy one which covers almost most of the things. If you know 90% of all the rules of grammar you would be better off in writing correct English. And you can also break some rules if you want to make it more effective. For example, when we speak we don’t adhere to all the rules of grammar. The best way to write is to write a line speaks. Thus, the conversational way is the best way to write.
   
4. Participate in any Writing Opportunity:- Most of the time, when new writers have the opportunity to showcase their talents, they step back and say – I’m not good enough. But the thing is until you do take such chances you’ll never be good enough.  You need to take risks by allowing yourself to participate in various opportunities. You may fail. But so what? To get momentum, you need one win. And eventually, you would get it if you keep on keeping on. Look for different opportunities – magazines, newspapers, publications, blogs, websites, and companies and submit your story/article/essay/letter. There are more opportunities than you think you have.
   
5. Don’t Give Up Yet:- Even after trying for a period of time, if you think it’s time to give up, don’t give up yet. Most probably, this is the time when you need to stick to your laurels and keep on writing. It’s said when we give up, that moment is very crucial. Because if we choose to go beyond that phase for a little more, our expectations would get fulfilled. Every individual is different and the pace of learning and improving is also different. So each individual should be given the required time and space to master any craft. Don’t be hard on yourself. Give yourself some time. Practice some more. Learn some more. And then let go of seeking any results. Eventually, you will see your written communication getting improved without your notice.
   

Conclusion:-

People ally are drawn to people like themselves. This is why many of your friends share common interests. You can use this law of human nature to your advantage by matching people’s voice tone and modulation. If they are speaking softly, speak softly. If they are speaking slowly, then model their speed by talking slowly. If they are speaking with energy, then match their energy. The more you speak like others, the more they will like you.

I encourage you to put a greater emphasis on growing and developing yourself in this area. Your efforts will enhance your relationships, increase your market value, and build your self-esteem. Improving your verbal communication skills requires constant awareness, intentional effort, and the desire to improve.