Effective communication skills.

     Good communication skills are critical in today’s business world. Poor communication starves a relationship, while good communication nourishes it. In order to become a truly successful professional, one needs to master business communication skills. The communication factor plays a fundamental part in organizational structure. People in the workforce know how extremely important a role communication and interpersonal skills play in business enterprise. There are several elements in business communication that include public speaking, active listening skills, email and report writing skills, and body language. Effective communication skills are critical component in trust-based relationship, and the person’s success in the business world requires continuous practice and improvement of the communication skills.

    Keys to effective communication:

• Keep an open mind- Don’t judge, criticize or verbally disagree with the person just because you have a different opinion. It is important to learn how to make objective evaluations about ideas that are being shared.     
•  Check for accuracy- Paraphrase and repeat main ideas after the person is finished talking. Repeating what was said confirms your understanding.        
• Visualize- Think about and visualize what the person is saying in order to maximize your attention and understanding.
• Pay attention-Listen to understand, not to reply. Resist the urge to interrupt and receive the full message the person is communicating.
• Encourage the person to talk- Encourage the flow of information by giving positive feedback and help the person stay on track by asking purposeful, related questions. Be genuinely interested in what the person is saying. All of us have the need to feel important and be understood. So, talk in terms of the other person’s interests and understand another point of view.
• Motivate others- There are several ways to motivate people. Both negative and positive reinforcements can be effective. However, in the long run, negative reinforcement like criticism or punishment often leads to disadvantageous relationships.
• Nonverbal messages- Right body language and posture can represent confidence and clarity that are necessary in a professional environment.
• Maintain positivity- Always put your message across to your audience (business employees, partners, and customers) in a very positive manner even if the message is something they wont like. This tactic will cut down the message’s overall negativity
• Know your audience- Completely acknowledge your audience. Always research the cultural background of your audience and the personality types that they posses.
• Be a good listener- Practiced listening skills enable people to pick up, interpret, and sort out a greater number of verbal and nonverbal messages.

           Julia Spraiter