Four Helpful Tips in Becoming a Good Communicator

The comprehensiveness of your arsenal of communication skills determines how far you could get professionally. Improving your communication skills boosts your chances of becoming a success. This is precisely the reason why self-improvement in the area of communication is crucial to your professional and even personal development.
Have you ever realized that one of the factors that lead to a breakdown of communication is due to the way one communicates? Most misunderstandings that lead to conflict are due to either: an incongruence in communication styles, inappropriately-worded thoughts, or nonverbal signals that were misread. It is when conflicts arise that the true significance of effective communication skills are appreciated.If you believe you have room to improve on your communication skills, then these tips are for you.
Be sure that you understand what you are trying to say. One reason why misunderstandings happen is that the sender cannot even comprehend what he/she would like to get across. Try to be clear with what you want to say. Avoid using big words too much.

Apply positivity when trying to say something. Structure your statements in a constructive and non-critical manner. Make sure that your words would not offend the person you are speaking with. If you need to be frank, choose your words wisely, and always bear in mind that whatever you say, the other person should leave your presence with a light heart.

Pay attention to what the other person is saying. As they say, "respect begets respect." One of the main ways that a person can show another the respect due him would be to really listen to what he is saying. Listening entails being focused on what the other is saying. Absorb and think about what you hear. If you need to, use "active listening" skills like reflecting and restating what the other person has said. This is a way to show that you are indeed listening. This also serves to help you clarify what you have heard. Also, active listening requires that you suspend all your other thoughts: avoid assuming what the other party will say, or how he or she will react in case you also communicate your opinions. "Thinking ahead" is a no-no, because then you won't even understand what the other person is saying: you're too preoccupied in being able to express your own thoughts. In the case of negotiation or bargaining, be flexible and welcome the idea of meeting the other person halfway in a compromise, if the need arises.

Learn from experience. As they say, experience is the best teacher. Glean insights from your past communication successes and failures, so that you can fine-tune your communication style.
Communication is the key to building relationships. It is also the key to burning bridges, with a careless phrase thrown in the right place. It also plays an important role in causing or averting war. Without it, man is no better than a chimpanzee. Transactions depend on excellent communication, thus, fine-tune your communication skills, and you will go places.
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Kevin Hensey speaks at business clubs on personal growth. He has written articles regarding personal development. His website is: http://www.wwwpowerbooks.com Email: kevin@theyhaveit.com