Poor communication is sabotaging your life and business and you’ve had enough! Effective communication is required whether it's in personal conversations or business-related situations. Every day we have to communicate to convey messages to get things done, to express how our emotions and to make purchases.

Great communication skills are fundamental soft and life skills required professionally by employers. Yes, this skill may come naturally to some, while others lack and need a bit of practice to master it and excel. If you fall into the latter category and are want to overcome the struggles that come up due to poor communication skills, look no further. This article will give you a few tips that can help you improve your communication skills.

Improving Poor communication Skills

Here are a few things you can start with to become a better communicator.

• Think Before You speak: This is a very important step. If you don’t know what you want to say you can’t communicate. If you don’t understand it yourself, there’s no way you can explain it to someone else and expect them to understand. So, it is necessary to ask yourself, What message do I want to convey? What is its importance? What actions do I want the receiver to take upon getting my message? This will help you express your thoughts better when speaking or writing.

• Active Listening: Listening is a significant part of getting information and processing it. If you don’t give rapt attention when conversing, you won’t get the necessary information you need. It promotes a positive exchange. This is because both parties can form their next comments based on what they have heard.

• Be Concise: Making your messages short and straight to the point enhances understanding during communication. The point you want to make will be direct and received without delay. It will also cut back misunderstandings, as your recipient interprets the information better.

• Choose the right Words: The vocabulary you use should vary based on your listener or who you are conversing with. This will make it easier for them to understand you. For example, you would need to pass the instruction to a child in simple terms and ask for feedback to make sure they understand what you have said. In another scenario, you may need to adopt a formal tone and use more technical vocabulary when discussing a subject matter at work.

• Give and ask for Feedback: To make sure that your message is clear and understood, you need to ask for feedback. You can do this by asking if the message is clear and if there is a need to restate the message. As a recipient, you can give feedback by repeating the information the way you interpreted it.

• Cut Errors: This is important, especially in writing. The information we share needs to be correct. Correct grammar and facts will aid the reading flow and interest of your listeners or readers.

• Develop emotional intelligence: This is the ability to control your emotions, using them in ways that can affect your communication positively. Emotional intelligence will also enable you to read the room and decipher the feelings of the people you’re conversing with as well. When others see that you understand them, it makes them comfortable and able to express their feelings.

In conclusion

Though a lot of factors affect communication, making it a complex skill, it is not impossible to get. With the right mindset and consistent practice, you can overcome poor communication.

Want to learn more about poor communication skills and signs to detect them? Read our previous article here.

Sign up for a free account and use our Bulk SMS plans to communicate better with your clients and employees all at an affordable cost.