Improving Your Business Communication Skills

All human beings live in communities. Those communities may be virtual and contain people around the world, or they might be real-life communities made up of families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. To live effectively with others in our community, we must communicate well. Body language, as well as written and verbal communication skills, are increasingly important in today’s society where things that we say and do may stick with us for the rest of our lives.

Whether you consider yourself an excellent communicator or not, there are a few ways you can improve your communication skills.

Are you speaking in a way that others can hear you?

There’s a lot more to communication than just what we say. This infographic from Maryville University explains how different generations prefer to communicate differently, and may even have difficulties communicating in certain ways.

When you communicate with others, do you rely on one type of medium to convey your message? Consider branching out and using other mediums. While they might not be as comfortable for you, it may help your audience feel better to communicate differently. For example, if you typically use texting, try making a phone call or having a face-to-face meeting.

Is your writing clear and concise?

In this digital age, a massive proportion of our communication is via the written word. It can be convenient to have a written record of what you said, and it is easier to shoot off a text than to try to make a phone call when the other person may be unable to answer.

The difficulty with writing is that it can not convey body language. Using emojis can help to share some emotions, but emojis aren’t always appropriate for use in business situations.

Because of this, it’s even more important to make sure that your writing is clear and concise. If you’re unsure, have a colleague or friend read that email before you send it off. Make sure it’s easy to understand what you’re saying and that your words can be taken at face value.

Are you showing others that you’re paying attention?

People know when you aren’t paying attention. You may think that they don’t notice when you leave them on “read” without responding, or that they don’t see you checking your phone during your conversation.

Trust me, they do.

Your body language says a lot about you. Whether you’re interviewing for a job or just having a chat with a coworker, show them that you’re paying attention by making eye contact, keeping your body still, and focusing on what they have to say. This is a skill that may require some practice if you’ve gotten in the habit of zoning out while others are speaking, but it’s well worth investing the time to unlearn your bad habits.

Communication is a skill that we’ve been learning since the day we were born. You are communicating something all the time, so take the time to make sure you’re communicating it well and saying what you mean to say.