Communication is the art of expressing your ideas to others. A human being needs to use communication skills from his birth till death. Everyone communicates in his own way but every communication is not effective and fruitful. The success of a person in his life depends upon how much clarity he has while communicating with others. It depends upon whether he can influence his audience by his words or not.
Consider the example of a salesman. You go to a shop to buy a dress. The salesman shows you one of the dresses in the shop and continuously tries to convince you to buy that dress. If he is good at communication and able to convey what he wants to convey, clearly what will be the result? Yes! you will buy the dress but if he is not able to maintain eye contact while communicating, his voice is trembling, and he is unable to depict product qualities, he most likely would not be able to sell anything.
Clarity and confidence make communication successful whether it is a job interview, a stage presentation, a normal greeting, or the offer of services. How to communicate clearly and confidently? The answer to this question lies in acting upon the 7 steps.
Get Out of your Cocoon and Expand your Experience
Confidence is not an inborn talent, it's a learned skill. The environment influences your confidence greatly. If you are shy and can't communicate well, you have to build up your confidence. The 1st step to building up confidence is changing experiences. If one tries to overcome his shyness without changing experience, it's an impossible task for example if, in a class or group of people, you have been acknowledged as an unconfident person, you can't improve your skill there. Try a different place, maybe a cricket club, a football club, or anything else where no one has acknowledged you as an unconfident person, and then show your confidence there. With the passage of time, it will change the rest of life as well.
Learn non-verbal communication skills
Communication is of verbal and non-verbal types. A sound grip on both makes you a good communicator. Try to learn and use body language. Never fidget. Some people are in the habit of playing with their hair while talking. It gives a sense of diffidence to the listener. A listener understands more with an amalgam of words and postures. Body language is so important in communication that in developed countries, each president has to pass through a body language course to improve his communication skills. If your word power is sound but body language is not coherent with words, the communication will not be effective and will bring no fruit.
Listening to others
For effective and fruitful communication, it is compulsory for both communicators to be good listeners. People tend to have a different point of view and it is their right to express it completely. A good communicator is one who can listen to others and be able to have a space to understand their point. Implementing your ideas onto others and forcing them to change the way they think is not a sensible practice. You can emphasize your point, you can make it more clear, you can help others to understand it, but you can never force them. Bring more stories, talk about experiences, and state facts and figures so that you can support what you mean.
Conciseness
Always try to use concise sentences. Don't complicate simple things by using lengthy and complex sentences. It makes the discussion boring and people tend to lose interest. Remain focused on the key points of your discussion. Never engage in self-obsessed stories and never brag about your own self. It is beneficial to come out with a relatable story that might be helpful in the given situation. But it is commonly seen that people get annoyed and frustrated when the orator starts an aimless discussion that revolves around their own self. In order to state your viewpoint clearly, always commence and end your discussion with key points, not by purposeless sentences.
Tone Modulation
While communicating to others, your tone should be dynamic and should suit your words. You should be neither too loud nor too low. Your volume shall reflect the topic you are discussing. If you are talking about something sad, your voice should reflect that. However, if you are talking about something exciting, the excitement shall be audible in your voice.
Presentable Personality
You must have a personality that makes others feel comfortable talking to you. A smiling face gives others a feeling of satisfaction. A friendly nature gains attention and wins projects. Use a little bit of humor to make your discussion interesting but never get out of your discussion. It is not necessary that you wear expensive clothes or branded shoes, it's all about your attitude towards others.
If you have a harsh tone, and your body language gives a negative impression, your communication might fail badly.
Eye contact
Eye contact is a sign of confidence. Martin Luther King was able to bring about the revolution because he was confident and he looked people in the eye. He was an advocate of positive language and always talked about how he could see his dream coming true. He believed in `I Have A Dream` and his confidence and belief made the dream come into life. They say, belief, and you're halfway there. So confidence and steadfastness will help you accomplish the impossible.
Effective and purposeful communication is a skill that pays off a lot. It helps you in your personal and professional life. The impact of communication determines the success of a person. It can be learned and improved with practice and accepting rejections. Confidence and attitude lie at the root of the skill. A friendly attitude, a suitable choice of words coherent with body language, an engaging way of discussion, and the habit of learning do wonders. The 7 secret steps to communicate clearly and confidently.