Communication is just as important in personal relationships as it is in business and career.

If you master communication, you can become more assertive and work with people better. You will understand their needs and find a compromise instead of getting involved in conflict. The relationship between advanced communication and personal effectiveness has long been documented. If you would like to become more successful in your personal or professional life, you might need to look at your communication patterns and identify development areas. Below you will find a few tips on how to get started.

Learn to Listen

One of the things you need to learn before you can become a good communicator is listening. If you are entering a room full of strangers, and are looking for the best way to start a conversation, the best approach is listening in for a while and finding out what people are interested in and tuned into. Listening is just as important in communication as speaking. When you are negotiating a contract, you will have to fully understand the other person’s position.

Be Accommodating

You can easily win over your audience if you accommodate their communication preferences. Find out as much as possible about the people you are talking to, so you can make personal connections. For example, you can learn a few words in their own language, and implement it in the conversation or speech. You can read more about this method online.  This will tell them that you are speaking directly to them and would like them to be a part of the conversation and make sense of what you have to say. Accommodating the needs of your audience will take you further than simply reading a script.

Understand Others’ Communication Preferences

It is also crucial that you know what type of communication people you are talking to prefer. Some of them like intimate settings, while others would like their own space in the boardroom. You can make meetings as formal and informal as possible. Some people like video conferences, while others like black and white documents. When you are trying to get a message across within your business, you have to do your research and find out what your audience is expecting you to do.

Know When to Speak

One of the things you have to remember is that silence is golden sometimes. If you are not invited to speak and simply butt in, you are going to be judged as inconsiderate and rude. Even if you are delivering a presentation and have a timeline and schedule, you have to sometimes pause to find out the reaction of your audience. If you talk to your partner about your home renovation plans, you will have to let them express their views and opinions, so they can become a part of the team, instead of being asked to say yes. Communication should always be two-way.

Be Open and Honest

Effective communicators never try to be someone else. They let their personality shine through and clearly express their personal mission and values. If you are open about what you would like to achieve and what the ideal outcome of the meeting or discussion is, you are more likely to get people on board. No matter if you are discussing finances with your family members or are asking for more funding for your corporate project, you need to be open and honest about why you think your plans will work.

Offer a Takeaway

When delivering speeches and presentations, the most common mistakes people make is not offering a conclusion and a takeaway. If you are able to improve your presentation structure, you will be able to provide a more visible value for your listeners. At the end of the speech and presentation, summarize what you talked about and let people how they can make the most use out of the information and turn it into an asset.

Be Agreeable

Being too confrontational will not do you any good. You have to listen to other people’s views and seek common ground instead of focusing on the differences. This will help you create a shared goal for the meeting or discussion and align your personal goals with others. Being agreeable doesn’t mean that you give up your values and ideas; you simply have to accept that other people have a different perspective and put yourself in their shoes to understand where they are coming from.

Know When to Stay Silent

Even if you are invited to the meeting or conversation, you don’t have to comment on everything. Therefore, you will have to find the time when you simply listen and allow others to fully express themselves. Leaving some breaks in your speech will give them an opportunity to express themselves and add things, agree or disagree with what you said. Keeping a pause can be very effective.

Prepare Your Conversations

Never arrive at a meeting without being prepared. No matter if you are trying to get a new client on board or simply make a decision with your partner, sit down and learn what they are likely to say, so you can prepare your answers. Do your research whenever you are talking to a person who is making a decision or influencing it. Know where they stand and what is likely to influence their decisions, so you can steer the conversation in the right direction and avoid talking about issues that are not relevant or cause a negative emotional reaction.

Practice In Front of the Mirror

Are you delivering a sales pitch? Going to an interview with a potential employer? Or are you looking to deliver a training? It might be a good idea to practice your communication in front of the mirror. However, with the latest technology, you can also take advantage of recording facilities on your computer or phone. This allows you to play it back and address the areas where you need to make an improvement to improve how you deliver your messages.

Add a Smile

No matter if you are speaking to a personal connection or a business partner, a smile will trigger trust and a positive attitude. You can set off the meeting and conversation well if you smile and talk openly, instead of being too focused on the facts and getting your message across. Try to use your body language to communicate with people and make the conversation personal. This will help you improve the outcome and the flow of the conversation.

Back Up Your Statements with Data or Facts

One of the reasons why you might not be trusted when you are holding a meeting or presenting your views is that people are not convinced that you are genuine and know what you are talking about. This can easily be overcome if you do your research and back up your statements and arguments with facts. You can implement statistics and data in your presentation or create visual aids that will make your message more valuable.

Learn to Read Body Language

Listening to verbal feedback is only one part of the task when it comes to tuning in to the feelings and reactions of your audience. The other one is learning to read their body language. You will need to check if they are open to receiving the information or they are closed to new ideas. Further, you have to make  sure you have their full attention and they are interested in what you have to say.

Avoid Jargon

A surefire way of boring your audience is using too much jargon. No matter how professional you are and how well you know the meaning of various technical phrases, your audience might feel intimidated by not understanding everything you say. Less is more, and you can show off your expertise in a way that doesn’t involve talking a different language than your audience. It is important that you check the understanding of your listening and ask questions while talking about complicated issues that might be just too much to take in for them.

Cultural Alignment

It is also crucial that you create a cultural alignment between your presentation or speech and your audience. Make relevant remarks and use examples they can relate to. For example, if you are holding a training for young carers, you will need to use life situations they can relate to, instead of those from the corporate world. This will help you create a deeper connection and understanding and get your message across better.

When it comes to communication, there are several training programs available. However, you need to choose the approach and method that is the most suitable for your beliefs and values, as well as your audience. Learn to listen and stop, find a common ground, and engage with your listeners by asking question and encouraging two-way communication. This will not only make you a better communicator, but also a more successful person.