Madiha Yaqoob
Good communication is very important to succeed in life. If you look at the life of every successful leader, the most common success factor is their ability to communicate effectively. If you want to become successful in the workplace, want to become emotionally resilient, or want to become a successful entrepreneur, good communication skill is the key.
We begin to worry too much because of our inability to communicate and clarify things. in nutshell, this soft skill is a prerequisite to becoming successful in every walk of life.
These five proven ways can improve your communication skill if practiced with dedication.
1. Understand the importance of non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal communication or body language attributes largely to your communication success. The 7% Rule is an amazing non-verbal communication principle that highlights the importance of effective voice tone and body language. If you can master the art of speaking, and assist your talk with moderately animated body language, the chances of you being given attention as a speaker is 93%. Moderate animated body language, means, you do not appear smaller than you are, and do not slouch or fold your arms while talking.
2. Do not rely on visuals.
Although modern-day TED talks are highly aided by visuals for 18 minutes, the research says, visuals should be avoided. This is why Steve Jobs banned PowerPoint presentations at Apple and Sheryl Sandberg followed in Steve’s footsteps at Facebook. The reason for avoiding PowerPoint visuals is that it hinders communication.
3. Feedback makes you better.
You can not improve your communication if you do not ask for candid feedback from the people around you. One of the ways to improve your communication is to pick up your smartphone, record a three-minute video and then not only self-assess your talk but also get an honest opinion from the people around you. People are your best critic, their feedback can help you improve your talk, selection of words, voice pitch, and most importantly, your body language.
4. Involve people in the discussion.
No matter how great a speaker you are, people have a short attention span. This is why you must have noticed that shorter videos on social media have high engagement over long-duration live videos. People want to be engaged. One effective way is to involve them in the discussion by asking their opinion. They feel privileged when involved and it helps them improve as a communicator.
5. Have a good sense of humor.
One of the signs of a good speaker is, that they master the art of timing. They crack jokes in their talks to grab the audience’s attention. This is a perfect way of engaging the audience because when people laugh, they are curious about what is next and pay attention to your speech.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan was a former Hollywood actor and he had mastered the art of public speaking with his great communication skills. His timing of cracking a joke when speaking in public was immaculate and often liked by his opponents too.
