1. Knowing how to improve communication skills will come easier once you become aware of your own communication style.
Each person has a unique way of communicating. Listen to your own speech. What sorts of words do you use? Which sort of body language and what tone of voice are you using?
Now, think of someone who, in your opinion, is a good communicator. Compare your style to theirs. You've just taken an important first step in how to improve communication skills.
2. Now that you are aware of your own style, study the style of those around you. How do the most important people in your life converse? How do they say things? Look for approaches you can model and make your own.
3. Adjust to the other styles of communication. Don't think it is too late to change your way of conversing because it's been years. You had to learn to communicate in the first place and you can unlearn certain behaviors or change them. Sometimes we get stuck in a communication rut.
A father once was having a hard time with his teenaged daughter. She was growing and he thought she didn't tell him what was going on in her life. They were in a heated discussion when he asked, ?Why didn't you tell me??
Her answer was that she had, but he was too busy lecturing her to hear her. He learned that adjusting his style to his daughter would involve listening first before jumping right into solving the problem.
4. To build rapport, during a conversation try and match the other person's movements, posture and verbal style. Don't do everything they do, but mirror one or two things. For example, if the person gives mostly short answers to questions, you follow suit.
Or, maybe they talk at a slower pace than you usually do-slow your speaking speed to match theirs. This may sound simplistic but it is a very potent way to make someone feel very relaxed and comfortable in your presence.
5. The way you communicate at home may not be the same as in a different environment. Make sure you change your style to suit the different setting. Some comments you might want to tell your best friend, in private.
Other things can be shared in a group setting. Learn how to improve communication skills by altering your style for the appropriate setting. Many of us know someone who offers far too much information in a group setting.
6. Don't criticize others for communicating differently. If we all communicated in the same way, we'd soon be bored with each other.
Getting a good grasp of your communication style and finding ways to accommodate other peoples? styles, is a good way to improve your communication skills.
Would you like some great tips on how to improve communication skills? By improving your communication skills, we mean that you will become more assertive at communicating your thoughts and opinions. Can this be done? Yes, it can. And it boils down to one general rule: stop seeking other people's approval. When you do this, you will find yourself more confident at expressing your own particular thoughts and opinions.
What are the effects of not seeking other people's approval?
1) You become perceived as a more charismatic individual by other people.
2) You learn to say "no" when needed rather than always saying "yes" to other people.
3) You regain your peace of mind because you no longer feel the need to place yourself in a position of weakness when interacting with other people.
4) You begin to get in touch with your own point of view instead of absorbing other people's point of view in the absence of your own.
But you may be wondering how you go about getting rid of the habit of seeking other people's approval. Here are some tips that should help you with that. With daily practice, you will find that you will eventually be rid of the old habit.
1) Try to be aware of the times that you try to seek other people's approval by saying things just to please them.
2) Change what you are saying to reflect the truth rather than using content that you hope will make the other person more accommodating to you. The truth may hurt, but in the long run, it is more beneficial to both you and the other person. For example, your spouse may ask you "Do I look alright to you?" as you are preparing to go out for dinner. The old habit would make you say "Oh yes, you look terrific!" when the truth is your spouse has some lipstick smeared on her cheek. Change to the new habit of being truthful and tell your spouse "You've got some lipstick smudged on your cheek." The truth is oftentimes simpler to say.
3) Keep monitoring yourself for a period of at least three weeks so that switching to the new habit becomes a matter of daily practice. In time, the new habit becomes easier to use and you won't find it so difficult anymore.
4) It helps to maintain a point system of your own. You might opt to reward yourself for learning the new habit of speaking your mind. For example, if your friend wants to borrow your car for the day, the old you would have automatically said "Oh sure, take the keys. Have fun." even though you would have preferred not to lend the car to him because he doesn't look after the car properly. Switch to the new habit and tell him "I'd rather not lend the car to you." The friend might be quite persistent and keep asking day after day - the trick is to be equally persistent at saying "no, you can't borrow it."
The point system helps you to bolster your own confidence level because you can see how well you stand up to peer pressure. And if you reach a certain number of points, you could opt to reward yourself - maybe you could splurge on a triple-layer ice cream cone, or a new pair of jeans. The point is that it is something you would really enjoy.
As you can see, it takes time to become more assertive but it is possible. Hopefully, this article has been able to teach you how to improve communication skills.
Peter Murphy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Modelling, Marketing and Web Development. Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available only at:. Peter Murphy's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.