Let’s face it; communication is the key to a successful business. Whether you’re talking to your boss, your colleagues, between departments or, more importantly, your customers, the way you present yourself, the way you talk and the way you write all had an effect on how you’re perceived and the message you’re trying to communicate.
Whether you’re talking through a computer, a smartphone, a telephone or face to face, here are eight essential tips you need to know to improve your communication skills.
1. Be as accurate as possible
This may seem like such an obvious point, but It’s one of the most important and most commonly overlooked. Whereas you might speak in slang or poor English to your spouse, partner or friends, when you’re writing or talking in a business setting, accuracy is essential.
“For example, when you’re writing an email, write as accurately as possible, being sure to include all the right grammar and use proper spelling throughout” – explains Maria Rodriguez, a Communication Manager at UK Top Writers and a Huffingtonpost writer.
2. Asking questions to better your understanding
Regardless of the channel of communication you’re using, asking questions is a vital part of understanding and it’s vital that you rid yourself of the misconception that asking questions means you look stupid or insignificant to the people around you.
At the end of the day, we’re all only human, and we don’t know everything. In a business setting, not asking questions can cause so many problems; problems that can so easily be avoided.
3. Be detailed with emails
When writing emails, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of writing back and forth to your recipient in an endless flow of messages. However, by writing with detail, you can save yourself so much time and effort in this process.
When writing your initial emails, and as much relevant detail as you can to your content since this will minimise the number of questions asked, as well as the risk of miscommunication.
4. One conversation per point
When writing emails, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of writing back and forth to your recipient in an endless flow of messages. However, by writing with detail, you can save yourself so much time and effort in this process.
When writing your initial emails, and as much relevant detail as you can to your content since this will minimise the number of questions asked, as well as the risk of miscommunication.
5. Check your messages
This is perhaps one of the most important points to remember for writing content. “Whether you’re writing emails or instant messages, always make sure that you check your content through afterwards before sending it to make sure that it’s free from errors” – says Cecilia Dixon, a Business writer at Best British Essays.
This means proofreading your letters to make sure it makes sense while removing any spelling mistakes and typos. Imagine if you’re quoting a customer for a £100 job but accidentally write £1,000 without checking.
6. Enhance your listening skills
It seems like nowadays, many of us believe that listening is simply ‘listening’ to another person talk while waiting for our chance to share our next point. However, this is not listening and is extremely counterproductive.
When listening, or reading someone else’s messages, put 100% focus on what they are saying and really absorb what is being said. This can dramatically help to progress a conversation and ensures optimal communication.
7. Improve your writing skills
Many people are actually surprised when they consider how much they actually write a day. Whether you’re writing emails, text messages, instant messages, reports, letters or any other form of content, taking the time to improve your writing skills is an incredibly beneficial thing to do.
8. Know when to use what channel
As mentioned above, it’s easy to get caught up in endless text messages, emails or online messaging service threads. However, as an expert of Business Communication, it’s important that you know when to make the decision to switch over to a phone call, or even to meet in person.
In Summary
As you can see, there are many ways you can drastically improve your business communication skills, many of which simply mean becoming more focused in your everyday life and actively encouraging yourself to pay attention in every interaction, seeing it as another chance to improve your skills.
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