How to Communicate More Effectively (Article 11)

How to communicate effectively with your clients, team members, and bosses.

Communication is something we all struggle with, but most of us don’t realize that our own communication skills are holding us back. This post will help you identify your communication weaknesses, and then provide practical steps on how to improve your communication skills.

STEP 1: Know What You Want to Say

If you’re not sure what you want to say, write it down. If it’s really important, write it down twice. Once, just to remind yourself what you want to say, and again to force yourself to think about it before speaking.

STEP 2: Know How to Say It

If you want to be more effective in communicating with others, you must learn how to express your thoughts clearly. There are many different ways to do this, but the most common is through body language, tone of voice, and word choice.

STEP 3: Know When to Say It

Communicating is one thing, but knowing when to say it is another. You should only communicate when it’s necessary, and avoid communicating when it’s not necessary. This will help you get more things done while reducing the amount of time you spend on communication.

STEP 4: Know When Not to Say It

Finally, there are some situations where you shouldn’t say anything at all. For example, if you’re having a meeting with a client, don’t talk to them about work unless they bring it up first. The same rule applies when you’re in the middle of a discussion with a colleague.

STEP 5: Listen

If you want to be more effective in communicating with others, you must learn how to listen. Listening is an incredibly important skill because it’s what helps you gain understanding and perspective.

STEP 6: Focus on What You Want to Hear

When you’re listening, try to focus on what you want to hear, and block out everything else. You may find that you can’t do this for some people, but if you can, it will make it easier to understand what they say.

STEP 7: Know When to Interrupt

Finally, you need to know when to interrupt. If you don’t know when to stop talking, it will become obvious to others that you’re not listening. This will only make things worse and will cause unnecessary tension.

Thanks for reading!