Communication is one of the most important skills to master in life, it’s an essential part of networking, finding and keeping a job, maintaining your relationships with friends and family, and more and but it can be difficult to know how to communicate effectively without feeling awkward or unnatural.
Don’t feel Awkward or Embarrassed
When you’re in a conversation, don’t hesitate to ask questions and people will be more inclined to open up to you if they see that you are genuinely interested in them and their life.
This is the fastest way to feel comfortable and natural with someone, have a list of questions ready for when you want to connect with someone, or even before you go into an interview environment.
Be Mindful of Your Body Language
Your body language can say a lot about how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking and when you are in conversation, make sure your body language matches the words that you’re saying.
If someone says they are feeling overwhelmed, for example, avoid slumping over in your seat or crossing your arms and this might give off the impression that you don’t care about what they’re saying and it’s important to be mindful of your posture and gestures.
Use Active Listening Skills
One of the most important skills for effectivecommunication training is active listening, when you’re listening to someone, it’s crucial that you actually listen and process what they’re saying instead of the thought of what they are about to say after.
To be an active listener, focus on maintaining eye contact, nod occasionally, and ask questions if you need clarification.
Practice the Art of Communication with Others
One of the first steps to mastering the art of communication is practicing with others you can start by practicing with friends or family members and you could even try practicing in a mirror or in front of a video camera to get used to how you look on video.
There are many different ways you can practice, but it’s important that you do so before your next big meeting or networking event.
This will help you feel more confident and natural as you’re communicating with others and making mistakes are inevitable, but by practicing, you’ll be less likely to make mistakes when it counts the most.
Keep an Open Mind when Communicating with Others
Effective communication with others starts with your own frame of mind and it can be easy to take things personally when you communicate with others, but it’s important to keep your mind open when listening to what they say.
Everyone has a different perspective on the world and while that may not align perfectly with yours, the more you listen and understand where they’re coming from, the better chance you’ll have at having a successful conversation and reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.
