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Success_And_Communication
| Success And Communication
Everything we do in life requires communication. Personal and
business success often hinges on how well we understand others
and how well they can understand us. If one of the objectives of
communication is achieving a shared understanding, what can you
do to become more effective when communicating? Here are few
tips that will help you become a more effective communicator: Do
you make eye contact when speaking or listening? Yes, this is
simple suggestion. Take a moment to think about how you feel
when someone connects with you in this way. Do you feel really
listened to? Does it seem that the person is focused on you and
the message you want to convey? Adding a couple of head nods
will also demonstrate to the speaker you are really listening
and interested in what s/he is saying. Making these simple
adjustments in your behavior will help improve your
communication. Do you keep from interrupting and the let person
finish what s/he is saying? One way to enhance your listening
skills is to spend more time listening. One of the challenges
inherent in listening is that we speak at an estimated rate of
125 to 150 words per minute and we think at the rate of an
estimated 500 words per minute. That leaves a lot of time for a
listener to wander off into his or her own thoughts, jump to
conclusions or formulate a response before the speaker has
finished saying what they want to say. One way you can stay
focused and present in a conversation is by "listening" for the
speaker's non-verbal communication. One estimate has it that 75%
of all communication is non-verbal. So, with the extra 350 or so
words of thinking time you have available when you are
listening, focus on the speaker and what they are communicating
non-verbally. Do your words and actions match? Since
communication occurs both verbally and non-verbally, it is
important to make the message consistent. Send one message, not
two. For example, have you ever found your posture rigid or
tense while saying: "I'm fine, everything is just great." There
are two messages being sent. The body is sending one message and
the words are sending another. Another example of this is a
feeling you can get that someone isn't telling you the whole
story. Next time you have this sensation in a business or
personal interaction, look at the person's body language and/or
facial expression. Are the non-verbal cues in alignment with the
words being spoken? When verbal and non-verbal communication is
in sync, the message is perceived as genuine. Does your vocal
tone and inflexion match the words you are saying? How you say
the words of your message is as important as the words you use
when expressing yourself. Think of the phrase, "Thank you" and
the variety of ways it can be spoken. Depending on how the words
are emphasized it will change the meaning. The same phrase can
mean authentic gratitude or sarcasm. Think about the phrase,
"Come here". A parent speaking to a misbehaving child will have
a different vocal tone than someone in a business context using
the same phrase. Even the word "yes", can have many meanings
depending on how it is emphasized. A soft "yes" has a different
meaning than a "YES" that is enthusiastic and forceful. Matching
your intonation and inflexion to the message you intend to
convey will increase your effectiveness when you communicate.
Are you aware of your barriers and filters? Everyone has a point
of view and at times it will affect how one communicates. Just
think about the last time you were having a conversation with
your spouse or significant other and then somehow, in a split
second, you found yourself in the middle of an argument. How did
things shift so quickly? One of you hit a trigger in the other,
that's how things can change so quickly. We all have triggers
and in order to communicate responsibly in personal and business
relationships it is imperative to know what they are. Everyone
has an opinion and is a result of his/her background; the
challenge when communicating is to become aware of how these two
factors can shut down the communication process. In the
communication process the speaker AND the listener are equally
responsible for the success of the interaction. And, because
communication is a process, the roles are constantly shifting
during a conversation. The speaker becomes the listener who
becomes the speaker and so on. These tips are just a few of the
ways you can become more effective in your role as a speaker or
listener. Remember, one of the primary needs that communication
fulfills is the need to connect with other people. Incorporating
any of these suggestions will give you greater access to
connection, as well as personal and business success. I hope
this helps in your future marketing decisions.
About the author:
David Bell http://www.wspromotion.com/ Advertising research and
development center
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