Communication skills are the tools for socializing, developing rapport, influencing, and building consensus. There is no way around it. There are various different communication skills we can use to influence, persuade, and influence others. Each of these skills has it’s own purpose and use. In this article, we will look at four socialization skills that are valuable to the average person.
First off, you need to develop and improve your listening comprehension skills. You might be thinking that ‘listening comprehension’ means exactly what it says, which is receptivity to what someone is saying. However, communication skills are more complex than that. Listening comprehension doesn’t just mean being able to understand what someone is communicating with you. It also means that you can comprehend the underlying message the person is trying to convey. This means you can let them know your position on the issue without responding with an opinion or point of view.
Secondly, you have to learn how to listen to other people. Not everyone is always willing to give you their complete attention. You have to learn to put yourself in the place of other people. For instance, if you are talking to a group of people, you don’t have to try so hard to sound knowledgeable. Instead, you can try to sound as natural as possible.
Thirdly, you have to give value and praise to people. If you treat people badly, it will reflect upon you and how you deal with others. If you offer something that is good, then they will want to get it, too. In a nutshell, you should always do things for people first. It will show them how much they are appreciated and how much they mean to you.
Fourthly, you have to make sure you have eye contact. Not everyone is eye contact all the time. People who do this naturally are considered to be very charismatic and nice. However, these people get away with a lot of things, because other people are not able to read body language or facial expressions. When you talk, make sure you are smiling and be sure your eyes are on the target when you offer your opinions.
Fifthly, remember to listen to what someone is saying and then to take in what they are saying. In communication, we have to make sure we are always listening and paying attention. Communication is easier if you are also taking notes and passing them on. When you give them information, make sure you are summarizing what they said so you won’t have to explain everything again.
Lastly, make sure you are clear and open with communication. A lot of people confuse clarity with invisibility. However, when you are speaking, make sure you are as audible as possible. In most cases, this is all you really need to be.
This is why communication is very important, because it creates relationships between people. It is a way to express yourself to other people. With that being said, communication should be taken very seriously. Take your time, understand what others are saying and you will have no problems.
Of course, there are times when you might misread or misunderstand something somebody is saying. This is just part of being a human and people often say things that don’t mean anything to them at first. Don’t let that bother you too much though. As long as you continue to communicate, the misunderstanding should stop after a few exchanges.
Another common mistake communication skills often see is when people assume they know what another person wants to hear. This is just flat out wrong. As humans, we don’t always realize exactly what another person wants to hear, especially if the communication isn’t direct. For example, when I was trying to get my ex-wife to forgive me for stealing money from her bank account, I did a lot of apologizing, promising I would never do it again and such. She, of course, didn’t accept that sort of reasoning.
The key here was to not give her any reason to doubt you. You also want to make sure you’re not making a big deal out of it or she’ll be disappointed in you. Whatever you do, just give her the direct answer to her question without any of the “I don’t mean it” or “oh, please tell me why” and give her the real details. In other words, just give her the truth, period. If she agrees with your reasoning, then that’s the end of the matter.
The fact that there are different kinds of communication skills should mean that you can use yours to your advantage. However, there are still plenty of people that don’t really pay attention to the way they speak to others or make decisions. As such, you need to make sure you’re listening to what she’s saying and giving her the honest response she’s asking for. If she feels like you’re listening to her and really cares about her problem, then you’ve done a great job.