By Olga Smith
The number one purpose of communication is to understand others and be understood. Therefore, communication involves three main skills:
Listening and tuning in to your partner or audience.
Good communicators use 3D listening which means they are paying attention to how people perceive their messages, understand who they are speaking to, and establish a rapport. It is important to pay attention to the intonation and voice. People constantly ask me how can they improve their communication skills? Often, when we talk to others, we do not have the patience to listen. We hear a few words and very quickly we start anticipating what the other person will say. We even try to finish their sentences which is not very helpful particularly for the person who is talking. I recommend avoiding commenting, judging or advising regarding what you listening about. Just listen and engage your mind and heart with listening to another person.Erudition. Erudition will help you connect to people from different backgrounds and make you an interesting communicator. This skill is achieved by reading about current affairs and subjects that interest you. Try to see the connection between different areas, for example how phycology is connected to politics, or how culture influences art, and so on.
Communicating clearly and in an interesting engaging way to keep your audience’s attention. This skill is particularly important when speaking on the phone. You can achieve this skill by performing speech exercises.
I recommend the following daily practices.
Read, listen and make notes on topics that interest you the most.
Practice clarity of speech with the app Get Rid of your Accent
Look people in the eyes when you speak to them, smile.
Ask questions, listen to the answers without interrupting the person you communicate with. See what you can understand from the tone of voice, intonation, etc. Try to tune in to their speech pace, breathing and loudness.
Practise intonation and inflection with the app Fluent English Speech. The wrong intonation might be perceived as rude or inappropriate. The right intonation can make you sound powerful, compassionate, etc.
Practise stressing your messages and using the pauses in the right places with the app Fluent English Speech
Master colloquial speech with the app Elocution Lessons
To get the best results with these apps, download the video courses Get Rid of your Accent Part 1 and Get rid of your Accent Part 2.
Competent communicator knows how to speak confidently and use public speaking skills such as:
Informing
Inspiring
Persuading
Selling
Facilitating a discussion
Creating relationships and partnerships
Expressing yourself in front of others
Using visual aids successfully
You can also learn how to modulate your voice to show and understand emotions; you can do it with the app Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause.
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