The Business Leaders Guide to Successful Communication
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How many of you consider yourself to be a business person? How many of you consider yourself to be a business leader? Just about anyone can go into business or even call themself a business person. So then, what creates a "business leader"?
This is an important distinction. The secret to the difference between a business person and a business leader is how one communicates. Sounds like common sense to some...but please read on to learn 10 invaluable pointers to ensure your success in business communication.
1. Always ensure you have a specific objective when
interacting with someone.
Ask yourself: "What do I want to accomplish?"
Don’t try to fly by the seat of your pants or be
impromptu.
2. Know as much as you can about the listener(s).
Ask yourself: "What does(s)he expect, think, or
know about this subject?"Don’t assume that your needs, perspectives, and understanding of a topic are the same as your listener.
3. Make sure you can be easily heard by your listener(s).
Ask yourself: "Have I adjusted my voice for the
circumstances, such as room size/setup, number of people,
environmental noise?" Don’t speak so softly that people must work hard to hear you as this wastes time and is unproductive.
4. Pay attention to the speed of your message.
Ask yourself: "Am I speaking with a satisfactory rate
for the needs of the listener and the content of what I’m
saying?" Don’t speak too rapidly and run the risk of confusing your listener or having your message misunderstood.
5. Focus on your pronunciation and strive to be as clear
as possible.
Ask yourself: "Do I tend to use a casual style of
speaking as exhibited by dropping off word endings or final sounds, or mispronouncing words?" Don't use a sloppy or imprecise way of speaking and convey an unprofessional image.
6. Concentrate on what’s most important in your message and
use emphasis accordingly. Ask yourself: "How can I deliver what I need to say and hold my listener’s attention?"
Don’t use the same pitch or inflection pattern and
become monotonous.
7. Become aware of your nonverbal communication when
interacting with others. Ask yourself: "What distracting habits do I have that may be detracting from what I’m saying?"
Don’t use gestures that are fidgety/call attention to
you in a negative way, and are not enhancing your message.
8. Sharpen your basic grammar skills.
Ask yourself: "Would I make the common mistake of
confusing correct pronoun usage (e.g. "Contact either Bob or myself." rather than saying "Contact either Bob
or me.")?" Don’t fall into the habit of being agrammatical whether you are speaking or writing, and portraying yourself in a negative light.
9. Work on enriching your vocabulary.
Ask yourself: "Is my speech characterized by using the
same words repeatedly and do I have a habit of speaking in
jargon?" Don’t become complacent with your word choice and avoid using technical terminology if it is not known to the
listener.
10.Teach yourself to develop the art of listening.
Ask yourself: "Do I tend to do most of the talking and
dominate the conversation?" Don’t fall into the pattern of being long-winded and forgetting to ask open-ended questions to learn more aboutyour listener.
Implementing these 10 tips will position you to become a
successful business communicator.
About the Author
Dale Klein is a Corporate Communication & Speech Specialist and is the owner of SPEECH MATTERS. When it comes to ensuring you speak with power, professionalism and polish, you'll want to contact Dale Klein to get results at http://www.speech-matters.com or call 518-664-6004.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2006-07-22 16:39:59 in Business Articles
