(PC) Business Communication Skills Lesson

Business Communication Skills

Gilbert Amelio, President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp, said, "Developing excellent communication is absolutely essential to effective leadership." Fortunately, communication is a skill that you can learn, and like every other worthwhile skill, you have to work at it. When we think of communication we think of things we began learning in grade school: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Let's look at each of these in the context of business and career.

Listening

PROVIDE FEEDBACK WHAT I'M HEARING IS... IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE SAYING... Summarize what the speaker is saying and ask questions to let communicate that you are paying attention.When you think of great communicators, your first thought may be of those who speak well. Would it surprise you to know that many business leaders would place listening at the top of the business communication skills list? When we actively listen, the person we are listening to feels respected and is more willing to share their feelings with us. Whether it is a customer or a coworker we are listening to, active listening helps us build relationships with these people.

Active listening is making a conscious effort to not just understand the words being said, but also understand the message being sent. There are five actions that mark us as an active listener:

  • Pay Attention – Look at the speaker directly. Pay attention to the speaker's body language. Don't be distracted by things in the environment (i.e. ignore your cell phone.) Don't be thinking about what YOU are going to say.
  • Show You Are Listening – Nod, smile, and use your own body language to let the speaker know you are listening. Encourage the speaker verbally.
  • Provide Feedback - Phrases like "It sounds like you are saying…" or "What I'm hearing is…" are useful for this. Summarizing what the speaker is saying and asking questions is another way to let them know you are paying attention.
  • Don't Interrupt – Interrupting is a waste of time. Let the speaker finish before offering a countering point of view or asking questions.
  • Be Respectful – Listening is an opportunity to gain information and perspective. Be open and candid in your response, but assert your opinion without attacking or putting down the speaker.

Writing

STAY AWAY FROM JARGON think outside the box This Includes not only social media blurbs like "LOL" or "OMG" but also business-speak such as "bottom line" and "think outside the box"Next to listening, employers felt writing skills were the second most important communication skill an employee could have. Writing skills are important in many types of company communications, including emails, reports, presentations, brochures, advertising materials, web pages, and Internet advertisements. Well written messages help employees not waste time and be productive. Good writing reflects on both the writer and the company.

What is good writing? Here are some points to help you improve your writing skills.

  • Get to the Point - No one has time to waste. Before you write, understand your objectives, who you are writing to.
  • Write Then Revise - Write your first draft quickly to get your ideas out, then edit and revise for clarity. Strive for being clear rather than wordy.
  • Stay Away from Jargon - This includes not only social media blurbs like "LOL" or "OMG" but also business-speak such as "bottom line" and "think outside the box."
  • Write Like You Talk - Always write in first person and try to find the same tone and voice you would use in speaking to the reader face to face. Also, vary your sentence structure to avoid sounding like a droid avatar.

Clear writing is so pervasive and so important in the business world that we will revisit this skill later in this lesson.

Speaking

WATCH YOUR BODY LANGUAGE Words are only a part of your oral communication. Facial expressions, gestures, stance, and other body language should be relevant to what you are saying,Oral business communications (speaking) is a learnable skill. Whether you are giving a presentation to a group in a meeting or speaking one on one to an employee, it is essential to articulate your message in a way that will be understood by your audience. A good speaker understands the perspective of the audience, speaks clearly and concisely, varies the tone of voice, pronounces words clearly and correctly, and is aware of body language.

There are several things you can do to develop these skills:

  • Read More - Nothing develops vocabulary and language skills like reading. Continually push yourself to read slightly above your present reading level.
  • Think About Your Audience - Think about your audience and the words you are using with them. Are the words ones that your audience will understand? Using big words doesn't necessarily make you sound intelligent, but they may get you misunderstood.
  • Keep Eye Contact - Whether you are speaking to a group or an individual, maintaining eye contact will make you seem more believable and sincere.
  • Create Interaction - Ask questions, get feedback, plan into your presentation or conversation some time to interact with your audience and let them be heard. They will feel included and you may learn a lot.
  • Watch Your Body Language -Words are only a part of your oral communication. Facial expressions, gestures, stance, and other body language should be relevant to what you are saying.

Reading

READ Truly reading is something that is learned best by doing. Read a lot. Read good writing. Try to understand words in their context.While technology has changed the ways we communicate, it has not changed the need for good reading skills. In this lesson we have already mentioned that reading more will help improve your speaking skills. The same is true for writing skills. Like all skills, reading comprehension can be improved through practice.

Here are some tips to improve your reading skills:

  • Read - Truly reading is something that is learned best by doing. Read a lot. Read good writing. Try to understand words in their context.
  • Play Vocabulary Games - Crossword puzzles and online word games can help you improve your vocabulary. They cannot help you as much as seeing the word in context though.
  • Diversify - Many times we come to love one genre of writing and don't want to read anything else. Diversifying and reading things we are not as familiar with, will improve our reading skills. Reading top trade journals associated with our career paths can help improve our professional vocabulary and help us keep up with trends and industry buzz words.

While we will talk about important technology skills in communication, these basic skills are both the foundation and the heart of communication. According to Lynne Williams, professor, Kaplan University School of Information Technology, " Technology becomes obsolete quite rapidly; good communication skills remain with you throughout your working life."

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