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TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Communication is a very important aspect of an individual’s profession. You may be in any field but until your communication is good enough you cannot prosper. Here are few tips for interior and fashion designing students which will help them to boost their career.
1. Listen, listen, and listen: People want to know that they are being heard. Really listen to what the other person is sayings. At that moment, the person speaking to you should be the most important person in your life. Another important point is to have one conversation at a time. So while taking to an individual try not to respond other until necessary.
2. Who you are talking to matters: It is okay to use acronyms and informal language when you are communicating with a friend, but if you are emailing or texting your superiors , “Hey,” “LOL” or any informal language, has no place in your message. You cannot assume that the other person knows the acronym you are using while talking to him. Some acronyms have different meanings to different people, so you can be misunderstood! Effective communicators target their message based on who they are speaking to, so try to keep the other person in mind.
3. Body language matters too. This is important for face-to-face meetings and video conferencing. Make sure that you appearance is good and keep body language open. This means that you should not cross your arms. And keep eye contact so that the other person knows that you are paying attention.
4. Check your message properly before you hit send. Spelling and grammar checkers are lifesavers, but they are not foolproof solution. Cross check what you have written, to make sure that your words are communicating the intended message.
5. Be brief, yet specific. For written and verbal communication, practice being brief yet specific enough, make sure that you provide enough information to the other person to understand what you are trying to say. And if you are responding to an email, make sure that you read the entire email before drafting your response. With enough practice, you will learn not to ramble, or give way too much information.
6. Write things down first. Take notes while you are talking to another person or when you are in a meeting, and do not count on your memory. Send a follow-up email to make sure that you understand what was being discussed during the conversation.
7. Sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone. If you find that you have a lot to say, instead of sending an email prefer calling the person instead. Email is great, but sometimes it is easier to communicate what you have to say verbally.
8. Think before you speak. Always think before you speak, not saying the first thing that comes to your mind. Take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and how you say it. This one habit will allow you to avoid humiliations.
9. Treat everyone equally. Do not talk down to anyone, treat everyone with respect. Treat others as your equal and never forget to be well mannered.
10. Maintain a positive attitude along with a smile. Even when you are speaking on the phone, smile because your positive attitude will shine through and the other person especially your seniors/ boss will know it. When you smile often and exude a positive attitude, people will respond positively to you.
