How can we build effective communication skills?

Answered a question in Quora
There are two aspects of communication skills.

1. Self-mastery: master in own specialties.
2. Study-from-masters: study techniques from others through books/classes.

I believe 1st is important and 80% significant in a person who is successful.
Some tips on point 1: Mastering own.

1. Always be attentive to the context. More than content, you need to master to sense the context. compared to computer databases, it is the unique skill a man can value add is contextual interactions. if you are forced to create the context: like opening a meeting or start a conversation to start a deal, always establish a context with why they have to listen to you. (not why you are there!)
2. be empathetic. Sense how the other one will receive matter. If they are angry, sad then wait for the best moment. if they know only a particular language, obviously you need to use that more. All people will be receptive to people with a good brand. so you need to understand when you behave. For example, some non-traveling, average educated persons value English more than their mother tongue. Then if you are not proving a point, use English to gain the brand image. Once it is set, you can use the best medium to communicate. Some people may like you a lot when if you use their language to salute them.
3. keep zones in-tact. Sense the person’s zones. if you move too close, people tend to avoid you. so your communication will be like talking to a wall! But always mind sex when you talk. Ultimately nature has set some standards in raw form. If you alter it your communication may not be effective. It does not mean romantic without feeling it. Always behave as the other expected you to behave.
4. master in culture and languages. obviously, in this world globalization, don’t limit yourself in local language and English. Study German, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish, Tamil, Russian, or even Chinese & Arabic (their pronunciations are tricky). Though the language is obvious, people do not consider the cultural gap with importance. It is actually important than language, especially in lands where aliens are not many. For example, the Japanese are very polite and systematic in public places. if you cross a queue even without noticing it, it is a serious offense in that society. Remembering news about Japan: After hitting Tsunami, people lost everything, there were not enough food or electricity to store it. Complete shops were open for freely supplying all the food they have to the public. Without any instruction, people waited in a queue to take things one-by-one. So, always study the culture with proper importance.
5. Prepare on the matter well. Organize it for communication. Only reveal 30% of the content by you at first. The next 20–30% might be pulled by the audience through questions. Let them seek and find. This is for ensuring the effectiveness of the communication. The rest (50–40%) are for your confidence on the matter. Do not allow yourself to overflow. Keep it for next time. Let them be curious too!
6. create instant pictures. conveying things through instant drawings is really a plus. When you are drawing something realtime, it is giving ample time to the audience to digest the matter. As everyone says, pictures are independent of languages. study a little bit of mind-map for giving an overview of a complex matter.

About point 2: Study from others. I suggest you to read the classic How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie.



.veenusNotes 2019