Have you ever been in this situation? You are talking to a person. You are telling a story and he interrupts you to give his opinion about it. Frustrated, you take back the imaginary microphone and continue with your story. He looks irritated, but fortunately he now lets you finish. In your mind you think: “Why doesn't he ever listen”? This is just one practical example where a lesson in communication skills is useful. A better world of communication skills always starts with you and that is why we give 1 free tips to improve your communication skills.

1. Listen to the other person

We all have 2 ears and one mouth, this is so we can listen twice as much as we can talk. Communication skills are all about listening to the other person. Give the other person enough space and time to tell his story and do not interrupt immediately. Listening well is more difficult than you think. How often do you interrupt someone before he or she has finished talking? You unconsciously do this faster than you initially realize. We often listen to someone with the intention of responding to their story as quickly as possible. Without waiting until the other person has finished speaking and listening to what he/she says. So don't do that again!

If you are using listens to the other then you will be able to understand what he or she means. Try to listen to what the other person is saying without prejudice. Put your own thoughts aside for a moment so that you can empathize with the other person. Listen to the other person by listening carefully to the words he/she says, the intonation and don't forget to pay attention to body language. Only when you are willing to listen can you understand the other person better.

2. Pay attention to non-verbal cues

You communicate not only with words, but also with non-verbal behavior. Of non-verbal signals such as eye contact, gestures and posture, you can tell a lot about how the other person is actually feeling. All these signals provide extra information and should match the message you want to convey. For example, is someone not looking at you? Or does he keep his arms closed and crossed? These are non-verbal signals with which the other person unconsciously wants to say something. Do not focus too directly on non-verbal behavior. What you can do is describe the other person's body language. For example, say: “I see you have your arms crossed. Is there something you want to tell me?” Also be aware of non-verbal signals that you unconsciously give off. For example, pay close attention to your own posture, facial expression and the gestures you make.

3. Ask further

Asking questions is an important communication skill. By asking questions you get to the core and you get more information. For example, you find out what motivates someone and what they find important. The right time to ask further questions is when your conversation partner has talked about certain things. You do further questions by asking open questions. An open question is a question that cannot be answered with “yes” or “no” and usually starts with who, what, when, where, which, how and why.

4. Summarize

In addition to the above skills, summarizing is also an important communication skill. You summarize by saying in your own words what the other person said. If you want to summarize, you say, for example: “If I understand correctly, you mean... By summarizing, you can check whether you have understood the other person correctly.

5. Pay attention to your pitch and speaking rate

Then we have now arrived at the last tip. Always pay attention to your pitch and speaking pace during a conversation. This largely determines how your story is received by the conversation partner. For example, if you are under a lot of stress, it is more difficult to talk in a calm tone and pace. In contrast, when you are very calm, it is much easier to talk at a calm pitch and speaking pace.

Conclusion

Good communication skills are the basis for success. Do you need additional explanation about communication skills? Then take a look at one of our training courses Communication and Social Skills. Or how about a workout Communication skills for technical employees? Or complete a training session Communication and Social skills for office and support employees better suits your needs?

The end of this blog is in sight. We have given you 5 tips to improve your communication skills. What tips do you have for improving your communication skills? Let us know in a comment.