Communication is at the heart of everything we do in business, yet poor communication is a huge problem for businesses and individuals, causing low morale, poor performance and high staff turnover. Much communication happens by accident, with the wrong messages coming across. If you want to be successful in business, it is worth learning about really good communication.
As a person working in international business throughout my career, I have seen how communication can help and hinder relationships within an organization, and impact on teams and goals for the business as a whole. Poor communication can cause stress and hardship for individuals within an organization.
With a background in languages and sales, I have always found words extremely important to me. People in business can earn big money from being skilled with words but can also lose their jobs if they have poor communication skills. Communication can often be distorted because people think they have said one thing but have really given a totally different message. During the last 10 years, as trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, I have become aware of the deeper communication that goes on between individuals and groups through non-verbal communication. Thatâs why itâs important that all business people consider the secrets of communication.
This book consists of 50 secrets in total, divided into seven chapters.
Firm foundations. Shows you the essentials of communication you can take into any situation.
Body basics. Explains non-verbal communication and what to look out for.
Team talk. Gives you the run-down on communicating with your colleagues or your boss.
Making the most of meetings. Tells you what to do in a meeting or presentation.
Selling successfully. Gives you the secrets of how you can communicate effectively with clients.
Dealing at a distance. Helps you with the ins and outs of telephone calls and emails.
Ditching the difficulties. Puts you in charge of difficult communication situations.
Do not take good com munication for granted, but rather plan and practise your communication skills.
Pay attention to the fundamentals of communication to get your message across in the way you want to, both for yourself and for your business. With good communication, you will avoid being misunderstood and expressing inconsistent or unclear messages, ideas, feelings and instructions. Instead, you will become more effective in your career and form stronger relationships with both colleagues and clients.
Yes, it sounds basic, but most of us just open our mouths and speak without prior thought. Yet, whether you are talking or just standing around, you are communicating. So take responsibility. Everything you say and do gives a message in business about how you see yourself and your job.
It is said that we:
âHear half of what is said; listen to half of that; understand half of that; believe half of that, and remember half of that.â (Anon)
Face to face or on the telephone, business is won and lost by communication. If you donât communicate well enough to a customer or to your boss, you might lose money or your next promotion. The real communication is the message the other person picks up. Take these steps to make sure you always are in control of your message.
one minute wonder One of the first steps you can take to improve your communication is to make it two-way. Sometimes you need to hold back from telling others about all the wonderful things you know and start listening instead.