Tips For More Effective

Communication

Facing a difficult conversation in your personal life?

Need to speak to a group of co-workers about problems in the company?

Effective communication can not only help a message be heard by all parties, but it can align

the audience to be inspired to take action.

Here are some tips!

1. Be quiet and actively listen• Listen to understand

• Seek feedback

• Do not just broadcast messages

2. Read between the lines• Regard the needs of your audience and not your

personal agenda

• Ask yourself how you can use your message to appeal to their aspirations

• Create a deeply rooted message

• Pay attention to context and situational awareness

3. Get personal• Have a dialog, not a monologue

• Level with the audience and be honest

• People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

4. Embrace specificity• Communicate with absolute clarity

• Long winded and wordy messages risk losing the audience

• Provide clear examples

5. Inspire the audience

• Transfer ideas

• Spark action

• Align expectations

• Spread your vision

6. Leave the ego at the door

• Fill a message with empathy and transparency

• Build trust

• Maintain a sincere attitude

7. Command the subject matter

• Become an authority on the subject

• Address the what and how

• Anticipate questions and know the answers

8. Be prepared to change the message

• Develop a contingency plan

• Be prepared to add relevant statistics, stories, analogies, etc.

• Focus on aligning the message with the specific audience on an up-to-the-minute basis.

Communication skills are integrated into every business degree program from Indiana Wesleyan University, a Christ-centered university with academic achievement and integrity at its core.

More information at:www.IWUdegrees.com