Four Fundamentals of Effective Communication

Picture adopted from "10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders" on Forbes

Are you a good communicator? How effective are you in getting your message across to your audience? Why good communication matters? It is because successful persuasion is a result of effective communication. Successful persuasion grants you success in achieving your goals and objectives. The best salesperson is, without doubt, an effective communicator. A successful marketer is a strategic communicator. Further, successful politicians also employ various communication tools in their political campaigns. In this post, learn the four steps of becoming an effective communicator.

1. Be Willing to Learn

Image adopted from damianmarksmyth

If you audience are not listening, you are just talking to the wall - it is true, even if you have great ideas to share! Be sure to listen to your audience and learn what they care about. The key to effective communication is to get your audience's attention before you even start talking. By knowing what interests your audience, you will be learn to catch their attention better and deliver your message more effectively. Also, pay attention to trending topics and monitor if any of them has been mentioned by your audience recently. Hot issues are great conversation starters! Besides that, you can also find out about your audience if you ask them. Do not hesitate to ask because asking question shows that you care to learn. Therefore, start listening to your audience and learn about things that they care about.

2. Be Respectful

Image adopted from picforparents

Always respect your audience! Use respectful language when communicating with them. Also, be positive; always try to find a point that you can agree on with your audience. Being agreeable increases your chances of being accepted by the group. Sometimes, you might find that your audience have a different opinion than yours. Even so, be respectful - acknowledge that your audience's point of view has been heard. Then, present your argument; best if it is supported by facts. Never insult anyone! Degrading others will only hurt your image; worst if your statement is solely based on your personal opinion and not factual data. Presenting a false claim can hurt your credibility and diminish the trust of your audience.

3. Add Value

Image adopted from Beyond Niche

Don't talk about yourself all the time! If you are only talking about yourself, you are not adding value! Further, people don't care about what you are doing, what you are eating, or where you are going. Understand that people want to learn and be entertained. What you should be doing is adding value. There are many ways you can add value; for example, sharing humorous contents and useful information. Educating and entertaining other people are great ways to add value. However, bear in mind that you should always get your facts straight before sharing them to your audience. Think before you speak! Shall you make a mistake, apologize and correct the mistake. After all, no one is perfect. Don't be afraid and start giving!

4. Be A Thought Leader

Image adopted from ReputationXchange

Be an advocate for a good cause! Show that you are trying to make a difference in this world. Thought leadership increases your importance in a community. Over time, you will gain more followers, who support you and your cause. Leadership is incomplete without authenticity and transparency. You should always be authentic and honest about who you are and why you are advocating for a cause. Please do not attempt to "fake it" because people can see through that easily. Also, be transparent - let your audience know what you are doing and how you do it. Hiding information will certainly raise doubts about your truthfulness. Moreover, keep your tone and message consistent. Consistency creates the perception that you are reliable and trustworthy.

Thank you for reading. I hope that the tips are useful. Leave a comment below if you have any suggestion or question. If you are interested in reading more stuffs that I write, read them here. If you are interested in connecting with me, please find me on:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Keek