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20+ Effective Public Speaking Skills & Techniques to Master

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You may think effective public speakers are born that way. You'd be wrong! Public speaking skills can be learned.

Most effective public speakers have worked hard to master their craft. That includes effective speaking skills and good public speaking techniques. They may spend hours practicing, working with a coach, or taking speech courses.

The good news is that you can improve your public speaking skills and become an effective speaker. Public speaking techniques can dramatically improve your results. In this tutorial, we've listed over 20 different public speaking techniques that can help you learn how to become an effective speaker.

What Is Public Speaking?

Public speaking occurs when you give a speech before a live audience. It differs from other types of speaking, such as videos, which may be recorded. It's also different from online presentations, which are created and then uploaded to the Internet.

Public speaking gives you many opportunities. That includes improving your confidence level and giving you the opportunity to champion a cause you care about. Plus, having effective public speaking skills can help you find a job. Many jobs, such as an instructor or sales professional, require you to speak in public.

Even when a job doesn't include public speaking in the job description, employers still value  the skill. In one survey, 600 employers said that good communication skills were twice as important as managerial skills . 

At this point you may be asking "what makes a good public speaker?" The answer might seem easy: A good public speaker makes use of effective public speaking techniques. What are those effective public speaking techniques? That's what we're going to talk about in the rest of this tutorial.

Before we dive into our discussion of effective public speaking techniques , download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations .  It's available for FREE with the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. Learn how to write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation. 

Now, let's look at how you can deliver an awesome presentation by using effective speaking techniques.

20+ Effective Public Speaking Techniques

You can learn to become a more effective speaker by using the right techniques and practicing your public speaking skills. Here are some techniques to follow:

1. Fit the Message to the Audience

Guidelines for effective public speaking often include tips that apply to any situation. But sometimes, it pays to tailor your delivery based on your audience. Matching subject matter and delivery style helps you make the best possible impression. When you know you’re speaking successfully, you’re able to present with more confidence.

Before you speak, plan ahead by considering your target audience. If you’re presenting a research paper to academics, you can plan on a detail-heavy speech. But if you’re introducing a new idea to a casually-interested audience, it’s better to take a broader focus.

Knowledge level is also an important element. Imagine you’re speaking about astronomy to a group of young children. Your message can and should be much different than if you’re addressing a room full of seasoned scientists.

In essence, use your public speaking skills to connect with the audience in front of you. All it takes is a bit of advanced planning. You’ll be on your way to giving an inspiring speech that all can enjoy. 

Learn more about audience analysis as part of tips for effective public speaking below:

2. Be Interactive!

Tips for effective public speaking help you give the best speech possible. Remember what you’re trying to do. You’re informing, inspiring, and engaging your audience. And talking at them isn’t enough. The best public speakers build interactive elements into their speeches. You can too.

Interactivity is one of the key public speaking skills. It can take many forms. It can be as simple as a quick, personal greeting at the start of your speech. Or you can even play interactive games like a trivia quiz. 

This offers many benefits. It keeps audiences alert and engaged. It helps you gauge how well they're following your message. And it takes the heat off of you by adding engagement from others. Sometimes, after all, a break from talking is welcome. It helps you stay focused and on pace.

If you're presenting your speech with PowerPoint, check out our interactive quiz tutorial:

3. Care About Your Topic

Passion goes a long way when it comes to being an effective speaker. The audience can tell if you're apathetic. If you don't care, they won't care either. Even worse, you can come across as a fake.

But if you sincerely care about your topic the audience will pick up on that too. They'll view you as being more authentic and believable. They'll listen more closely to discover why your subject is so important to you. And they're more likely to forgive any minor mistakes you might make.

4. Remember Your Speaking Goal

We've all probably listened to at least one speaker who seemed to go on and on forever about nothing in particular. One reason why this happens is because the speech isn't focused enough. The speaker is trying to cover too much and ends up boring their listeners.

Early in the process of developing your speech, identify the reason why you're speaking. Make it a point to stick to this goal during your presentation. Don't get sidetracked or off-topic.

5. Support Your Main Points

Every point you make in your speech needs to be supported with either an example, an illustration, or facts. When you're supporting a point, it's best to be as specific as you can be.

For example, in a speech about the importance of clean water this statement is too vague:

 "Many people don't have clean water."

Stating this statistic from the U.S. Center for Disease Control is a more effective way to support your point:

"Worldwide, 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source."

6. Tell a Story

People love a good story. So, if you want to be a more effective speaker, tell a story.

Storytelling is a great way to make your material more engaging and to relate to your audience. Make sure your story is relatable and relevant.

If you're speaking is about your business, here are some examples of stories you may be able to tell:

• A customer story . The story of how your product or services met a need for a specific customer or solved a problem. Satisfied customers are often happy to share this.
• Your company story .   The story of how your company came to be. This can be especially effective if it's customer-oriented.
• A product development story . The story of how you came to offer a new product (or service).

Of course, there are many other types of stories you could tell depending on the type of speaking you're doing.

7. Use a Professional Template

While we're talking about presentation tools, let's also talk about presentation design. Your presentation design affects how your audience perceives you.

Even if you deliver your speech perfectly, your audience might still judge you if your slides are sloppy. The presentation visuals are just as important as your speaking performance.

Of course, you could use a standard template (the same ones that everyone uses) or design your own template (costly and time-consuming). But a better plan is to use a professionally designed presentation template that you can easily customize.

The presentation templates from Envato Elements and GraphicRiver are easy-to-use and professional. And there are hundreds to choose from--so you're bound to find one that meets your needs.

8. Use Presentation Tools Wisely

Slide presentations often get a reputation for being dull. That's because many speakers are unaware of what their presentation tools can do and don't make the best use of all the features. To better engage your audience, learn how to use the more advanced features of your tool.

As an example, here are just a few ways you can use PowerPoint and Google Slides (with links to related tutorials):

• Add animations ( PowerPoint , Google Slides )
• Add video ( PowerPoint ,  Google Slides )
• Add audio ( PowerPoint ,  Google Slides )
• Construct a timeline ( PowerPoint ,  Google Slides )

And these features are just the tip of the iceberg. To really elevate your public speaking techniques, it helps to know what your software can do. Our tutorial series on Google Slides  and PowerPoint  are a good place to start. 

9. Practice Your Speech

One of the most important public speaking techniques is often one of the most overlooked--practice. If you expect that you'll be an effective speaker without practicing your speech, you'd be wrong. One of the quickest ways to avoid public speaking failure is to try and give a speech you don't really know and haven't practiced.

The old saying, "practice makes perfect," really is true when it comes to developing effective speaking skills. The more you practice your speech, the more familiar it'll be to you and the more comfortable you'll be giving it. Plus, practicing your speech is the only way to discover how long the speech will take and where you need to pause.

10. Work With a Coach (optional)

If you're really serious about developing effective speaking skills, a speaking coach or teacher can take you to the next level. A coach or teacher can teach you the principles of public speaking and point out mistakes in your public speaking techniques. They give you awareness of tendencies you would otherwise miss.

Worried about cost? You may be able to find reasonably priced public speaking help through one of the following organizations:    

• Toastmasters International
• Your local community college
• Public Speaking Meetup

There may even be more resources close to you.

It's normal to be nervous about public speaking. One study from The National Center for Biotechnology Information estimates that as many as 77% of us have a fear of public speaking . It's so common there's an actual technical term for fear of public speaking--glossophobia.

I'm not telling you this to make you more anxious, but rather to let you know that having some anxiety before giving a speech is perfectly normal. Still, you should try to relax if you can. You'll be more comfortable, and the audience will relate to you better too.

If there's something that normally calms you down in stressful situations, try using it right before you're due to speak. Popular calming techniques include:

• positive affirmations
• aromatherapy

The following tutorials can also help you fight your fear of public speaking:

12. Don't Worry About Mistakes

One of the reasons so many of us fear public speaking is because we're worried that we'll make a mistake and embarrass ourselves in front of everyone. If this is your fear, let it go. Most audiences will understand if you make a mistake. And if it's a small mistake, the audience may not even notice it.

Of course, practice can dramatically reduce the likelihood of you making a mistake. The more you practice the better you'll know your speech--and mistakes will be less likely.

So, what should you do if you do happen to make a mistake? If it's a minor mistake, don't stop or apologize for your mistake as that only calls attention to it. Just continue on. If you make a big mistake, try using humor to diffuse the situation and then continue your speech. Your listeners will be impressed with how gracefully you handled things.

13. Study the Habits of Others

One of the best ways to learn effective public speaking skills is to study the habits of others. There's no reason to learn the art (and science) of public speaking all by yourself.

Consider your favorite orators, lecturers, and presenters. Think about why they're your favorites. Usually, it's their delivery, their stage presence, and their sense of style. If you can't watch them in person, it's a great idea to watch videos of them at work.

It's important to note that tips for effective public speaking vary from person to person. Don't try copying someone else's style. But learn from their habits and incorporate the best into your own method of public speaking. By doing so, you can inspire others in the same ways that have inspired you.

14. Pace Yourself

When it comes to public speaking, a common newbie error is to speak too quickly. This is usually caused by a combination of nerves and not realizing how fast you're actually speaking. But talking too fast makes it harder for your listeners to understand what you're saying.

Effective public speakers know to pace themselves. They'll speak at a natural pace and work short, natural pauses into their speech.

It also helps if you remember to breathe during your speech. A surprising number of people hold their breath without realizing it when they're nervous (I'm one of them).  But holding your breath will only increase your anxiety. So, remember to breathe deeply during the breaks in your speech. If your speech is a long one, taking a sip of water during a break can also help.

15. Add Visual Aids

Visual aids can serve as a powerful illustration of your speech. Humans use their sight more than any other sense. So, if you can make your point by showing it to your listeners rather than describing it, they're more likely to remember it.

Be careful though. To be effective, your visual aid must be of high-quality and easily visible to all members of your audience. Avoid incorporating sloppy graphics into a slide presentation. Likewise, don't hold up a visual aid that's physically too small for those listening to see.

Discover professional PowerPoint templates on Envato Elements or GraphicRiver : 

16. Avoid Awkward Fillers

"Um," "uh," "like."

We all slip these filler words into our conversations without even realizing it. But overuse of these words during a professional speech can make you sound less than confident. If you can, break the habit of using these words to become a better public speaker.

Practice can help you cut these words from your speech patterns, but you may be so used to using them that it's hard to notice when you're doing it. This is where a speech coach, teacher, or friend would come in handy. They could listen for these words and help you break the habit of using them.

17. Dress Comfortably, But Professionally

What's the right outfit to wear if you want to be an effective public speaker?

Well, there's no one answer. How you dress depends on who your listeners will be. But the general principle is that you want to dress professionally to make a good impression. Make sure to observe good grooming and hygiene rules too.

Many experts feel you should dress according to how your audience dresses. If the audience is dressed formally, you don't want to show up in shorts and a tee shirt. Likewise, if the audience is wearing shorts and a tee shirt, don't dress formally.

18. Use Gestures (But Don't Overdo)

Natural movement during a speech is a sign of an effective public speaker. Hand gestures and moving a few steps across the stage can be good public speaking techniques. Just make sure they're natural, purposeful, and not overdone.

Movement can make you appear more comfortable and help your audience relate to you. You've probably seen the stiff speaker who delivers their speech while standing stock still. Which would you rather listen to:

• that stiff speaker, awkward speaker
• or a speaker who punctuates their speech from time to time with meaningful hand gestures

19. Allow a Q&A

Question and answer sessions (Q&A) are one of the most underused public speaking techniques. Many speakers just say what they're going to say and then sit down. What a waste!

The beauty of Q&A is that you get to hear your listeners' concerns directly and address them publicly, further strengthening your case.

You can prepare for a Q&A session by creating your own list of questions and possible objections that audience members may have (with answers). Study the list carefully so that you're familiar with it.

If someone does bring up a point that you hadn't thought of, don't panic. They don't expect you to know everything. It's perfectly acceptable to take their contact information and tell them that you'll get back to them once you've got the answer.

20. Build in Silence to Stay on Track

Guidelines for effective public speaking often leave out a key ingredient: silence. That's right. You don't have to fill every second of your time with spoken words. It's critical to add pauses. This is one of those public speaking skills that doesn't get the credit it deserves.

Silence has many benefits in public speaking:

• It gives your voice a break. By adding a pause (just three to four seconds), you can catch your breath and stay focused. 
• It's equally beneficial for your audience. Rushing from point to point without a break will likely cause them to lose focus. Adding in some breathing room helps your speech flow organically.
• Silence also helps you segue from idea to idea. It offers clear breaks between ideas and adds emphasis. Adding suspense is a sure way to maintain a focused, engaged audience.  

21. Recap at the End

You've delivered your message to an engaged audience. You've presented with confidence and style, and delivered a clear, coherent message. But you may still wonder: "are they really going to remember what I said?"

This is a key thing to consider as you close out your speech. Last - but not least - on our list of public speaking skills is the recap at the end. You should wrap up your speech by quickly recapping your key points. 

This may take only a few moments. Remember, you're not repeating yourself word for word. You're revisiting your main ideas in summary form. This helps you close on a high note. Your audience will once again hear the details that you find most important. This way, they can carry those ideas with them, long after you're finished speaking. 

More Templates to Supplement Your Public Speaking Skills

This article has given you more guidelines for effective public speaking. The best resource you can use is pre-built presentation templates. Those have the blueprint for great slides that make creating a presentation as easy as filling in placeholders.

On Envato Tuts+, we're always in search of the best templates. These go hand-in-hand with our tips for effective public speaking. Check them out below, and you're sure to find great designs for you.

More Resources on Effective Public Speaking

If you're ready to learn more about developing effective speaking skills, we've got many tutorials on public speaking that can help:

Download Our Free PDF eBook on Making Great Presentations

We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial, that'll help you take your presentation know-how further. Learn how to write, design, and deliver great presentations. 

Download  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations for FREE with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. Get your ideas formed into a powerful presentation that'll move your audience. 

You Just Learned Top Tips For Effective Public Speaking

Editorial Note : This content was originally published in 2018. We're sharing it again because our editors have determined that this information is still accurate and relevant. This post has been updated with contributions from Andrew Childress .

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How to Improve your Communication Skills, with Key Resources

October 22, 2021 - Sophie Thompson

“Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer.

Is the ability to communicate successfully something that is a natural part of human personality or something you can learn? Many believe it is a mixture of both.

Some of the greatest communications in history do seem to have been “born” speakers, and their tone, delivery and words leave an indelible stamp. Take for instance Martin Luther King Jr. His messages and phrases are still used today, in a multitude of ways. Especially “I have a dream” and his belief that people should “not be judged on the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” He certainly had a charismatic character!

However, there are many business leaders, entertainers, politicians and well know orators who describe themselves as naturally shy. So, there’s plenty of evidence that you can develop effective, confident and successful speaking and writing abilities. Especially if you’re truly invested in what you want to say.

Everyone needs to communicate well to establish healthy relationships with loved ones, bosses, interview panels, colleagues and business contacts, to name but a few ‘audiences’.

Whatever your job, you will need to deliver information, with clarity and confidence. According to global professional development company Dale Carnegie – in the  organisation’s video  about improving communications skills – your wages depend on it!

The firm says that 85% of your financial success in life comes from your personality, and your skills in communication, negotiation and leadership. Leaving only 15% of your career achievements rooted in technical knowledge.

Effective communication skills are important to many aspects of your life and career, including:

• Being hired for a new job
• Working with clients and customers
• Working with teams, both internal and external
• Leading people
• Establishing relationships
• Securing new business at networking events

This is why this article brings together various methods and ideas for how to improve your communications skills.

Understand the fundamentals of communication

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” – Brian Tracy.

A great place to start in developing communications skills is to constantly consider, ‘What am I trying to achieve?’ before writing anything, or preparing for presentations, interviews and meetings.

All communication has a purpose. It could be to educate, inform, warn, entertain, influence or persuade for example. Sometimes more than one purpose is involved.

Focusing on the result you want to achieve can help you to frame and deliver what you say more effectively. You can also evaluate the outcome against your initial aim, to find ways to develop better communications skills.

Learn to listen to verbal and non-verbal communications

Developing a better ability to listen is not simply learning to stay quiet when someone speaks or reading documentation more thoroughly!

Active listening needs to be practised and improved. It involves engaging with a speaker, in an emotionally intelligent way.

For instance, being aware of your own responses and reactions, so you can stay calmer and more focused in situations of conflict or debate. Also, consider what’s behind the words you’re hearing. This can mean studying the speaker’s body language and giving thought to their views, motives, interests and preferences.

Good listening also involves encouraging people to supply you with more information or clarity, by using open-ended questions and prompts for instance.

Why is active listening so important?

William Ury, an author and one of the world’s best-known and respected experts on negotiation skills, argues that “listening is the essential, and often overlooked, half of communication.”

His TED talk video called  ‘The power of listening’  develops this view.

Primarily, the advantages of improving listening skills include:

• A better understanding of the speaker. As William Ury says: “How can you possibly change someone else’s mind if you don’t know where their mind is?”
• Creates connection – including rapport and a level of trust.
• Makes it more likely the speaker will be more receptive to what you have to say.
• It costs nothing and you could learn a lot!

Add structure, context and non-verbal cues to your communication

Of course, it’s hard to actively listen when you come across a waffler, rambler or tech-speak geek. This is why the best communicators keep their purpose sharply in mind and deliver their ‘messages’ in as few words as possible.

As well as being succinct, there are other ways to enhance the success of your communication, including strategic use of visual aids. However, don’t let the visual material speak for you, as the impact of your words could get diluted if your audience gets too distracted.

One of the most commonly used ways to frame a presentation (or even a short speech) has been handed down from ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle. It involves three steps:

• Tell them what you are going to talk about.
• Explain what you just said.

Also, keep in mind that even the most polished and well-presented speech needs to include a degree of flexibility, leaving space to respond to your audience, and invite discussion, questions and feedback.

You can also improve your communication by remembering that words – and even visual aids – can all be underpinned by your body language. Good non-verbal techniques to connect with your audience and hold their attention include natural smiles, plenty of eye contact and an open posture.

This is true of whether it’s one potential customer, an interview panel or a room full of your peers. Equally universal is the need to personalise what you say as much as possible.

For example, frequently (but seamlessly) addressing people by name in written or verbal communication and using ‘you’ ‘we’ and ‘I’ for example.

Use contemporary methods for improvement

“Although we live in an information technology age, we often find ourselves in failure to communicate situations.” – Johnny Tan.

Technology provides important communication improvement tools – more on this later.

However, it’s a double-edged sword according to world-renown communications expert Antoni Lacinai in his TED Talk video called  ‘6 communication truths that everyone should know.’

Antoni Lacinai has spent over 25 years studying human communication and psychology, and his mission is to reclaim and enhance ‘analogue’ skills in an ever more digital world. He argues this takes time, effort and willpower.

Especially as digital communications have added to our impatience, and we lose concentration quickly (particularly younger audiences). According to Antoni Lacinai average attention spans have dropped from 20 to 3.5 minutes in a matter of a few years!

This makes it even more important to constantly fine-tune and refresh the way you communicate. Including, (ironically) making the best use of technology, such as growing your familiarity with software and web-based platforms that support information sharing.

Much depends on the nature of your job. So, for instance, if you are an entrepreneur, this could include getting a firmer handle on the different demographics and values of separate social media platforms.

Also, you could grow your ability to use options such as Slack and Zoom to continuously improve communication efficiency. They offer a way to record discussions, so you can evaluate if you could have done things better, clearer and in a more engaging way.

These are also digital communications tools you can learn to adapt to tailor information to specific audiences, and managers can use them to measure speaker success and viewer engagement.

This sort of communication improvement is vital as workforces are now highly dispersed.  Research  shows that if you use communications properly, to connected office-bound and remote staff, your productivity will increase by 20-25%. Also, 97% of employees feel their daily tasks depend on effective communications.

Use traditional methods for improvement

Beyond technology, you can also improve the success of your communication using more traditional methods, including participating in training courses in public speaking and writing for business.

Even something as readily accessible as reading more – and watching more news and documentary programmes – can help. This will expand your vocabulary, appreciation of language, and awareness of other people’s motivations and behaviours.

Also, use observational research. Focus on the communications activities of others, and study how they engage with their audience and achieve their purpose. You could also get a coach or mentor, to help you hone your skills.

Another free way to improve as a communicator is to use online resources to study the biggest mistakes people make, such as  this article  by a public speaking consultancy.

There is an important rider to this. It is natural to be nervous and to make mistakes, especially when presenting to multiple people. Accept that as something that happens to even the most experienced communicators and don’t let it derail you from your purpose.

However, if you want to see some really cringy public speaking mistakes,  this series of videos  includes some toe-curling examples!

Invest in understanding your audience properly

“The best speakers in the world are the best storytellers. They have a gift to not only tell a great story but also share a lot of the details that many others wouldn’t.” – Larry Hagner.

To meet any of the purposes of communication, you must quickly establish a strong connection with your audience. Engaging them both intellectually but also at an emotional level. This is the basis of the much-used phrased that you need to win ‘hearts and minds’.

That is why traits of the best communicators are empathy, respect and warmth, alongside displaying competence. These attributes enable you to talk to people – not at them. Staying constantly alert to their responses.

For example, if it is a meeting and their eyes start to glaze and drift off, you can pause, or ask them a friendly question, then move on to something you feel is more engaging and relevant. In written communication, it could be choosing words, phrases and additional information to explain things in a way your audience will better understand and appreciate.

You can also use ‘storytelling’ techniques to frame when you say or write; making it personal, relatable and inclusive of good illustrations to drive points home.

The series of videos in this  article  show storytelling in action among successful TED talk speakers.

Showing empathy, respect and warmth makes people feel important and engages them more thoroughly. It is only possible if you consider the nature of your audience.

That means taking note of what their expectations, interests, motivations and behaviours may be. Also, what level of ability and understanding does your audience have?

If you invest time in considering all this, you are more likely to communicate at a sufficiently technical level, at a pace that matches your audience and using content most likely to achieve the result you want.

“When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective.” – Stephen R. Covey.

Work on timing, appropriateness and versatility

Great comedians, like all great communicators, understand timing. They also gain a sense of their audience as quickly as possible, to dictate their content and the pace of their delivery.

Whether you are speaking in a project meeting, job interview or room with hundreds of people, the pace and fluidity of your communications matters. As it does in exchanges of written information.

The basis of this is gaining a good understanding of your audience (see above) but also not being too prescriptive and rigid. Leave room for responses, questions and feedback.

Being versatile as a communicator involves adapting to real-time responses. Such as, repeating things when you sense confusion, or emphasising points if you find something that enlivens and fully engages your audience.

You may even find a particularly relaxed and responsive audience makes humour appropriate. Though this must be measured and tasteful of course! You’re trying to win their hearts and minds, but if you can get a few laughs too, it’s a bonus that helps you build your audience connection.

Focusing on appropriateness and timing also revolves around the system you use to deliver information.

Did you know that over 205.6 billion emails are sent worldwide, every day? Of, those,  only a third are opened .

It’s the perfect example of why you should decide the most effective way to communicate, to match your audience’s needs and expectations, and your purpose.

Such as, using the telephone or an in-person discussion to communicate, and then following it up with an email, to achieve a better result.

The best communicators are life-long learners

To come full circle then, personality is important, but you can certainly develop successful communications skills. In fact, even if it comes naturally, you must invest time in understanding your audience and purpose, and in choosing your words with care. This is why becoming a successful communicator is a journey, not a destination.

“Communication works for those who work at it.” – John Powell

Key resources to improve your communication skills

1. online courses.

• Improving Communication Skills  – You’ll learn how to develop trust, the best method of communication for negotiation, when to cooperate and when to compete, how to create persuasive messages, and more.
• Essential Public Speaking  – Learn all the fundamentals of public speaking, from building rapport to asking the right questions. You can then practice these techniques with interactive practice exercises.
• Business Communications  – Sharpen your writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills to help you succeed in the business world. You will learn strategies for honing your communication style, improving clarity, conciseness and impact.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work  – Improve your communication skills at work and learn how to navigate positive collaboration in the modern workplace.
• Communication Styles for Stronger Social Skills  – How to adapt your communication styles to improve your relationship and influence with the people around you.

2. YouTube tutorials

• 5 ways to improve your communication skills  – actionable insights form five different communication leaders, each addressing a different way to improve your skills.
• 7 tips to improve communication skills  – design art style of explaining ways to improve your speaking and communication skills.
• Think fast, talk smart: communication techniques  – Matt Abrahams, lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School, explains techniques that will help you speak spontaneously with greater confidence and clarity, regardless of content and context.
• 4 steps to improve Your communication skills  – If you’re someone who struggles to talk to people, because it feels forced, unnatural, and the conversation doesn’t really go anywhere, then this video is for you.
• TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking  – this book explains how powerful public speaking is achieved and equips you to give it your best shot. There is no set formula; no two talks should be the same. The goal is for you to give the talk that only you can give.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People  – a classic book on how to make people like you, change people to your way of thinking, negotiate without causing resentment and more topics are covered.
• The Art of Public Speaking  – this book covers classical and contemporary speaking theory, including practical applications relating to public speaking.

4. Blogs about communication

• MindTools  – learn about a wide range of communication skills, from giving feedback to negotiating with a customer, in detailed, well thought out articles.
• VirtualSpeech  – in-depth articles on how to improve communication skills and how virtual reality and be used to practice these skills.
• SkillsYouNeed  – detailed articles with plenty of examples and exercises to ensure you are learning actively.

5. Quiz – what is your communication style?

• Communication style quiz

Improve communication skills

With plenty of practice, you’ll notice significant improvements in how you speak and communicate with others:

• Your confidence around other people will grow
• People will pay more attention to what you’re saying
• You’ll be able to explain complex ideas and processes more clearly
• You’ll find it easier to communicate with people around the world in different cultures and with different ethnic backgrounds

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How to Improve Speech Skills: 3 Key Speaking Skills

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jan 9, 2023 • 4 min read

It can be difficult to speak in front of a crowd, no matter how large or small. Great public speakers learn how to overcome their insecurities, improve their vocabularies, and entrance their audiences with their verbal and nonverbal communication. Learn more about how to improve your speech skills, so you can enunciate and orate with pride and confidence.

10 TED talks to sharpen your communication skills

Effective communication is paramount to great leadership. But it’s more nuanced and complicated than just learning how to give a great speech. If you want to inspire others through your words, you must learn how to not only speak effectively, but also listen effectively. Communication is a two-way street, after all. 

We’ve rounded up 10 TED Talks that offer wisdom and advice for leaders who are serious about improving their communication skills. From practical tips like leaving bullet points out of slides, to learning the importance of vulnerability in conversations, these talks offer a mini-course on more effective communication. That should lead to deeper understanding on both sides for leaders and teams. 

1. 10 ways to have a better conversation

Speaker: Celeste Headlee

Celeste Headlee draws upon decades of interview experience as a radio host to deliver 10 powerful rules for having better conversations. Notably, she implores listeners to recall all the past advice they’ve been given – like “smile and nod to show you’re paying attention” – and throw it out the window. Instead, she offers the rules that all great interviewers live by. Even if you only master one of them, she says, you’ll be on your way to becoming a better communicator. 

2. Talk nerdy to me

Speaker: Melissa Marshall

When Melissa Marshall was invited to teach a communications class for engineering students at Penn State, she was intimidated, as she shares in this TED Talk. But her intimidation quickly turned into a strong desire to help those science-minded students clearly communicate their big ideas to non-scientists. Her tips are applicable to anyone who needs to simplify their messages without dumbing them down, to more effectively share wisdom with larger audiences. One memorable and witty tip: Drop the bullet points. “Bullets kill,” says Marshall. 

3. How great leaders inspire action

Speaker: Simon Sinek

Business leaders are already familiar with Simon Sinek, author of bestsellers “ Start With Why ” and “ Leaders Eat Last .” This TED Talk has been viewed nearly 40 million times, so you may have already seen it. However, like a good business book that you turn to time and time again, this talk deserves multiple viewings. In it, Sinek explains the concept of the golden circle, in which leaders understand and communicate the “why” behind their mission before ever explaining what they will do, or how they'll do it. Sinek says leaders must adopt this way of communicating vision if they want to truly inspire others to action. 

4. The secret structure of great talks

Speaker: Nancy Duarte

Nancy Duarte is an expert in persuasive presentations. While studying the best speeches throughout history, she made an incredible discovery: They all follow the exact same pattern. By repeatedly contrasting the way things are with the way they could be, speakers who follow this pattern create a powerful call to action for listeners. Master this technique, and you’ll have an effective tool in overcoming resistance to change – something any transformational leader could use. 

5. How to build (and rebuild) trust

Speaker: Frances Frei

Trust is necessary in communication. After all, how can you expect people to listen to what you are saying if they don’t trust you? In this TED Talk, Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei explains the three components of trust: authenticity, rigor in logic, and empathy. If you think you’re having a trust issue, look at your empathy first and foremost. Frei says that’s the most common area where trust breaks down. But if you have a “wobble” in any of the three areas, trust falls apart – and communication becomes more difficult. 

[ Enter our June book giveaway for a chance to win one of 10 must-reads on emotional intelligence for leaders. See the list of books here . ]

Related content

Why Are Communication Skills Important?

Whether it be verbal, nonverbal, or physical, we communicate with people every day!

Communication skills help us clearly relay our thoughts and ideas to others.

In 1952, Scott Cutlip introduced the 7 C’s of communication to help people create more sound points of interest while talking with another person.

These 7 C’s include

• Clarity : What is your purpose in communicating with this person?
• Conciseness : Keep it short and stick to the point.
• Concreteness : Create a vivid picture of what you’re speaking about with facts and imagery.
• Correctness : Is what you’re saying error-free, and does it fit your audience’s level of comprehension?
• Coherence : Your topic and points are easily understood and logical.
• Completeness : Your audience has all the information that you spoke of and can act upon it.
• Courtesy : Practice open, honest, and friendly conversation.

With the 7 C’s , you can ensure that your audience can listen easily to your words and employ them directly and peacefully. With that, you’ll become a credible and reliable source of information simply because you can communicate it for the masses to comprehend.

Also, keeping the conversation creative helps listeners to keep the spark alive and devise a colorful picture of what you’re saying in their head, which will keep them from finding excuses to leave the conversation.

Just know that the more you effectively communicate, the better you become at it and the more people will listen and adhere to what you’re saying!

Types of Communication Skills

By now, you’re probably wondering, What are some different types of communication skills that I can use to make people listen!?

We’ll briefly cover the key types of communication from a Drexel University study so that you get the main points:

• Visual Communication : Physical or mental imagery that conveys your main points and explanations
• Written Communication: Using various forms of written communication to inform in a clear and concise manner
• Listening: Actively hearing words and phrases to connect points and comprehend the overall message
• Verbal Communication: Speaking your words or message directly to your audience
• Nonverbal Communication: Using your body to relay your point (e.g., facial expressions, pointing, eye contact, etc.)

These communication terms may seem familiar to you, but are you sure about how to use them?

If not, here’s how!

Visual Communication

Visual communication is said to be the easiest form of communication because our brains automatically create images of words and sounds that we hear. 

Between social media, ads, television, and our phones, our society has transformed into pictures with short and witty captions. These images convey a specific message that we want viewers to comprehend without thinking about it. 

As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and that’s because of the various interpretations that we can conjure just by seeing some shapes, lines, and colors.

Written Communication

Remember being in school passing notes to your friends so that the teacher wouldn’t hear you? That was probably one of your first forms of written communication , and, as you can see, it works!

If you’re in the workforce, did you know that 73% of employers seek workers with top-notch written communication skills?

Why? Because memos, social media posts, and those pesky emails you send every day are a part of business and help us to effectively communicate by slowing down and expressing ourselves concisely without the hassle of being interrupted.

Also, think about it: How cool is it that written communication saves you from having to speak?!

This is a major help, especially for introverts , in getting your point across without having to say a single word.

Attentive listening tends to be one of the most important types of communication because, according to a listening study , a whopping 40% of communication involves listening!

40% of all communication happens through listening.

Without listening to the words that are spoken, you literally lose out on almost half of what was communicated; therefore, you can’t effectively engage in the conversation with the person speaking unless you’re hearing them.

Thankfully, there are four types of listening that we engage in daily.

Peruse the list of effective listening styles and determine which kind of listener you are:

• Full Listening: Paying close attention to the words and tones of the speaker
• Therapeutic Listening: Allowing close friends and loved ones to express themselves
• Deep Listening: Focusing on learning the speaker’s core points and perspectives
• Critical Listening: Using reasoning, facts, and logic to analyze a message

Luckily, these listening styles can be developed and enhanced with practice and consistent communication.

Verbal Communication

You can be speaking to a coworker via Zoom or hanging out with your friends discussing the latest in the celebrity world. Either way, you’re engaging in verbal communication .

Being verbal is a great form of communication that allows others to hear and connect the points you’re trying to make via your words.

Sure, some people, like Kanye West, are said to be “full of themselves” when they speak and could use a moment to simply zip it, but where’s the fun in that?

Like Kanye, many people use complexity and intonations (cadence, tone, pitch) to connect their surface words to their core message, which helps the audience understand their point.

Interestingly, while face to face, you can’t help but also take into consideration your audience’s nonverbal communication.

Speaking of which…

Nonverbal Communication

Have you ever received the “death stare” from someone? You knew exactly what that meant, and that, my friends, is a form of nonverbal communication .

Simply put, nonverbal communication consists of using any part of your body—except your voice—to get your audience’s attention and the results that you desire .

You’ve most likely engaged in these nonverbal cues before:

• hand gestures
• eye contact

According to a Darioly and Mast study , “Nonverbal plays an important role in interpersonal communication in general and accounts for a majority (about 65 to 90%) of the meaning conveyed in social interaction.”

However, a recent study made a valid point that if this is true, it’s because people aren’t paying attention to the words or are simply not listening.

This is exactly why knowing the different styles of nonverbal cues is necessary, and why nonverbal communication will never go out of style.

Top 10 Effective Communication Skills

To become a better communicator, you have to have the tools and skills to create the right message for the right audience, right?

Here are the top 10 communication skills that will enhance the way you speak and listen.

 1. Clear Signaling

“Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer

In the realm of communication skills, clear signaling is the art of relaying your words directly and concisely to your listener .

It seems like an easy skill, doesn’t it?

However, it can be misconstrued based on interpretation, which leads to s ignal amplification bias .

Based on a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , signal amplification bias is also believing that a communication cue is worth more than its surface intention.

For example, many people aren’t sure others like them because they’re playing cool and undersignaling. In other words, many people are afraid others don’t like them. If you enjoy working with someone, tell them!

Signal amplification bias also stems from the misconception that you provided enough information to your listener when in fact you did not.

You can tell this bias is in effect when you hear statements like

• “It should have been obvious.”
• “This goes without saying.”
• “I shouldn’t have to tell you this.”

Overcoming the bias requires initiating straightforward clear signaling. 

• If you like working with someone, tell them.
• If someone did a great job on a project, tell them.
• If someone is making you uncomfortable, tell them!

Bottom line: Be honest with your intentions.

 2. Highlight Uniqueness

Uniqueness is the quality of being remarkable, special, or one-of-a-kind, and everyone has a special communicative trait that sets them apart from others. 

Whether it’s the inflection of your voice, an entertaining stature and body posture, or incredible clarity while speaking, you can improve your communication traits by highlighting your unique communication skills either verbally, physically, or nonverbally.

You can even show appreciation for others! Try highlighting other people’s uniqueness:

• Compliment them on their unique style of clothing.
• Send a message of appreciation about their orderliness or creativity.
• Show appreciation for their specific personality traits .

3. Reading Faces

Reading faces is a vital communication skill that allows you to understand a person’s feelings through their face instead of their voice . In fact, humans have 7 universal microexpressions, or facial expressions, that signal different emotions.

The 7 different microexpressions are

In accordance, the facial feedback hypothesis states that one’s facial expressions are directly related to their emotional and behavioral experience toward others and themselves. 

A study was conducted to test this hypothesis with humor. The results show us that under the right conditions, people feel free to express their emotions through their face, which influences their emotional and physical demeanor.

In short, changing your facial expression can literally influence the way you think and feel—and the message you’re getting across!

This communication skill of reading faces is so powerful that facial reading training is available for people who want to increase their know-how of guessing how people feel based on their emotional facial expressions.

4. Still-Face Experiment

If you’re like Rihanna and have been consistently told that you have RBF, then you’ll want to pay attention to this communication skill.

Have you ever heard of the still-face experiment ? In a nutshell, it was a study done to show how stressful behaviors affect facial expressions and, thus, the emotional development of infants and children.

By the end of the experiment, it showcased that if you are still and emotionless in the face, it becomes challenging for people to communicate with you simply because they can’t tell if you’re paying attention or not.

If you have RBF or “Still Face,” there’s hope for you yet!

There are some solutions that you can use to gauge a deeper understanding of what is being communicated so that you can have some movement in those stale muscles.

Check them out:

• Listen with empathy and verbally respond.
• Help people to label their feelings so that you can physically empathize.
• Recognize the speaker’s main point to connect on a deeper level.

You may get mad—heck, you may even chuckle at what’s being said—but the point is to stray from the Still Face and engage in facial reactions to show attentive listening and improved communication.

But if you’re REALLY struggling to fix that RBF, there may be hope. Check out our guide here: Resting Bitch Face: How to Fix Your RBF Forever (With Science) .

Let’s move on to the next skill.

5. Facial Absorption

Facial absorption is the face-to-face communication skill of taking in information and using your face to show your reaction . That’s it! 

Here’s the secret sauce to enacting this communication skill with other people: eye contact !

When you are focused on the person’s face while they are speaking, there is a chance that your mirror neurons will copy the speaker’s face and make you react in the same way. 

Facial absorption automatically shows coherent listening and courtesy, even if you don’t catch every single word that floods out of their mouth.

And the best part?

Facial absorption comes automatically. All you need to do is really pay attention to the other person during a conversation.

Here’s another tip: Use facial absorption during your next meeting, as it is one of the most impactful communication skills in the workplace .

6. Use Powerful Words

Words are very powerful, depending on how we say them and the specific words that we say.

In fact, using powerful words is one of the most valuable communication skills in the workplace because of the digital world we live in that simply requires us to look down and use our thumbs.

Social and corporate jargon can be a serious hindrance to effective communication, which is why words used should be powerful and easy to understand.

Here are some that you can try out:

• transparent
• challenging

You also use powerful words to increase your influence toward others and reveal the same communicative traits in others that you have within yourself, which is referred to as spontaneous trait transference . 

We’ll put it this way: The way you describe others is the way people will see you —that’s the transference. And the fact that it happens instantly is what makes it spontaneous!

In the workplace, examples of this can be seen when your boss gives you a compliment or when you hear someone gossiping about another person.

They can be positive or negative, but the point is to use strong words to convey your message with positive assertion and tact and improve your oral communication skills .

7. Embodied Cognition

You know when you go to the doctor’s office for a checkup and you see them set up the tools to give you a shot? Your body starts to tense and your heart starts to race a bit, doesn’t it?

There’s a reason for that, and it’s called embodied cognition .

It’s the latest sexy topic in social psychology, theorized as behavior emerging from the real-time interaction between our nervous system and our environment, which persuades our mind to think a certain way.

So what does this have to do with communication?

Through strategic messaging, certain sounds, imagery, or voice inflections can make your body react, which may convince your mind to think a particular thought.

Other examples can be as simple as seeing a chair and thinking, I should sit , or, even if you aren’t hungry, smelling food and having the thought of eating pop into your mind.

Embodied cognition has been described as “ internal suggestive communication. ” It’s simply saying that the body can influence the mind as much as the mind can influence the body .

For example, there used to be a student who told her team, “Let’s not be a sinking ship” or “Let’s not rip the bandaid off,” until she noticed that her team members visibly winced when she said it. Even though she said NOT, the metaphor was still physically painful. Be careful with your words and err on the side of positive.

You can even hang up photos around your cubicle in the workplace and listen to audiobooks of your favorite public speakers to persuade your mind.

8. Sharing Feedback

Sharing feedback is responding to a message or activity .

No one likes to feel like they are wasting their time speaking, which is why sharing feedback is a HUGE communication skill that proves you paid attention.

It’s also one of the safest and most effective oral communication skills and business communication skills to create an engaging dialogue about the topic at hand.

A 2017 study gives a list of the different types of feedback . Check to see if you’ve engaged in any of them:

• Informal Feedback : Basic verbal or nonverbal responses on performance or statements
• Formal Feedback: A structured assessment where people give direct critique or criticism to the speaker
• Summative Feedback: A detailed summary of the topic along with positive comments and solutions for enhancing shortcomings

Appropriate feedback is an important interpersonal skill because it contributes to development and confidence in receiving critique from people you know—and don’t know—while building your confidence in communication.

Action Step: Grab a “feedback buddy” and work on playing out imaginary scenarios, such as a job interview or giving a TED talk , while giving critiques and comments to each other.

9. Positive Body Language

Body language includes all communication through a physical channel and is a powerful form of communication—more powerful than words! 

Why? Because the body does not lie!

Social anthropologist Edward T. Hall (1959) maintained that there are more than 700,000 forms of body language , and during a typical conversation, 65% of social meanings are portrayed directly through body language .

Yet in different parts of the world, this number and body language will vary. 

Let’s break down what each body part could indicate while communicating (at least in Western cultures):

• Head: A subtle nod can mean agreement, while shaking the head no (even if someone says yes) can mean disagreement. How do you spot these subtle differences? Learn more about head behavior .
• Face: The face can give away subtle hints of anger, happiness, sadness, or even contempt! Cues can manifest in bared teeth or pursed lips. Learn more about facial expressions .
• Eyes: Depending on where the eyes are looking, a person can be feeling intimate or bored! How do you tell? Learn more about the eyes here .
• Mouth : Licking the lips draws attention through tongue movement. It also leaves the lips noticeably shinier and more attractive. What other mouth cues are there? Learn about mouth cues here .
• Hands: Greetings, farewell, or threat. Hiding your hands can signal a threat. Open palms, on the other hand, signal sincerity. Learn all the hand gestures you need to know: 60 Hand Gestures You Should Be Using .
• Legs/Feet: How do you know where someone wants to go? Simply look at their feet. Learn why in this article: 20 Leg Body Language Cues To Help You Analyze ANY Situation .

Learning how to improve communication skills by being sensitive to body language allows you to become aware of whether who you’re talking to is entertained or bored out of their spiritless mind.

It can help you spot contradictions between what is said and what is meant while also helping you to become more cognizant of your body language to determine what message you’re sending out to your audience.

And if you really want to master body language? Read our mega guide: The Ultimate Guide to Body Language .

10. Storytelling

Want to know how to improve communication skills at work , at home, or in society? Try the oldest form of communication that’s still used in many cultures around the world: storytelling ! 

Storytelling is a form of communication that creates colorful imagery backed by detailed words to both help your listeners understand your core message and keep them mentally entertained. 

It’s also a solid way to increase your verbal communication skills and one of the greatest active listening exercises for your audience.

Storytelling entails

• using visual cues, such as pictures or objects
• practicing rephrasing if someone doesn’t get your message
• increasing nonverbal cues with bodily movement and gestures

If you want to learn more about how to improve communication skills through storytelling, read our amazing article: How to Tell a Great Story: Learn Science of Storytelling .

Communication Really IS Key!

Why are communication skills important? Because they’re what we use to survive. You can choose to wave a hand, make a face, or speak your mind. In any case, you have to use vital communication skills to effectively get your message across.

And I know—some of these theories may be new to you, but practicing new interpersonal communication skills and nonverbal communication skills is a sound form of communication training !

Check out this guide: 9 Conflict Resolution Tips to Win An Argument Like a Jedi

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• What is Communication?

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• Tips for Effective Interpersonal Communication
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Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all life skills. It is what enables us to pass information to other people, and to understand what is said to us. You only have to watch a baby listening intently to its mother and trying to repeat the sounds that she makes to understand how fundamental is the urge to communicate.

Communication, at its simplest, is the act of transferring information from one place to another. It may be vocally (using voice), written (using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, websites or emails), visually (using logos, maps, charts or graphs) or non-verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice). In practice, it is often a combination of several of these.

Communication skills may take a lifetime to master—if indeed anyone can ever claim to have mastered them. There are, however, many things that you can do fairly easily to improve your communication skills and ensure that you are able to transmit and receive information effectively.

The Importance of Good Communication Skills

Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and everything in between.

The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended, is a vital life skill and something that should not be overlooked. It’s never too late to work on your communication skills and by doing so, you may well find that you improve your quality of life.

Communication skills are needed in almost all aspects of life:

Professionally, if you are applying for jobs or looking for a promotion with your current employer, you will almost certainly need to demonstrate good communication skills.

Communication skills are needed to speak appropriately with a wide variety of people whilst maintaining good eye contact, demonstrate a varied vocabulary and tailor your language to your audience, listen effectively, present your ideas appropriately, write clearly and concisely, and work well in a group. Many of these are essential skills that most employers seek.

Verbal communication skills are ranked first among a job candidate’s ‘must have’ skills and qualities. According to a 2018 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

As your career progresses, the importance of communication skills increases; the ability to speak, listen, question and write with clarity and conciseness are essential for most managers and leaders.

In your personal life, good communication skills can improve your personal relationships by helping you to understand others, and to be understood.

It is almost a cliché that personal relationships need communication. Failure to talk has been blamed for the breakdown of any number of partnerships and relationships—but the ability to listen is also an important element. Communication is also vital in wider family relationships, whether you want to discuss arrangements for holidays, or ensure that your teenage children are well and happy.

If this area is of particular interest, you may want to read our pages on Communicating with Teenagers , Talking to Teenagers about Contraception, Pornography and Consent , and Talking to Teenagers about Sex and Relationships . Our pages on Personal and Romantic Relationship Skills also contain a number of pages touching on communication.

Communication skills can also ensure that you are able to manage interactions with businesses and organisations

Over the course of your lifetime, you are likely to have to interact with a wide range of organisations and institutions, including shops, businesses, government offices, and schools. Good communication skills can ease these interactions, and ensure that you are able to get your point across calmly and clearly, and also take on board the responses.

Being able to complain effectively is an important skill, for example, as is handling criticism yourself.

Communication is a two-way process

Communication is not the same as broadcasting, or simply sending out information.

It is a two-way process. In other words, it involves both the sending and receiving of information.

It therefore requires both speaking and listening, but also—and perhaps more crucially—developing a shared understanding of the information being transmitted and received.

• If you are the ‘sender’ of information , this means communicating it clearly to start with (whether in writing or face-to-face), then asking questions to check your listeners’ understanding. You must also then listen to their replies, and if necessary, clarify further.
• If you are the recipient , it means listening carefully to the information, then checking that you have understood by reflecting back, or asking questions to ensure that you both have the same understanding of the situation.

It is, therefore an active process. There is nothing passive about communication, in either direction.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

Our Communication Skills eBooks

Learn more about the key communication skills you need to be an effective communicator.

Our eBooks are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about or develop their communication skills, and are full of easy-to-follow practical information and exercises.

Developing Communication Skills

Good communication skills can improve the way that you operate through life, smoothing your way in your relationships with others.

Poor communication skills, on the other hand, can sour relationships from business to personal, and make your life significantly harder.

Some people seem to understand how to communicate without even trying. They are able to tailor their language, tone and message to their audience, and get their point across quickly and succinctly, in a way that is heard. They are also able to pick up the messages sent to them rapidly, understanding both what is said, and what has not been said.

This may seem effortless, but the chances are that they have spent plenty of time honing their skills.

Along the way, they have probably also developed a good understanding of themselves (called self-awareness ) and habits of reflecting on success and failure, and the actions that have led to one or the other.

A Long-Term Project

Developing excellent communication skills is probably best thought of as a long-term project.

The chances are that you will continue to learn about communication throughout your life. Few, if any, of us would ever say that we had nothing left to learn on the subject.

That is not, however, to say that it is not worth starting the journey.

There are many small, easy things that you can do immediately that will help you to communicate more effectively.

Communication Skills on SkillsYouNeed

Here at SkillsYouNeed, you’ll find lots of pages and articles to help you understand and improve your communication skills.

You’ll find sections on:

Interpersonal skills are the skills we use when engaged in face-to-face communication with one or more other people.

For a good general introduction to the topic of interpersonal communication skills, you may like to read our pages on Interpersonal Communication Skills , What is Communication? and Principles of Communication . They will help you to understand the basics and start to be aware of what you might need to improve.

Our pages on Barriers to Communication and The Ladder of Inference give you some ideas about what may be going wrong in your personal communication processes. Improving Communication provides information about how you might start to address those issues. There may, in particular, be issues relating to Intercultural communication, especially if you work or interact with people from other cultures on a regular basis.

Our more specific pages on interpersonal communication skills are divided broadly into Verbal Communication , Non-Verbal Communication and Listening .

Verbal communication is all about what we say, which is an important way of getting our message across.

Verbal communication can be both written and spoken, but these pages focus mainly on spoken communication.

The words that we choose can make a big difference to whether other people understand us. Consider for example, communicating with a young child, or with someone who does not speak our own language very well. Under those circumstances, you need to use simple language, short sentences, and check understanding regularly. It is quite different from a conversation with an old friend whom you have known for years, and with whom you may not even need to finish your sentences. Equally, a conversation with a friend is very different from a business discussion, and the words that you choose might be considerably more technical when talking to a colleague.

See our pages on Verbal Communication and Effective Speaking .

Reflection and clarification are both common techniques used in verbal communication to ensure that what you have heard and understood is what was intended. Reflection is the process of paraphrasing and restating what the other person has just said, to check that you have understood. Clarification is the process of seeking more information to inform your understanding, for example, by asking questions. You can find out more on our pages on Reflecting and Clarification .

Questioning skills are one very important area of verbal communication, often used in clarification, but also to extract more information, and as a way to maintain a conversation. Find out more in our pages on Questioning Skills and Types of Questions .

Finally, two specific areas where you will need verbal communication skills, and which are worth considering separately are making a speech , and in conversation .

Non-verbal Communication

Using our voice is only the tip of the iceberg.

We actually communicate far more information using Non-verbal Communication . This includes non-verbal signals, gestures, facial expression, body language, tone of voice, and even our appearance. These can serve to either reinforce or undermine the message of our spoken words, so are worth considering carefully.

If you want to say something outrageous, wear a suit.

The late Dr Joe Jaina, Organisational Psychologist at Cranfield School of Management.

You can find more about this on our pages on Body Language, Face and Voice , Personal Presentation and Personal Appearance .

Listening is also a vital interpersonal communication skill.

As we said above, communication is a two-way process. Listening is an essential part of receiving information. When we communicate, we spend 45% of our time listening. Most people take listening for granted, but it is not the same as hearing and should be thought of as a skill.

Our Listening Skills page acts as an introduction to the subject and you may also be interested in the Ten Principles of Listening .

Our page on Active Listening provides a lot more information about how to listen effectively and can also help you to avoid misunderstandings, while Types of Listening explains more about the theory of listening.

We also have pages on Ineffective Listening and Listening Misconceptions . It is always worth thinking about what you should not do, as well as what you should do, when trying to develop your skills. You may find that you recognise some of the bad habits you or other people have picked up when listening.

Using Communication Skills

Interpersonal communication skills are important in a wide range of circumstances and environments: probably, in fact, anywhere where we may meet and interact with other people.

We have a number of pages on how to use communication skills. For example, they are essential for starting to build relationships, both professionally and at home. You may find our page on Building Rapport helpful, and also advice on being interviewed ( Interview Skills ) and interviewing others ( Interviewing Skills ).

Good communication skills can also help you to provide feedback effectively , and in a way that will not cause offence: a vital skill throughout life.

Good interpersonal communication skills enable us to work more effectively in groups and teams, which may be either formal or informal. Our pages on Groups and Teams explain more about working in groups, and the skills required.

Other Communication Skills

Communication skills encompass far more than simple verbal and non-verbal communication, even in a wide range of circumstances. SkillsYouNeed also includes pages on some more specific forms of communication skills, such as:

Presentation Skills

Many of us only use presentation skills infrequently. However, there will probably be times in your life when you need to present information to a group of people, either in a formal or informal setting.

Presentations are far more than simply standing up in front of a screen and talking your way through a set of slides. They also include the ability to get your point across in meetings, both small and large, and even pitching your business idea to a potential investor .

Start your journey on our Presentation Skills main page.

Writing Skills

Communication skills are not limited to direct interaction with other people and the spoken word.

The ability to write clearly and effectively is also key to communication.

This set of skills should not be limited to journalists or professional authors. Poor written communication can be frustrating for the reader and potentially damaging for the author – would you buy a product from a website peppered with spelling mistakes, or full of incomplete or unclear sentences?

Browse our pages on Writing Skills to help you to understand and overcome common mistakes, and improve how you communicate using the written word.

You may also be interested in our pages on Study Skills . Not just for students, these are the skills you need to enable you to learn, communicate your ideas and understand the ideas of others more effectively. They can, in particular, help you to read more critically, and retain more information by making notes: improving the process of receiving written communication.

Personal Skills

Personal Skills are the skills that we use to maintain a healthy body and mind. But they can also enhance communication.

For example, Improving Your Self-Esteem and Building Your Confidence can help you to feel more positive about yourself and your abilities - including your ability to communicate. And feeling positive is the first step to acting more positively, and therefore effectively.

By having a deeper understanding of yourself and a more relaxed and positive outlook on life you are more likely to be charismatic, a trait that can further aid the communication process. Our page What is Charisma? explains this in more detail. Good communication is also linked to assertiveness, or standing up for what you believe. Our section on Assertiveness explains more.

During times of stress, or when we are angry, we may communicate less effectively. Learn more about these emotions and how to control, reduce and manage them in our pages What is Stress? and What is Anger? You may also be interested in Avoiding and Managing Stress and Tips for Dealing with Stress , as well as Anger Management .

We even have pages to help you deal with more difficult situations such as Dealing with Aggression and Communicating in Difficult Situations .

Communication is a complex subject with many areas and skills to consider.

Being able to communicate effectively is also a skill like any other. It too can be learned, given time. Anyone can make a start on improving their communication skills at any time, and the investment of time and effort is likely to pay off rapidly.

Continue to: Avoiding Common Communication Mistakes Parent's Guide to Communicating with Teenagers

See also: Transferable Skills Principles of Communication

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Chapter 1: The Speech Communication Process

The Speech Communication Process

• Listener(s)

Interference

As you might imagine, the speaker is the crucial first element within the speech communication process. Without a speaker, there is no process.  The  speaker  is simply the person who is delivering, or presenting, the speech.  A speaker might be someone who is training employees in your workplace. Your professor is another example of a public speaker as s/he gives a lecture. Even a stand-up comedian can be considered a public speaker. After all, each of these people is presenting an oral message to an audience in a public setting. Most speakers, however, would agree that the listener is one of the primary reasons that they speak.

The listener is just as important as the speaker; neither one is effective without the other.  The  listener  is the person or persons who have assembled to hear the oral message.  Some texts might even call several listeners an “audience. ” The listener generally forms an opinion as to the effectiveness of the speaker and the validity of the speaker’s message based on what they see and hear during the presentation. The listener’s job sometimes includes critiquing, or evaluating, the speaker’s style and message. You might be asked to critique your classmates as they speak or to complete an evaluation of a public speaker in another setting. That makes the job of the listener extremely important. Providing constructive feedback to speakers often helps the speaker improve her/his speech tremendously.

Another crucial element in the speech process is the message.  The  message  is what the speaker is discussing or the ideas that s/he is presenting to you as s/he covers a particular topic.  The important chapter concepts presented by your professor become the message during a lecture. The commands and steps you need to use, the new software at work, are the message of the trainer as s/he presents the information to your department. The message might be lengthy, such as the President’s State of the Union address, or fairly brief, as in a five-minute presentation given in class.

The  channel  is the means by which the message is sent or transmitted.  Different channels are used to deliver the message, depending on the communication type or context. For instance, in mass communication, the channel utilized might be a television or radio broadcast. The use of a cell phone is an example of a channel that you might use to send a friend a message in interpersonal communication. However, the channel typically used within public speaking is the speaker’s voice, or more specifically, the sound waves used to carry the voice to those listening. You could watch a prerecorded speech or one accessible on YouTube, and you might now say the channel is the television or your computer. This is partially true. However, the speech would still have no value if the speaker’s voice was not present, so in reality, the channel is now a combination of the two -the speaker’s voice broadcast through an electronic source.

The context is a bit more complicated than the other elements we have discussed so far. The context is more than one specific component. For example, when you give a speech in your classroom, the classroom, or  the physical location of your speech, is part of the context  . That’s probably the easiest part of context to grasp.

But you should also consider that the  people in your audience expect you to behave in a certain manner, depending on the physical location or the occasion of the presentation  . If you gave a toast at a wedding, the audience wouldn’t be surprised if you told a funny story about the couple or used informal gestures such as a high-five or a slap on the groom’s back. That would be acceptable within the expectations of your audience, given the occasion. However, what if the reason for your speech was the presentation of a eulogy at a loved one’s funeral? Would the audience still find a high-five or humor as acceptable in that setting? Probably not. So the expectations of your audience must be factored into context as well.

The cultural rules -often unwritten and sometimes never formally communicated to us -are also a part of the context. Depending on your culture, you would probably agree that there are some “rules ” typically adhered to by those attending a funeral. In some cultures, mourners wear dark colors and are somber and quiet. In other cultures, grieving out loud or beating one’s chest to show extreme grief is traditional. Therefore,  the rules from our culture  -no matter what they are -play a part in the context as well.

Every speaker hopes that her/his speech is clearly understood by the audience. However, there are times when some obstacle gets in the way of the message and interferes with the listener’s ability to hear what’s being said.  This is  interference  , or you might have heard it referred to as “noise. ”  Every speaker must prepare and present with the assumption that interference is likely to be present in the speaking environment.

Interference can be mental, physical, or physiological.  Mental interference  occurs when the listener is not fully focused on what s/he is hearing due to her/his own thoughts.  If you’ve ever caught yourself daydreaming in class during a lecture, you’re experiencing mental interference. Your own thoughts are getting in the way of the message.

A second form of interference is  physical interference  . This is noise in the literal sense -someone coughing behind you during a speech or the sound of a mower outside the classroom window. You may be unable to hear the speaker because of the surrounding environmental noises.

The last form of interference is  physiological  . This type of interference occurs when your body is responsible for the blocked signals. A deaf person, for example, has the truest form of physiological interference; s/he may have varying degrees of difficulty hearing the message. If you’ve ever been in a room that was too cold or too hot and found yourself not paying attention, you’re experiencing physiological interference. Your bodily discomfort distracts from what is happening around you.

The final component within the speech process is feedback. While some might assume that the speaker is the only one who sends a message during a speech, the reality is that the  listeners in the audience are sending a message of their own, called  feedback  .  Often this is how the speaker knows if s/he is sending an effective message. Occasionally the feedback from listeners comes in verbal form – questions from the audience or an angry response from a listener about a key point presented. However, in general, feedback during a presentation is typically non-verbal -a student nodding her/his head in agreement or a confused look from an audience member. An observant speaker will scan the audience for these forms of feedback, but keep in mind that non-verbal feedback is often more difficult to spot and to decipher. For example, is a yawn a sign of boredom, or is it simply a tired audience member?

Generally, all of the above elements are present during a speech. However, you might wonder what the process would look like if we used a diagram to illustrate it. Initially, some students think of public speaking as a linear process -the speaker sending a message to the listener -a simple, straight line. But if you’ll think about the components we’ve just covered, you begin to see that a straight line cannot adequately represent the process, when we add listener feedback into the process. The listener is sending her/his own message back to the speaker, so perhaps the process might better be represented as circular. Add in some interference and place the example in context, and you have a more complete idea of the speech process.

Fundamentals of Public Speaking Copyright © by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Improve Communication Skills: 10 Tactics

Effective communication is vital for success in both personal and professional spheres. It

enhances your ability to connect with others, resolves conflicts, and leads to better relationships and career growth.

In this article, our experts at Better Speech will break down ten key tactics to refine and improve your communication skills. By understanding and implementing each tactic, you can not only improve the quality of your communication but also your relationships and life as a whole.

Maintain Clarity and Conciseness

Leverage Non-Verbal Communication Express Empathy Ask Questions

Understand your Audience

Embrace Feedback

Display Confidence

Practice and Learn

Getting Started on Your Journey to Confident Communication

1: Listen Actively

Active listening is essential for effective communication. It involves fully concentrating on the

speaker, understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and remembering what is being said. You can practice active listening by focusing entirely on the speaker, avoiding distractions, and confirming understanding through nodding or paraphrasing their words.

2: Maintain Clarity and Conciseness

Being clear and concise helps in delivering messages that are easy to understand and quick to grasp. Plan your communications carefully to stay on point, use straightforward language, and avoid unnecessary details that might cloud your main points. The goal is to convey your

message in as few words as possible, without sacrificing clarity.

3: Leverage Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal cues significantly affect how your messages are received. To communicate

effectively, ensure your body language, facial expressions, and eye contact match your words. For instance, maintaining eye contact shows confidence and helps engage your audience, while appropriate gestures can emphasize your points.

4: Express Empathy

Empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of another person, which enhances

communication by creating a stronger connection. To express empathy, listen to understand

rather than reply, acknowledge others' feelings, and respond in a way that shows you appreciate their perspective.

5: Ask Questions

Asking questions not only clarifies your understanding but also engages your conversation

partner. Use open-ended questions to invite expansive answers, and ask clarifying questions

when details are unclear. This tactic helps deepen conversations and fosters better

understanding between all parties involved.

6: Understand your Audience

Effective communicators adjust their message based on who they are speaking to. Consider the knowledge level, interests, and expectations of your audience. This personalization makes your message more relevant and engaging, thereby increasing the likelihood of a positive reception.

7: Embrace Feedback

Feedback is a powerful tool for improving communication skills. Offer constructive criticism that focuses on specific aspects of the communication, not the person. When receiving feedback, view it as an opportunity to grow and improve your skills. Engage in discussions about feedback to clarify points and develop strategies for improvement.

8: Display Confidence

Confidence influences how your messages are perceived. Build your confidence by preparing thoroughly, practicing regularly, and focusing on positive outcomes. Confidence grows with experience, so seek out opportunities to communicate in various settings.

9: Practice and Learn

Communication skills can always be improved. Engage in continuous learning through

workshops, seminars, and relevant reading materials. Practice your skills regularly in both

professional and personal settings, and be open to feedback to help refine your approach.

10: Seek Speech Therapy

If you find certain aspects of communication particularly challenging, consider professional help such as speech therapy. Speech-language pathologists, like our experts at Better Speech, offer tailored programs that address individual needs, from stuttering to voice modulation, ensuring that each person can achieve their communication potential.

Embrace Clarity with R Sound Speech Therapy Today!

Improving your communication skills is a worthwhile endeavor that can enhance almost every

aspect of your life. By implementing these tactics, from active listening to seeking specialized therapy, you'll find that you can communicate more clearly, confidently, and effectively.

Remember, the path to better communication is marked by continuous practice and openness to learning. To get started, find your speech therapist today. At Better Speech, we know you deserve speech therapy that works. Our team specializes in diagnosing and treating a variety of speech and language disorders. Reach out to our skilled Speech-Language Pathologists for guidance on managing and improving communication skills. At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should i practice these techniques to see improvement.

Regular practice is crucial for improvement. Daily exercises, such as engaging in conversations with diverse groups, practicing speech exercises, or reflective journaling about your communication experiences, can yield noticeable results over time.

How can I measure improvement in my communication skills?

How does sleep affect my ability to communicate effectively, what are the most common barriers to effective communication, what should i do if i feel nervous about receiving feedback, how can speech therapy specifically help improve professional life.

About the Author

Aycen Zambuto

I’m a seasoned educator in speech therapy with over six years of experience helping people navigate challenges in communication. Throughout this time, I’ve found joy in guiding individuals through a variety of therapeutic journeys, from toddlers with apraxia to seniors with dysphonia.

I’m passionate about demystifying this complex world of speech therapy and helping readers around the globe achieve clear and effective communication. When I’m not writing about speech, you’ll often find me reading, traveling or spending time with friends and family.

• At Home Speech Therapy

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by Patricia D. Myers

I'm not an English native speaker and I wanted to improve my speech. Better Speech onboarding process is AWESOME, I met with different people before being matched with an AMAZING Therapist, Christina. My assigned therapist created a safe place for me to be vulnerable and made all the sessions fun and helpful. Thanks to her, I received great feedback from my clients.

by John L. Wilson

​ Better Speech is a great program that is easy to use from home and anywhere online. Shannon was amazing at engaging our shy son - and building on their relationship each session! Her commitment to knowing him improved his confidence to speak and practice more. Truly appreciate her dedication. She cares for her clients.

by Christy O. King

​ Better Speech is an excellent opportunity to improve your speech in the convenience of your home with flexible scheduling options. Our therapist Miss Lynda was nothing short of amazing! We have greatly appreciated and enjoyed the time spent together in speech therapy. Her kind, engaging and entertaining spirit has been well received. She will surely be missed.

by Patricia W. Lopez

This service is so easy, i signed up, got a therapist and got to set up an appointment right away that worked with my schedule. so glad to see that services like speech therapy are finally catching up to the rest of the convenience age! therapy is great, i can't believe how many good tips, exercises and methods in just the first session. really recommend it!

8 Ways You Can Improve Your Communication Skills

Your guide to establishing better communication habits for success in the workplace.

Mary Sharp Emerson

A leader’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively with employees, within teams, and across the organization is one of the foundations of a successful business.

And in today’s complex and quickly evolving business environment, with hundreds of different communication tools, fully or partially remote teams, and even multicultural teams spanning multiple time zones, effective communication has never been more important — or more challenging.

Thus, the ability to communicate might be a manager’s most critical skill. 

The good news is that these skills can be learned and even mastered. 

These eight tips can help you maximize your communication skills for the success of your organization and your career.

1. Be clear and concise

Communication is primarily about word choice. And when it comes to word choice, less is more.

The key to powerful and persuasive communication — whether written or spoken — is clarity and, when possible, brevity. 

Before engaging in any form of communication, define your goals and your audience. 

Outlining carefully and explicitly what you want to convey and why will help ensure that you include all necessary information. It will also help you eliminate irrelevant details. 

Avoid unnecessary words and overly flowery language, which can distract from your message.

And while repetition may be necessary in some cases, be sure to use it carefully and sparingly. Repeating your message can ensure that your audience receives it, but too much repetition can cause them to tune you out entirely. 

2. Prepare ahead of time

Know what you are going to say and how you are going to say before you begin any type of communication.

However, being prepared means more than just practicing a presentation. 

Preparation also involves thinking about the entirety of the communication, from start to finish. Research the information you may need to support your message. Consider how you will respond to questions and criticisms. Try to anticipate the unexpected.

Before a performance review, for instance, prepare a list of concrete examples of your employee’s behavior to support your evaluation.

Before engaging in a salary or promotion negotiation, know exactly what you want. Be ready to discuss ranges and potential compromises; know what you are willing to accept and what you aren’t. And have on hand specific details to support your case, such as relevant salaries for your position and your location (but be sure that your research is based on publicly available information, not company gossip or anecdotal evidence). 

Before entering into any conversation, brainstorm potential questions, requests for additional information or clarification, and disagreements so you are ready to address them calmly and clearly.

3. Be mindful of nonverbal communication

Our facial expressions, gestures, and body language can, and often do, say more than our words. 

Nonverbal cues can have between 65 and 93 percent more impact than the spoken word. And we are more likely to believe the nonverbal signals over spoken words if the two are in disagreement. 

Leaders must be especially adept at reading nonverbal cues. 

Employees who may be unwilling to voice disagreements or concerns, for instance, may show their discomfort through crossed arms or an unwillingness to make eye contact. If you are aware of others’ body language, you may be able to adjust your communication tactics appropriately.

At the same time, leaders must also be able to control their own nonverbal communications. 

Your nonverbal cues must, at all times, support your message. At best, conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication can cause confusion. At worst, it can undermine your message and your team’s confidence in you, your organization, and even in themselves. 

4. Watch your tone

How you say something can be just as important as what you say. As with other nonverbal cues, your tone can add power and emphasis to your message, or it can undermine it entirely.

Tone can be an especially important factor in workplace disagreements and conflict. A well-chosen word with a positive connotation creates good will and trust. A poorly chosen word with unclear or negative connotations can quickly lead to misunderstanding. 

When speaking, tone includes volume, projection, and intonation as well as word choice. In real time, it can be challenging to control tone to ensure that it matches your intent. But being mindful of your tone will enable you to alter it appropriately if a communication seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Tone can be easier to control when writing. Be sure to read your communication once, even twice, while thinking about tone as well as message. You may even want to read it out loud or ask a trusted colleague to read it over, if doing so does not breach confidentiality. 

And when engaging in a heated dialogue over email or other written medium, don’t be too hasty in your replies. 

If at all possible, write out your response but then wait for a day or two to send it. In many cases, re-reading your message after your emotions have cooled allows you to moderate your tone in a way that is less likely to escalate the conflict.

Browse our Communication programs.

5. Practice active listening

Communication nearly always involves two or more individuals.

Therefore, listening is just as important as speaking when it comes to communicating successfully. But listening can be more challenging than we realize. 

In her blog post Mastering the Basics of Communication , communication expert Marjorie North notes that we only hear about half of what the other person says during any given conversation. 

The goal of active listening is to ensure that you hear not just the words the person is saying, but the entire message. Some tips for active listening include:

• Giving the speaker your full and undivided attention
• Clearing your mind of distractions, judgements, and counter-arguments. 
• Avoiding the temptation to interrupt with your own thoughts.
• Showing open, positive body language to keep your mind focused and to show the speaker that you are really listening
• Rephrase or paraphrase what you’ve heard when making your reply
• Ask open ended questions designed to elicit additional information

6. Build your emotional intelligence

Communication is built upon a foundation of emotional intelligence. Simply put, you cannot communicate effectively with others until you can assess and understand your own feelings. 

“If you’re aware of your own emotions and the behaviors they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviors,” says Margaret Andrews in her post, How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence .

Leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence will naturally find it easier to engage in active listening, maintain appropriate tone, and use positive body language, for example.  

Understanding and managing your own emotions is only part of emotional intelligence. The other part — equally important for effective communication — is empathy for others.

Empathizing with an employee can, for example, make a difficult conversation easier. 

You may still have to deliver bad news, but (actively) listening to their perspective and showing that you understand their feelings can go a long way toward smoothing hurt feelings or avoiding misunderstandings.

7. Develop a workplace communication strategy

Today’s workplace is a constant flow of information across a wide variety of formats. Every single communication must be understood in the context of that larger flow of information.

Even the most effective communicator may find it difficult to get their message across without a workplace communication strategy.

A communication strategy is the framework within which your business conveys and receives information. It can — and should — outline how and what you communicate to customers and clients, stakeholders, and managers and employees. 

Starting most broadly, your strategy should incorporate who gets what message and when. This ensures that everyone receives the correct information at the right time. 

It can be as detailed as how you communicate, including defining the type of tools you use for which information. For example, you may define when it’s appropriate to use a group chat for the entire team or organization or when a meeting should have been summarized in an email instead. 

Creating basic guidelines like this can streamline the flow of information. It will help ensure that everyone gets the details they need and that important knowledge isn’t overwhelmed by extraneous minutia. 

8. Create a positive organizational culture

The corporate culture in which you are communicating also plays a vital role in effective communication. 

In a positive work environment — one founded on transparency, trust, empathy, and open dialogue — communication in general will be easier and more effective. 

Employees will be more receptive to hearing their manager’s message if they trust that manager. And managers will find it easier to create buy-in and even offer constructive criticism if they encourage their employees to speak up, offer suggestions, and even offer constructive criticisms of their own. 

“The most dangerous organization is a silent one,” says Lorne Rubis in a blog post, Six Tips for Building a Better Workplace Culture . Communication, in both directions, can only be effective in a culture that is built on trust and a foundation of psychological safety.

Authoritative managers who refuse to share information, aren’t open to suggestions, and refuse to admit mistakes and accept criticism are likely to find their suggestions and criticisms met with defensiveness or even ignored altogether. 

Without that foundation of trust and transparency, even the smallest communication can be misconstrued and lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.

Communicating with co-workers and employees is always going to present challenges. There will always be misunderstandings and miscommunications that must be resolved and unfortunately, corporate messages aren’t always what we want to hear, especially during difficult times.

But building and mastering effective communication skills will make your job easier as a leader, even during difficult conversations. Taking the time to build these skills will certainly be time well-spent. 

Want to build your skills? Find the program that’s right for you.

Browse all Professional & Executive Development programs.

About the Author

Digital Content Producer

Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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Home » Blog » General » Building Conversational Skills: A Speech Therapy Guide

Building Conversational Skills: A Speech Therapy Guide

Are you or someone you know struggling with conversational skills? Do you find it challenging to engage in social interactions and maintain meaningful conversations? If so, you’re not alone. Many individuals face difficulties in developing and maintaining conversational skills, which can impact their social relationships and overall well-being.

Understanding Conversational Skills

Before we delve into the role of speech therapy in building conversational skills, let’s first understand what conversational skills entail. Conversational skills refer to the ability to engage in a conversation effectively, using appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication. It involves various components, such as active listening, turn-taking, topic maintenance, non-verbal cues, asking and answering questions, and initiating and sustaining conversations.

Individuals with difficulties in conversational skills may face challenges in one or more of these areas. They may struggle to understand social cues, have difficulty initiating or maintaining conversations, or find it hard to follow the flow of a conversation. These challenges can lead to feelings of frustration, isolation, and low self-esteem.

The Role of Speech Therapy in Building Conversational Skills

Speech therapy plays a crucial role in helping individuals develop and improve their conversational skills. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can assess and evaluate an individual’s current level of conversational skills and design an individualized therapy plan to target specific areas of difficulty.

During speech therapy sessions, the SLP will use various techniques and strategies to help individuals develop their conversational skills. These may include role-playing, modeling appropriate conversational behaviors, providing feedback and reinforcement, and practicing conversational skills in a structured and supportive environment.

Assessment and Evaluation of Conversational Skills

Before starting therapy, the SLP will conduct a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s conversational skills. This assessment may involve observing the individual’s interactions in different social settings, conducting interviews, and using standardized assessments to measure specific aspects of conversational skills.

Based on the assessment results, the SLP will identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement. This information will guide the development of individualized therapy goals and strategies.

Individualized Therapy Plans for Improving Conversational Skills

Once the assessment is complete, the SLP will develop an individualized therapy plan tailored to the specific needs of the individual. This plan will outline the therapy goals, objectives, and strategies that will be used to target the areas of difficulty.

The therapy plan may include activities and exercises that focus on improving active listening skills, turn-taking and topic maintenance, non-verbal communication cues, asking and answering questions, and initiating and sustaining conversations. The SLP will work closely with the individual to ensure that the therapy plan is engaging, relevant, and effective.

Techniques and Strategies Used in Speech Therapy Sessions

During speech therapy sessions, the SLP will employ various techniques and strategies to help individuals develop their conversational skills. These may include:

• Role-playing: Engaging in simulated conversations to practice specific conversational skills.
• Modeling: Demonstrating appropriate conversational behaviors for the individual to imitate.
• Feedback and reinforcement: Providing constructive feedback and positive reinforcement to encourage progress.
• Visual aids: Using visual supports, such as cue cards or social stories, to enhance understanding and facilitate communication.
• Structured activities: Engaging in structured activities that target specific conversational skills, such as turn-taking games or group discussions.

Techniques for Developing Conversational Skills

Now that we have a better understanding of the role of speech therapy in building conversational skills, let’s explore some techniques that can be helpful in developing these skills:

Active Listening Skills

Active listening is a fundamental component of effective communication. It involves paying attention to the speaker, understanding the message, and providing appropriate responses. To improve active listening skills, individuals can practice techniques such as maintaining eye contact, nodding to show understanding, and paraphrasing or summarizing the speaker’s message.

Turn-taking and Topic Maintenance

Turn-taking and topic maintenance are essential for smooth and engaging conversations. Individuals can practice turn-taking by waiting for their turn to speak, not interrupting others, and using verbal and non-verbal cues to indicate they have finished speaking. Topic maintenance can be improved by actively participating in the conversation, asking relevant questions, and providing relevant contributions to the topic.

Non-verbal Communication Cues

Non-verbal communication cues, such as facial expressions, body language, and gestures, play a significant role in conveying meaning and understanding in conversations. Individuals can work on improving their non-verbal communication skills by practicing appropriate facial expressions, using appropriate body language, and being mindful of their gestures.

Asking and Answering Questions

Asking and answering questions is an essential part of engaging in conversations. Individuals can practice asking open-ended questions to encourage further discussion and provide thoughtful and relevant answers to questions asked by others.

Initiating and Sustaining Conversations

Initiating and sustaining conversations can be challenging for some individuals. To improve these skills, individuals can practice initiating conversations by starting with a greeting or a relevant topic, showing genuine interest in the other person, and actively participating in the conversation by asking follow-up questions and providing relevant contributions.

Strategies for Generalizing Conversational Skills

Developing conversational skills in therapy sessions is just the first step. To ensure that these skills are generalized and used in real-life situations, individuals can try the following strategies:

Practicing Conversational Skills in Various Settings

Encourage individuals to practice their conversational skills in different settings, such as at home, school, or community events. This will provide opportunities to interact with a variety of people and practice adapting their communication style to different social contexts.

Role-playing and Simulated Conversations

Role-playing and simulated conversations can be a valuable tool for practicing conversational skills in a safe and controlled environment. Individuals can role-play different social scenarios and practice applying their conversational skills in realistic situations.

Incorporating Conversational Skills in Daily Activities

Encourage individuals to incorporate their conversational skills in their daily activities. For example, they can practice active listening skills during family meals, engage in conversations with classmates during group projects, or initiate conversations with neighbors or friends during community events.

Collaborating with Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers play a vital role in supporting the development of conversational skills. Here are some ways they can collaborate with speech therapy:

Involving Parents in Therapy Sessions

Encourage parents to actively participate in therapy sessions. This can include observing sessions, learning and practicing therapy techniques at home, and providing feedback on the individual’s progress.

Providing Resources and Strategies for Home Practice

Provide parents with resources and strategies to support conversational skills development at home. This may include suggested activities, conversation starters, and tips for creating a communication-friendly environment.

Communication Tips for Parents to Support Conversational Skills Development

Offer parents practical communication tips to support their child’s conversational skills development. This may include modeling good communication behaviors, providing opportunities for meaningful conversations, and creating a supportive and non-judgmental environment for practicing conversational skills.

Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Therapy

Monitoring progress is essential to ensure that therapy goals are being met and to make any necessary adjustments to the therapy plan. The SLP will regularly assess the individual’s progress and modify therapy goals and techniques as needed. It’s important for individuals and their families to communicate any concerns or challenges they may be facing during the therapy process.

Conversational skills are vital for successful social interactions and meaningful relationships. If you or someone you know is struggling with conversational skills, speech therapy can provide the necessary support and guidance to improve these skills. Through assessment, individualized therapy plans, and targeted techniques, speech therapy can help individuals develop active listening skills, turn-taking and topic maintenance, non-verbal communication cues, asking and answering questions, and initiating and sustaining conversations.

Start your EverydaySpeech Free trial today and take the first step towards building strong conversational skills. With a wide range of resources and activities, EverydaySpeech can support individuals in their journey towards effective communication and social success.

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Improving Leadership Communication Skills

September 26, 2024

Communication can be experienced in many ways—speech, writing, signing, art, even interpretive dance (though we don’t recommend this for the office). When we try to impart meaning through whatever method we have chosen, there’s always the chance that our meaning will become muddled or be taken in the wrong tone or context. In the office, this can have devastating consequences.

Leaders need to develop good leadership and communication skills to bring their teams forward and achieve business and personal goals. Let’s review the various strategies leaders use to enhance communication skills and why this is so important.

What Is Good Leadership Communication?

Leadership and communication go hand in hand. When you oversee or guide others, you must be able to connect with them well enough for them to understand you and be open to listening to you. Some of the hallmark traits of good communication include:

• Clarity: Ensure the message is straightforward and tailored to the individual or group receiving it.
• Consistency: Ensure the same message is conveyed to all parties; follow your word or explain transparently why you are changing position.
• Empathy: Deliver your message while maintaining sight of the listener’s perspective and feelings.
• Psychological Safety: Create an environment where open feedback is encouraged and mistakes are never punished.

While some leaders may be supported by a broader corporate communications strategy , the importance of communication in leadership at a more personal level is what truly impacts results. Just take it from leaders like Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. In January of 2023, Nadella had the difficult task of announcing the removal of 10,000 jobs from Microsoft worldwide. His letter to employees is a paradigm of clarity and honesty in a time of turbulence.

Nadella’s communication strategy is also shared with the company in the form of spreading communication skills by encouraging and funding personal and professional growth. He explains how he brought his own communication style to his leadership and encourages you to find your own leadership style .

Why Is Communication Important in Leadership?

What is so important about effective leadership communication, anyway? Well, the benefits of good communication are well known, as are the detriments of poor communication.

On the benefits side, it starts with increased productivity. Clear communication of project goals will align team members, prevent miscommunications between them, and reduce the need for repeated work. Any misunderstandings that do occur can be addressed and resolved quickly if an environment of transparency and honesty has been established through prior good communication as modeled by a leader.

All of this can lead to improved employee morale because employees will be aligned in their work, feel valued when leaders communicate transparently, and feel safe to come to a leader to discuss mistakes or problems.

However, there are plenty of detriments to poor communication. If leaders don’t exhibit effective leadership communication, then engagement could drop due to a lack of clarity surrounding their role or the goals of the company. This can cascade into decreased productivity, brought on by miscommunications that lead to errors or delays—costing the company’s bottom line.

How Can We Enhance Leadership Communication Skills?

There are plenty of ways to develop your leadership potential , but none is more important than leadership communication training. As you train or prepare yourself for training, follow these steps:

• Assess Your Communication Skills & Style

Everything starts with self-awareness—awareness of our current skill level, of our gaps, and of where we want to end up as leaders who communicate well. By understanding the communication skills in leadership we already have, we can see where we need to go and make a plan to get there.

• Practice Active Listening

Before we can transmit, we need to learn to absorb. Practice active listening techniques such as repeating back information to ensure you have it right and actually listening , not just waiting for your turn to speak. After the conversation is over, reflect on the person’s communication style. Did they make you feel safe? Was their messaging clear and concise? Learning from others can help us adopt new skills and styles of leadership communication.

• Practice Empathy

Empathy is critical in communication because we need to meet people where they are. This means tailoring your message to what they need. After all, you wouldn’t speak to a room of fifth-graders the same way you would a room of CEOs. Show people that you understand them, and they will better understand you.

• Learn Diplomacy

Diplomacy can mean many things, but mostly, it means being transparent (encompassing both honesty and being forthcoming), being fair (a.k.a. aiming for the same clear communication with everyone at all levels), and making people feel safe when they communicate with you (e.g., they’re not afraid to come to you when a mistake happens).

• Concentrate on Non-Verbal Communication

When judging non-verbal communication, humans often look to three elements : context, clusters, and congruence. “Context” comprises the environmental, mental, and emotional expectations of the conversation. “Clusters” references groupings of gestures and body positioning that we examine to determine overall mood. And “Congruence” refers to how closely the non-verbal signals match the verbal tone and words. Purposefully practicing non-verbal communication in these aspects will improve communication overall.

• Take a Professional Course

In courses like those from from Dale Carnegie, you will learn how to go from crafting the right attitude to gaining knowledge to practicing abilities to knowing that skill well. Then, the cycle starts all over again because learning is never one-and-done.

• Encourage Feedback

Just as learning is not one-and-done, neither is self-evaluation or gaining feedback. Once you have gained and been practicing better leadership communication skills, then you need to ask others how you’re doing. Be open to feedback, don’t get defensive, and especially ensure there are no repercussions for honesty.

• Learn & Use Technology

Today, much of how we communicate at work happens through technology—emails, messaging systems, video calls, etc. All of these mediums have benefits and detriments. It’s critical when developing good communication skills to learn and use these systems properly. This is especially critical in the age of AI technologies.

Start Your Journey to Better Communication Skills

Effective leadership starts with good communication. If you want to become a better communicator, join the Dale Carnegie Course or explore other courses at dalecarnegie.com. Reach out today!

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