Communication plays a very important role in your life and more specifically in your career. Being able to talk to people and understand their needs and concerns is an important aspect of life, and should constantly be worked on and perfected. Here are 3 ways that can help us communicate more effectively with coworkers and customers.
Listen actively
Have you ever had the feeling that you were just talking and people were listening to respond, but not understand? This is a habit of many people and should be worked on daily. Actively listening is being able to process what someone says and creating a response that is in order for the conversation to continue. It is important for coworkers and consumers to be aware that you are paying attention to them, this could mean creating eye contact, giving a head nod or a verbal agreement.
Beware of interrupting
Be mindful when speaking to someone that you are not interrupting their thoughts and opinions, especially with customers. Communicating effectively starts with letting others voice their opinions before you voice yours in certain situations. There is nothing ruder than speaking to someone and constantly feeling like you are being talked over. Once your customer has expressed their concerns or issues, then you may speak up and offer a solution; refrain from doing this while they are still letting you know what their problems are.
Use positive statements
Your coworkers and customers are more interested in what you can do for them, than what you can not do for them. Make sure everything you say can be turned into a positive moving forward. The way that you speak about certain problems and situations will influence how someone perceives you and your department.
Communication is the basis of life and business; once you understand how to do it effectively you will lessen many problems that you may face in the workplace. Be mindful that this takes time, and will need to be worked on continuously in order to develop habits that are beneficial.