Skip to main content

Develop These 5 Communication Skills to Succeed at Business

By

Develop These 5 Communication Skills to Succeed at Business

Source:
entrepreneur.com

Be careful with your words and actions.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

"Clarity" is an overused buzzword that typically makes people aim to find purpose and meaning in their lives. It also can be used as a way to get people to clean up their language. Speaking clearly, in written and verbal forms, makes a big difference in your business and environment.

It seems as though everyone clamors for attention all the time. The mere amount of words used on social media platforms every year is staggering, yet are they actually making a difference? Is it bringing positive results for your business?

When it comes to representing yourself as an entrepreneur, it’s important to remember the type of words and phrases you use. This is especially true when seen as a leader or manager in your business. If your words put people down all the time, expect people to shut their eyes and ears to your message. This happens a lot in the corporate world, where managers who have not fully embraced leadership abilities simply talk down to and ignore employees’ concerns.

The same thing is true when you are running your own show. You have to speak clearly and respectfully all the time or you are going to lose clients, employees and business. The language you use is just as important as how you approach goals and problems.

When developing good communication skills, it’s important to remember these five ways that will help you in the long run:

1. Be respectful.

Don’t start writing or talking down to people. It doesn’t matter if they are an employee or client. Treat them in a way that you would want to be treated. Speak respectfully, and use words that actually show you have a semblance of caring about them as human beings. Word gets around, especially in the millisecond-world of social media, if you are always dissing people.

2. Be authentic.

If you believe people cannot see you as other than your real self, then you’re putting out some bad vibes. There’s an old line attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” Whether you choose to believe Honest Abe’s wise words or not, they are true. Authenticity is a cornerstone of long-term success.

3. Be thoughtful.

Take a good look at how many entrepreneurs these days believe that being a showoff is actually a good thing. Where did thoughtfulness get lost in handling business and clients? It will make you stand out from the crowd a whole lot more when you are thoughtful than when you're yelling every single day. There are men and women who definitely make bank on their personal style which does include flavorful words. In the long run, though, thoughtfulness actually wins the race. People will remember you not only for your actions but your kind words, too.

4. Be careful.

Remember all of your website and social media platform content? You can litter it with honest, forthright content or wave your arms in the air and yell, “Look at me, look at me.” There have been times where people forget what they are saying and doing. They are not careful with their words. Corporations simply despise anyone who speaks truth to “the machine.” Even those managers need to learn over and over again about being careful with their words and actions. Carelessness does not equal long-term success. This is a valuable lesson for entrepreneurs, young and old alike, to remember.

5. Be compassionate.

Don’t compare the word “compassionate” with “being soft.” It’s not the same. No matter why you started a business, there was something bigger than the dollars involved. It might be a product or service that changes how people go about their daily lives. The power of compassion as an entrepreneur has its winning edges. “Being soft” is a throwaway term used loosely by those who are not in touch with their own hearts. Compassion toward your message, clients and customers makes a large impact. It will make you stand out from the crowd.

Take a step back from the day-to-day grind, and observe the way you use words and phrases with people. It might make all the difference in your world.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JOB SECURITY IN NIGERIAN MASS MEDIA INDUSTRY (PART 1).

By
When we talk of job security its always long discursion for Nigeria employees, especially those in the media. For the next 2 to 3 weeks I'll be doing a write up on job security in the Nigeria media industry, where I'll discuss based on findings and observations, the job security level of media workers. JOB SECURITY IN NIGERIAN MASS MEDIA INDUSTRY (PART 1). INTRODUCTION. Job security has become an increasingly rare commodity in the global economy that offers no lack of cheap labour alternatives. However, that's no reason to dismiss the importance of job security for your career. Employees who settle into a position are more likely to achieve long-term career goals, better position themselves financially, and gain marketable skills that appeal to future employer, for those who don't, its the opposite of everything. First what is job security? Security in it self generally means protection, freedom from threats or low possibility of damage. Job secu...
1 comment
Read more

Why government job? Here are 5 businesses to startup in Nigeria.

By
While a majority of the Nigerian population are forcing their way into the public sector to meet ends, a lot of opportunities are dieing down, and remain untapped in the country.   A nation that have produced the richest man in African, richest woman in Africa  and a growing large telecom company, but yet its citizens still run to government to offer them jobs. I picked sectors in the country that have a lot of opportunities to dig into. While it might differ in location, these are the ones i found in my place. Feel free to add yours at the comment box below. 1. Poultry Farming.   With the festive periods drawing close, chicken is not only needed but eggs also. These eggs can be supplied to restaurants as well as sold to retail outlets. Believe me I've seen a lot of people make it in this business. If you start with 1,000 birds and manage your poultry farm properly, when the turnover on investment begins to come, you will be making millions annually. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WHEN APPLE FALLS

By
Yes, apples do fall everyday! well, maybe not just apples. Mangoes fall too and you've seen it fall several times, so what do you think?  Ah! eat it up right?  Well, someone saw an apple fall and made a big deal of it. he got people talking about that apple for decades and we still talk about it today. in fact, you can't claim to know the world you live in without talking about that apple. Sir Isaac Newton would pass for the definition critical thinking personified. It was recorded that Newton was taking a peaceful walk in his garden when he suddenly spot an apple falling from a tree. He sat thinking why the apple did not fall sideways or went back up, but fall down to the ground. From that unfolding, he embarked on a research and came up with the law of gravity. Yes, whatever goes up must come down.   But you know what? Apples fall everyday. Yes, the little things that happen to and around us daily are like the falling apple in Newton's garden. If only we could be ...
1 comment
Read more