Effective Communication Keys
Effective Communication Key skills consist of sending and receiving which involve speaking, listening, writing and understanding. The act of effective communication takes at least two people to complete.
It is extremely important to have effective communication skills in all areas of your life. When you think about it, you communicate constantly. You may be sending a text message, writing an email, talking or listening to someone.
When communication is not done effectively, this can lead to unresolved issues and difficulties. Many couples get divorced due to a lack of effective communication.
The 5 Effective Communication Keys
Would you say that you know how to effectively communicate well in your everyday life? A person that effectively communicates well displays the following five characteristics:
- Know how to pay attention and can repeat back what is said.
- Demonstrate that they understand the situation.
- Pay attention to the person who is speaking.
- Look directly into the eyes of the other person.
- Watch and respond appropriately to the body language, including facial and hand gestures, of the person they are communicating with.
When you become effective in communication, you will find it easier to build relationships and keep them. People who demonstrate effective communication can work on a team together and produce fantastic results. That team could be your sellers, buyers, a team of agents, friends, civic organizations, etc.
Listening is the icing on the cake
Listening is a major ingredient for effective communication and affects every one of the five effective communication keys. Even eye contact and body language is listening. You can’t respond very well if you don’t clearly understand the situation which can’t happen without first listening. The best way to develop your skills is by doing the following:
- Pay attention and then ask questions, especially if you’re unsure of a certain point. Repeat a summary of what they’re saying. They’ll be impressed and flattered that you’re paying attention and making an effort to understand what they’re saying even if they have to correct you.
- Show the person empathy and understanding when necessary, even if your feelings are different. Listen intently if you’re going to build a good relationship.
- Don’t interrupt when they’re speaking. Let them finish talking before taking your turn and if necessary, present your point of view. If in person, turn that phone off. Pay attention and listen as they can tell when you are being diverted by the baseball game, another person talking to you, or any other number of interruptions.
- Do not judge people. Everyone is entitled to their point of view on any subject. This essentially means that there is no one right or one wrong view point on anything even though you may think your view point is the only correct one. It is okay to agree to disagree, but don’t get your panties in an uproar. Keep it civil and collaborative.
- Listen to their body language. If things are tense, try to read the situation to aide in calming things down. Whatever the mood, make your best attempt to create a pleasant environment. Especially in eye contact, avoidance verses direct connection can have a very different result in your conversation.
When you can put all of these things into action, you’re on your way to becoming very proficient in effective communication. Once you have mastered these keys, then you can improve your other communication skills such as writing and speaking.
Understand what someone else is saying
You have to agree that it will be much easier to respond to someone, when you have fully understood the issue. This will be because you took the time to listen attentively in the first place. Avoid thinking about what to say before you absorb what it is they are really saying.
Remember, taking the time to become an effective in communication can help make all areas in your life, including building your self-confidence and self-esteem, so much better.
About the Author
Cindy Bishop is just like you choosing the real estate business to build a career and earn a living. Along the way, she found better ways to achieve sales success by developing habits and methods that worked to create income consistency. Cindy’s real estate business wasn’t unlike yours with door knocking, sphere marketing, and of course, holding open houses. Learning better communication skills allowed her to become a top producing agent.
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Recommended Resources
The Real Estate Agent's Guide to Communication