Effective Communication Skills
Last week, I did some training with a group of schoolteachers… on the terminology used in financial services.
As well as knowing your subject, good Communication Skills are paramount when you are training, developing or coaching others. There are many aspects to this, but here is one simple example.
When I asked which terminology they particularly wanted to discuss, a lady put up her hand and said that she couldn’t quite see how ‘Market Value Reductions’ worked. (There is something strangely satisfying about having teachers put up their hands to ask you a question….but I digress.)
The point is, she said that she couldn’t SEE how this process worked. The reason she couldn’t see it was because no-one had ever SHOWN it to her. She is a highly intelligent lady and sure, it had been explained to her before, but hearing something is not the same as seeing it. And she needed to SEE it.
So I drew it for her, on a flipchart. And she understood it instantly.
The words people use to convey their thoughts, ideas, experiences and questions give massive clues as to how they are thinking.
If you don’t notice these clues, the responses you give will not always hit the mark. Sometimes, you might as well be speaking a different language. This can lead to confusion, frustration, errors and even conflict.
Learning how to spot key words and then respond accordingly can vastly improve the quality of your communication with others. It’s not hard to do – we can teach you the basics and then it just takes a bit of practice.
Improving your Communication Skills will allow you to perform better as a manager, leader, coach, interviewer or public speaker.
Check out our Special Offers to book a free Communication Skills session , listen to our Effective Communication Skills Podcast for more information or Contact Us to see how we can help.
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