Improving business communication skills

Improving business communication skills can be a key component in career success. No matter what field you are in, effective communication is likely to play a major role in how well you perform in your professional life.

What is Communication?

Many people think that communication is talking. While it is true that talking is a part of communication, there is much more to communicating effectively than simply speaking to other people.

Communication can be defined as a process through which meaning is created and exchanged. It involves sending and receiving both verbal and nonverbal messages. Communication can be intentional or unintentional, which means that it often occurs when we don't plan to send messages.

Communication occurs all the time. People communicate 24 hours per day, seven days per week. No matter what you do, you send messages, and people assign meaning to the things you do and say. Since communication is continuous, when people say that more communication is needed, what they really mean is that better communication is needed.

Types of Communication

Communication can be both verbal and nonverbal. The phrase verbal communication refers to any communication that uses words to convey meaning. Speaking and are both forms of verbal communication.

Nonverbal communication takes place without the use of words. It involves sending messages through body language, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other indicators of meaning that don't involve the use of spoken or written language. In other words, verbal communication refers to what you say and nonverbal is how you say it.

Verbal Communication Skills

Learning to use language more effectively is an important part of improving business communication skills.

Word Choice

A great deal of misunderstanding can arise when people don't make the best word selections to convey their meanings to other people. It's important to choose words that precisely convey your meaning, in order to reduce the possibility that the receiver will interpret the message in a manner other than what you intended.

• Don't: You don't seem to care about your job.
• Do: I have noticed that you were late three times this week.

• Don't: Please dress appropriately for the meeting with our new client.
• Do: Please wear a conservative business suit for the meeting with our new client.