Communication skill sets
How we as human beings communicate with one another is not just a single skill. Rather, it is a unity of various skills brought together to ensure that we can be best understood in the way we want to be accurately heard.
Speaking and listening involve a whole set of skills that most businesses complain is the most serious problem in their companies. Lack of effective communication with our WA colleagues, our customers, our affiliate companies, our website visitors, our families, and in most of our relationships is a huge acknowledged problem. It is the mother of misunderstanding, confusion, and conversational boredom. It begs the question “What in the world is this person talking about and what does it have to do with me?”
Communication is a large topic and will require skills in the areas of these contents:
1.SPEAKING
A.Clarity
B.Precision
C.Logic
D.Concreteness
E.Vocabulary
2.LISTENING
A.Biases
B.Prejudice
C.Overt interruption
D.Internal interruption
3.FEEBACK
A.Paraphrasing
B.Responding to the Speaker’s way of processing information
4.NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Mastery of these skills will make you an enviable communicator.
Since communication is too large for only one blog, they will be presented to you in a series of five blogs (the first of which is this introductory blog).
Each of the next four blogs in the series will be titled as outlined above, 1 thru 4.
Your comments on this introductory blog will be most welcome. What would be most helpful would be your thoughts about what you would specifically like to see covered and dealt with. They may include examples, if you feel that would clarify your wishes.
I will reply to all your questions and concerns.
All are welcome and I hope to see you all. – Al Hurley
Recent Comments
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Hey there, Buck. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give you 10 gold stars for your question. You have succeeded in pushing my big green GO button.
Nobody could ask that question without having sensitivity towards another's needs and feelings. It is a common situation with anybody in sales. Some use avoidance of being "pushy" as a mask covering fear of rejection. I do not believe that to be true of you at all.
It is the kind of situation that all WA members experience. The resolution is not complex. However it is seldom brought up and left to fester. You have given us the opportunity to address it.
A comment here would not do the trick. So, because a reply could benefit the entire WA community, I have decided to blog it. It is now Easter weekend and it will have to be put it off until Monday or Tuesday. My brother and three sisters will be here until then.
You will get a PM from me as soon as the blog is posted.
First, here's a question you could ponder until then. Throughout the conversation with your customer keep asking yourself "Whose needs am I meting right now, his or mine?"
Buck, thanks again for a great question. - Al Hurley
Thanks for this post Al, I find it difficult to communicate with people and need to work on a lot of the points you listed.
Hi Buck. Thanks very much for your reply Your statement is taken seriously. is there anything more specific about it that can tell me more? Perhaps an example related to people, places, or things. Without naming you, maybe I could address your circumstances in a more helpful manner.
Please, Private Message me if you wish. Looking forward to talking with you. Confidentiality is sacrosanct. Al H urtimelyal
It's generally when it comes to sales and marketing myself to others. I'm not shy and don't have a problem talking to people but when it comes to business I have a hard time being aggressive because I don't like to feel like I'm being pushy.
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Hey Al! It's about time you posted another blog!!! :) We need you, your thinking and your blogs and we need all these more often.
With our WAU customers and prospective customers most of our communication is in print - writing - so if you could focus and go more in detail in this arena it would be greatly appreciated.
I keep thinking that if we are to have a great traffic conversion rate that our prospective customers should: (1) know us (2) Like us (3) trust us and be convinced that our product or service is solid, guaranteed and is fairly priced. And a want or a need should be part of the equation.
We do this via presentation and communication. Help us to better develop our skills in these areas (as you are planning) and the ringing of our cash registers could be deafening. WELL...... at least be working more frequently. Your friend - Larry
Hi Larry, and Happy Easter to you and your family. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.After the spoken and non-verbal (body language) series, I am already planning one on the written word.
The two topics deal with communication and you are right; both should be addressed. But they are two different disciplines altogether. That's why they are not combined. Writing itself is another massive topic.And so is the one that Buck suggests in his comment for which which I promised a blog because it would benefit everyone, I think.
The writing blog will be in another series focusing on the kind of writing the WA community does. It will not cover the Great American Novel, poetry, drama, or even, or even the biography of Alfred E. Newman whether his feelings are hurt or not.
I have a question for you, Larry. There has not been much comment made on the communication introductory blog and that makes it difficult to gauge its appeal. I thought that if there were a problem, it might be in the title. I'm considering of trying to make the title more catchy and reposting it. What do you think?