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The Top 5: Keys to Clear Communication
Planning and Practice Are the Keys to Clear Communication
Whether you’re an employee, manager or hiring candidate effective communication is vital to your success. Following these key steps can improve your professional communication:
1. ID your goals. What is the purpose of this communication? Are you trying to persuade, inform, request, etc.? Isolate your main goals and craft your message around achieving them. Do not lose track of these goals!
- Let’s say you’re selling a new service to an existing client. This implies two main goals – sell the new service and maintain a good relationship with your existing client.
- Or maybe you’re a manager coaching an inexperienced employee – your goals would be to develop the employee and correct/prevent problems.
- If you’re a candidate for a new position, your goal is to assess if this job is right for you and, if so, to get that job!
2. Break it down. Keeping your primary goals in mind, break down the steps required to achieve them.
- For a sales pitch, ask yourself what benefits does your service offer, what are the costs, what do you need from the client to move forward? Keep any deadlines in mind and schedule your initial pitch and subsequent follow ups accordingly.
- When offering guidance to your employee, break down their responsibilities and rate how well they meet those requirements. Prioritize the problems and successes from the greatest to least urgency or importance. Ask yourself what you need to see from this employee to indicate they’re on the right track?
- When applying to any position think about what you need, want and cannot tolerate in a job or employer. Create a list of questions that will identify the pros and cons of the job and employer during an interview. Think about your skills and experience – brainstorm a list of anecdotes that best demonstrate your professional ability.
3. Target your audience. It’s important to craft these steps with your audience specifically in mind.
- Is your client very busy? Then strip your approach down the bare bones and keep your message short and to the point. Acknowledge that their time is valuable and emphasize how your service can save them time and headaches down the line.
- Is your employee overwhelmed and frustrated? Address and correct any problems that cannot be tolerated, of course. But be sure to also emphasize what they’re doing right and discuss the minor problems less as failings as areas for improvement. Or you may decide not to sweat the small stuff until the major problems have been corrected.
- Research the hiring company – find out where they came from and where they want to go. Does the job you want require technical know-how, charisma, analytical thinking, etc.? Emphasize those traits and give specific examples from your experience that demonstrate how you embody those desired qualities.
4. Repeat, repeat, repeat. To help keep you and your audience on target, strategically reinforce your main points throughout your communication.
- Remind your client about your good working relationship and the success your services currently bring them. Emphasize the main selling point of the product in terms of how it will fix their specific needs. Close your communication with appreciation for their time and your hope to continue working together to grow their business in the years to come.
- Reassure your employee that they are a valuable part of your team, show them that you notice them by citing specific (and different) instances when they do things well. Emphasize the top priority improvements that you need to see in their performance moving forward. Thank them for their time and effort and tell them you look forward to working together through the years.
- If you want this job, say so! When they describe tasks that interest you, ask questions and express your interest. Don’t be shy about giving examples of your competence and suitability for the job. At the end of the interview thank them for their time, tell them that you are very interested in their company and the position and say that you look forward to speaking with them again soon.
5. Practice/Proof. Whatever communication method you use, be prepared!
- If you have a video or in-person meeting, practice in front of a mirror so you can work not only on your words but also your body language. Keep working until you can speak smoothly and confidently and your reflection looks relaxed. You should be sufficiently familiar with your message that you can look your audience in the eye and really engage with them.
- If you’re making a phone call, do yourself a favor and find a quiet spot with good reception to reduce distractions. Practice your message until you can speak clearly without hesitations or verbal ticks. You can even record yourself on your phone an listen back for improvements.
- If you’re communicating via email, you should be especially careful in crafting your message. If your audience doesn’t understand, you won’t be able to clarify in the moment. Use formatting to your advantage – keep your paragraphs short, use numbered lists or bullet points, strategically bold or underline your main points and close your email with a call-to-action. Read your email aloud to make sure your message is clear – your ear will catch mistakes your eye misses. And, for Pete’s sake, use spellcheck!