Communication Skills Training Primer

We all stand to benefit from ongoing communication skills training. This is because communication skills are one of the most vitally important sets of skills a person can ever hope to acquire, in both personal and business relationships. Also, with so many forms and styles of communication possible, and so many unique personality types in any cross section of people, having good communication skills is arguable a fairly broad, ambitious goal.  

The good news is, being a good communicator is a learned set of skills. We are all born with varying levels of natural talent at any given skill - but we all have the option of getting better at those skills, and that includes communication. 

Types Of Communication

As we all know, there are many, many forms of communication taking place in modern society on a daily basis. In fact, we are constantly bombarded with communication whether we like it or not. A large percentage are marketing messages in one form or another, and they are delivered by email, mobile phones, online ads, TV commercials, telemarketers, and the list goes on. 

But, what most of us think about when discussing communication skills is that of verbal communication, whether face-to-face, or in a group setting. Arguably, it is this realm of communication where peoples' relationships, careers, and lives to some extent, are truly impacted significantly by their communication skills.  

Along those lines, here is some very interesting data courtesy of Wikipedia, regarding interpersonal communication: 

55% of impact is determined by body language-postures, gestures, and eye contact, 38% by the tone of voice, and 7% by the content or the words used in the communication process.  So, I ask you - is there anything immediately noteworthy about the above statements? Anyone? 

Yes, you are correct: Only SEVEN percent (7%) of our interpersonal communication is impacted significantly by the, well to quote, the "content of the words used in the communication process." The rest of the influence over the communication process is defined by the body language primarily, and secondarily, our tone of voice.  

In other words, what you say is a lot LESS important than how you say it - and I would venture it is fair to say, a lot less important than most of us ever would have guessed - had we not taken time to be good students of communication skills by writing and reading articles like this one =) but I digress. 

When you think about it, this does make sense. Have you ever met a person that, for example, is an immigrant with limited command over the primary spoken language, and yet launches a thriving, successful business or has the highest sales quota in their organization? That is a testament to this principal in action. And, this provides a clue for where to begin in the process of improving our communication skills.

Communication Skills Training

Knowing how important our body language and tone of voice is provides a great basis for where to begin with communication skills training. We are talking about things like having a posture that is relaxed and open, rather than tense, closed, or aggressive. Things like choosing to use a personable, interesting, rhythmic voice while talking or presenting, rather than droning on in an endless, monotone voice. And then there is perhaps the most simple, yet arguably most powerful nonverbal communication tool any of us could ever have; putting a smile on your face, like this:  =)   See how good that works?

Whether you are interested in on the job advancement and success, or improving your relationship with your spouse, investing in solid communication skills training is an investment in yourself that pays very big dividends. The good news is, there is a ton of very simple, powerful techniques you can learn to vastly improve your communication skills. It's not rocket science, and it is not an inborn "talent". It just takes some practice, and optionally, the guidance of skilled communication coach.

Visit: www.StepupandSpeak.com