"I think I could say it better", or "I should've rather said that..." Does this thought haunt you every time you are back from a meeting? Do you feel you are not able to make an impact on people?
Whether you wish to strike a business deal, make an impact in a networking meeting, or negotiate your salary hike, you need to communicate effectively. Communicating in a business or an office setting is not as easy as you may think, especially when you face a real challenge.
I share my favorite 6 Steps for Effective and Impactful Communication. Follow and practice in the live scenario and become a confident and effective communicator, hence a pro networker.
1. Set your communication goal right.
Start your clear communication goal and intention in mind.
Ask the why in different ways-
"Why am I having this conversation in the first place?"
"What is the objective of this talk?"
"What do I need to achieve from this conversation and the following one?"
Having an end goal will help you focus on your point and prevent you from getting lost in the conversation.
2. Back it up with a mock.
Once you know the goal, prepare for important conversations.
If the matter is very urgent or important, eg. asking your boss for a salary hike, you could actually do a mock. Seriously, it helps. Think of all the possible scenarios and questions this meeting could lead to and possible answers.
3. Set the expectation.
Don't make it a 'guess what' game for the hearer. As communication is a two-way process, it serves well to set the expectation of the receiver.
Tell at the beginning of the conversation, 'Well, I have been wanting to talk about X', or "I would like to meet you and discuss this,"- when you plan the meeting in advance.
Also read - How to make people like you instantly?
4. Don't over-respond.
When you go with your focussed mindset, you also run the risk of responding even before properly listening to the other person. Here, you are just hearing and not actually listening. This can be insulting to the other person and often lead to miscommunication.
When you listen fully with an open mind, you may come across possibilities that you may not have expected.
5. Take a pause.
Pause for a second before you respond. This is to help prevent you from saying something impulsively and rather give you a breather to communicate rationally. You can use the pause to gauge the reaction of the other person and add your point accordingly.
As a clever professional networker, you know how to make people talk. Your pause gives the other person the opportunity to talk more, and to you the advantage of understanding and synthesizing your thoughts on what you are going to say or ask next.
6. Express with emotions.
Above all, if your talk with facial expressions and hand gestures ( not too much), you have more chances to engage people in your conversation. Add a bit of storytelling and fun to make people go gaga over you.
You can use these as your conversation checklist and start practicing these daily to create impact and memories. Do let me know in the comments section if you found this blog useful or share a tip you practice to make your conversation effective and professional.