As a small business owner, you need to communicate well with several entities. You explain your company goals and products to investors, communicate the scope of projects to your employees, and handle business associates. Most people don’t realize just how much written and verbal communication is involved in running a business.
Good communication skills will make things a little easier for you. However, for that to happen, you need to understand how to communicate effectively. Some people have a natural talent in communication. However, for many it’s a skill that they need to learn and master. Here are some tips that would make you a great communicator.
Listen First
The world has become very noisy and everyone is in a hurry to say their piece. Unfortunately, while people are perfectly willing to speak, they rarely take the time to listen. Listening is a very important skill in business. You need to listen to the opinions and suggestions of your employees and your team.
You need to listen to the reviews and critiques of your customers as well as investors. If you don’t do that, you’ll miss essential feedback that would help improve your business. So, if you want to be great at communication, you first need to listen patiently.
Establish Rapport
One of the best ways to get your point through to the person standing before you is to connect with them. You need to approach people with the intention of understanding them. This is especially important when you need to communicate to an entire group. In those cases, you want to be sure that you connect with each and every person in the audience. By establishing a personal connection with your audience, you can easily communicate your point to them.
Talk When People Are Ready to Listen
People can be obstinate when they want to be. If they’re not ready to hear something, they won’t, no matter how many times you speak up. One of the best ways to deal with this is to wait until you know they’re ready to listen to what you have to say. Trying to force your opinion on others or trying to reason with them when they’re unwilling is the worst communication mistake you can make. You won’t be able to get your point across and you’ll alienate them as well. A good communicator knows when it’s time to take a step back and be quiet for a while.
Encouraging Dialogue and Discussions
You can also encourage a discussion instead trying to explain your point of view. For example, suppose you have a solution to a problem but your business partner is vehemently against it because of personal bias. In such a situation, you know you’re in the right. It’s a good idea to invite an open discussion on the matter, asking them reasons behind the objections. A rational discussion would yield better results than just bashing your heads against a wall.
If you keep these things in mind, you’ll be able to develop your communication skills well and run your business better.
