DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS – PART 1| Tips + Worksheet
Examples of verbal communication skills
Effective speaking and attentive listening are the two main verbal communication skills you need to master.
Effective speaking
Unsurprisingly, one of the pillars of verbal communication skills is the ability to communicate effectively through speech. The ability to speak effectively involves three major areas:
With different situations, topics, and audiences, different word choices will be necessary. For instance, you would speak very differently to a coworker than you would to a room full of clients in a conference room. Additionally, the subject matter would likely be very different. Regardless of the scenario, words should always be chosen carefully.
The message you’re trying to convey can be greatly impacted by how you present information. When speaking to others, you should be conscious of the volume and cadence of your voice to make sure that you are speaking with intention.
Despite the fact that we are concentrating on verbal abilities, effective speaking heavily relies on non-verbal communication. Your body language cues have an impact on how your audience interprets the information you’re presenting. Make sure your non-verbal communication matches the words you are saying as well as your intent since you can convey your feelings through movements and facial expressions, such as whether you are anxious, committed, interested, or bored.
Your primary message, how it is communicated, and how your audience perceives and processes it are all impacted by these three factors.
Active listening
When having a conversation, it can be simple to become preoccupied with formulating your response rather than paying attention to the other person. But you also need to be a good listener in order to communicate verbally effectively. Here are some techniques for honing your active listening skills:
What are verbal communication skills?
A certain set of abilities focused on using words to share information with those around you are necessary for verbal communication. Although the phrase can refer to both written and spoken communication, it is most frequently used to refer to speaking. The aspect of this type of communication that defines it as verbal revolves around a person’s word choice and how they are heard and ultimately interpreted. In this article, our main emphasis will be on spoken verbal abilities.
There is more to being a good verbal communicator than just talking. The ability to communicate verbally includes both the transmission of information and the reception of information from others.
How to improve your verbal communication skills
For some people, speaking out loud can be more difficult than for others. Regardless of your natural tendency, you can make changes to strengthen your verbal communication abilities and develop closer connections with others. You can do the following things to hone this set of abilities:
1. Use reinforcement
By actively supporting others during a conversation, also referred to as reinforcement, you can enhance your verbal communication. By letting the other person know that you are hearing and understanding them, reinforcement demonstrates to the other person that you are paying attention and promotes rapport. This can be accomplished with verbal and non-verbal cues alike. You can use nonverbal cues like maintaining eye contact, smiling, and nodding your head to amplify what others are saying.
Positive reinforcement is a potent tool that can be used to achieve a variety of goals, including:
2. Ask questions
Asking questions can be a great way to get answers, make sure you understand something, or get help. However, it can also be helpful when trying to express interest, start a conversation, or persuade others to participate in a conversation. There are two primary types of questions:
3. Check for clarification
Reflecting is a skill that is frequently used in counseling and involves periodically checking in with the other party to ensure that you are understanding what they are saying. Although it may have a clinical origin, reflecting is a highly effective way to seek clarification. Typically, the procedure entails paraphrasing both the message and the feelings before repeating them to the other person. In addition to offering clarity, it also has the following benefits:
4. Summarize the main points
While summarizing and reflecting are similar, summarizing is more concerned with reviewing the information shared in order to come to a consensus and make sure that everyone involved is aware of the expectations or next steps. This method is frequently employed following a meeting and gives a summary of the key topics that were covered.
Verbal communication skills in the workplace
Effective communication is important almost everywhere in life, but it’s especially important at work. Organizations cannot operate effectively and efficiently without good communication. There are many different settings for interaction in the workplace, including conference room meetings, sales pitches, disciplinary hearings, individual discussions, performance reviews, and training sessions. Additionally, you will need to communicate verbally with a wide range of groups and individuals, such as listeners, speakers, students, teachers, clients, employees, supervisors, and coworkers.
Here are some pointers for utilizing your verbal communication abilities at work:
How to highlight verbal communication skills
Skills in verbal communication are considered soft skills by all employers. You will need to emphasize those traits to show prospective employers that you have that skill. At each stage of the hiring process, you can highlight your verbal communication abilities in the following ways:
Verbal skills for the resume
Writing is a form of verbal communication. Therefore, creating a resume that is correctly structured and free of any grammatical or spelling errors is a great way to show off your ability to communicate effectively. Make sure your descriptions are concise and clear, and don’t forget to include some communication skills in your resume’s skills section. Pay attention to job descriptions as well, and while being truthful, tailor your skills to the specific qualities the employer is seeking in a candidate.
Verbals skills for the cover letter
Similar to a resume, a cover letter will give a potential employer a brief but comprehensive overview of your verbal communication abilities. Spend some time outlining your qualifications, but more importantly, write a cover letter that is well-written, error-free, succinct, and tailored particularly to the job that you are applying for. To achieve this, make sure to do some preliminary research on the position and proofread your writing before submitting the cover letter.
Verbal skills for the interview
You must demonstrate effective verbal communication skills during an interview. Along with following the rules of etiquette (like arriving 10-15 minutes early and dressing appropriately), you must pay close attention to your verbal and non-verbal cues. Remain calm and confident, maintain eye contact and listen actively. Additionally, by asking your interviewer open-ended questions, you can show your interest and communication abilities.
FAQ
What are examples of verbal skills?
Due to speech, language, or communication needs, people may have trouble communicating with others. These issues can be brought on by ailments, accidents, disabilities, learning issues, sensory issues, autism spectrum disorders, or language barriers.
What are the 5 verbal skills?
Each person has a distinctive manner of communicating with others, interacting with them, and exchanging information. There are four fundamental types of communication: assertive, passive-aggressive, aggressive, and passive-aggressive. Understanding each communication method and why people use them is crucial.
What is a verbal skill?
- Not Truly Listening. …
- Assuming You Know the Message Before the Person Finishes. …
- Interrupting the Speaker. …
- Using “You” Statements Instead of “I” Statements. …
- Letting Your Emotions Dictate Your Response. …
- Failing to Account for Cultural Differences in Communication.
What are good verbal skills?
Effective communication involves being able to convey a message clearly in the shortest amount of time. Once this ability is mastered, the communicator will have been successful in conveying a message to the target audience in a clear and concise manner. Business communication topics can cover a wide range of perspectives and spark discussions.
