- Image by fernandoprats [focused] via Flickr
To those in any part of the communication sector, this is nothing new. What you say and the way you say them mean everything.
Words are perception.
But what about those NOT in that field? Everyone from stay-at-home parents to the doctor about the perform a surgery must understand how powerful words are – how you say them, when you say them and how you say them.
Few easy tips for everyday life:
Instead of “no problem” respond with “my pleasure”. Saying “no problem” infers that any request/favor is a problem, and sounds like reassurance. It’s negative, even when you don’t mean to be.
Use simple words. You’ll be less likely to use a word incorrectly and it is more likely the other party will understand your meaning.
Avoid using labels (i.e. geek, pr, social media, jock). Limits the conversation and risks upsetting someone.
Drawing out “okay” or “right” implies sarcasm or lack of understanding, whereas an abrupt use of these words can sound like frustration. Better to use “correct”. Hard to take more than one way.
Speaking in absolutes inevitably leads to trouble. Avoid words like “promise” and “ensure”. Instead, “I can work on that”, or “I’ll see”.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Social Media Is Not the Disease (altitudebranding.com)
- What is your brand personality? (theengagingbrand.typepad.com)
- Communciation Skill (slideshare.net)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=2d2479a3-8220-4308-beac-c4b2b13b6275)
There are definitely ways to communicate more clearly when speaking, but I find that the skill most people—particularly myself—need to work on most is listening. That means actually hearing what someone is saying before formulating a response (I tend to think of my response as the idea is still being spoken), being conscious about what preconceptions you bring to your interpretation of the speaker’s word choice, and especially “checking out” with the speaker the meaning of the message you’ve received.