This document provides 20 ways to improve communication skills. It discusses the importance of communication skills for work and relationships. Some key tips include listening actively to understand others, getting feedback to ensure your message is understood, tailoring your communication style to different audiences, using body language and confidence effectively, being prepared and leading with clear main points. It also suggests practicing articulation through texting and using visual aids to supplement but not replace your message. The overall message is that communication skills are important for career success and relationships require understanding others and conveying information clearly.

1. 20 Proven Ways to Improve Communication
Skills in 2021
Communication is the key to human success on this planet. The survival of social animals
like ourselves would be impossible without the development of ways to exchange ideas and
knowledge. Communication is as important for survival in modern days as it was for our
cave-dwelling forefathers. Improving communication skills is the modern equivalent of
making better flint tools. In this article, we are going to talk about 20 proven ways to
Improve Communication Skills.
It’s pretty basic. To live you have to work. Working means working with others. And face it,
you can’t work together without talking it out. Goes without saying that communication is
still the largest pillar supporting our way of life.

2. Communication skills are the first thing you get sorted by in a world where opinions are
endless. You can’t get much out of a conversation if you are not in control. How well you
communicate may as well make the difference between you and your competitor down
the corridor.
What are Communication Skills?
Having to learn what communication skills are may seem like a waste of time, and with
good reason. We’ve been communicating ever since we said our first words. You have
learned to communicate ideas from people around you. It is very possible that you’ve
developed communication in a particular way to fit in with your people which may not fit in
with a standardized environment such as, work or education.
Communicating with your family is very different from talking with your boss. Your
professor expects a better approach than what you give your buddies. Knowing the
difference is key. This blog is written to be your one-stop guide to understanding
communication skills. So let’s start with some definitions,
Originally from Latin, communication literally means “To share”. Wikipedia defines
communication as, – “the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another
through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules.”
Communication skill is just a fancy name for the different ways you use to convey ideas to
the people around you. Relaying messages compactly without mistakes, in an engaging
manner is probably the most simple explanation for efficient communication. However,
knowing only this doesn’t make you a master communicator. The list of essential
communication skills can span pages especially since we keep finding new ways to speak
out our minds. The next section is on why being good at communication is important.

3. Why are Communication Skills important?
The corporate world we live and work in today is the frontier of communicating ideas. Apart
from day-to-day communication in the office, sectors such as marketing, customer care,
brand management, advertising, and event management rely heavily on the
communication skills of the people involved.
Effective communication is all about getting your idea heard. The more easily you do it the
better. As you already know, we learn to express ourselves based on how we see others do
it. This is why many find themselves in a situation where improving communication skills
means picking up new traits consciously.
Issuing simple instructions, managing insubordination, boosting morale, communicating
productivity targets, and customer feedback all fall under work environment
communications. Yet, each is a bit different from the other involving different methods.
Improving on these is a good place to start your development in communication.

4. Knowing how to communicate helps in many ways. To only list a few,
● Deepen your connections.
● Builds trust and respect.
● Improves collaboration.
● Easier problem-solving.
● Improve emotional health.

5. Types of communication
It’s no surprise that we humans communicate in more ways than one. The different ways we
communicate help us add color to our complex emotions and thoughts. Sometimes
without even parting our lips.
To keep it short, we’ll look at the 3 primary types of communication we use.
1. Verbal communication
We use a number of ways to communicate and verbal communication is one of the
prominent ones. Verbal communication depends on spoken language and related
symbologies.
Language itself is a system of symbols and the rules of manipulating them. The verbal
language uses distinct patterns of sound or gesture as symbols that help communicate
ideas and information. Dialects are special branches that do not have much distinction from
languages.
A number of rules shape our way of communication. Phonological rules govern the sounds
we make. Syntactic rules maintain the order of words and pauses. Semantics is the
agreement that we are talking about the same fruit when we say Apple. Lastly, there are
Pragmatic rules that govern the contextual meanings.

6. 2. Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication is the non-linguistic representation of concepts and ideas.
Haptic communication and Chronemic communication are the lesser-known forms of
non-verbal communication. Gestures, body language, facial expressions, eye contact
are nonverbal communications we use day in and day out.
Although simple, nonverbal communication is enough to convey intent and notions. We give
off all sorts of information both voluntarily and involuntarily. Shaking hands, a welcoming
smile, sweating in discomfort all convey messages to the people around you.
American psychologist Paul Watzlawick argued that “you can not communicate”. As long as
we are aware of our surroundings we keep taking in information and that is one of the
reasons nonverbal communication is a major way humans communicate. To add on the
matter, the strongest features nonverbal communication has are multifunctionality,
omnipresence, and being understood universally.

7. 3. Written communication
The writing was invented for the most part to communicate over time rather than a place.
Technology redefined this feature so we can speak without even looking at each other, and
that too in real-time.
Writing didn’t just come into existence. It developed in waves or information revolutions as
we like to call them. It started as paintings (pictograms) on cave walls. After quite some
time cave paintings became scribbles on paper. And then we sent the first telegraph across
the Atlantic Ocean. In less than fifty-thousand years we went from cave walls to digital
screens. Emoticons replaced pictograms. Writing is still the
A most efficient way to convey messages across distances and across time.
List of professional communication skills
Communication skills are both universal and specific at the same time. This is why some
environments have special requirements when it comes to communicating. The modern
work environment is one such environment. To manage across all your daily activities at
work, the following professional communication skills are crucial. How to improve
communication skills comes later on in the post so keep reading.

8. 1. Public speaking
Presentations and board meetings are activities you have to face. There is no way around
it. It’s only normal that you will be asked to speak in front of the whole office or at least your
own team. Being able to speak in these settings is down right essential if you want to be
taken seriously. It is by far the most important professional communication skill
everywhere.
A lot of people suffer from anxiety when facing public speaking events. Stage fright sets
in, words start flying in your head, and the next thing you know you’re being gracefully
guided away from the stage. If you want an office career then public speaking is something
you need to master. Period.

9. 2. Soft skills
The age is digital and so is your work space. To make professional communications easy,
corporations and industries use diverse software and services. These can be either
specialized or general communication platforms.
The ability to use these software-based communication systems are called communication
soft skills. Companies, especially management divisions rely heavily on soft skills to sort
assignments, submissions, and quotas. Knowing the necessary soft skills has no substitute.
3. Articulation
Articulation is the quality of speaking with clear sounds. Slurring words, unusual lisps
make it difficult for listeners. In an office setting where everything, you say matters that is
something you just can’t ignore.
Being articulate is a key factor that may as well land you your dream job or get you that
promotion you’ve been anticipating. Being articulate helps avoid misunderstandings and
being misquoted. A good thing to work on if you want to be better at communicating.
4. Language
This one’s obvious. Maintaining a professional language is one of the best practices you
can maintain. Doesn’t matter whether you have a dialect or not. Choose formal words but
keep them easy enough for the average person. Avoid slang and remember, language
shows where you come from. Wear it proudly, but don’t let it come in the way of your or
other’s productivity.

10. 5. Non-verbals
As you’ve already read about these in the section above, we’ll keep this brief. What you say
is definitely important, but how you say it matters more in some cases. Body gestures, eye
contact, and other such cues are enough to make the difference between a request and an
order. Use them properly.
Also, keep in mind that public settings mean your nonverbal communications are open to
interpretation. It’s good to be conscious of your own gestures and better to be conscious
of others.
20 ways to improve communication skills
We’ve researched the web to get a compilation of the ways to improve communication skills.
To make it easier we sorted them out into 4 subsections;
For Your Audience
1. Know your audience and show respect
Show your audience proper respect. Underestimating the person in front of you could just
be the last mistake you make. Always pay attention to the people listening to you. Try and
understand who they are and then deliver what you have to say accordingly.

11. 2. Truly Listen: Empathise
This can’t be stretched enough. Communication isn’t just about saying what you have to
say. Being a good communicator means you have to be a good listener. Always. You can’t
make conversations fruitful without understanding the person in front. However,
understanding and empathizing are different things. Understanding why someone did or
said something from standing in their shoes will give you clarity and make your approach
with them much more genuine.
3. Get feedback on understanding and repeat if necessary
Asking for feedback at a regular pace is important to make sure your message is not lost in
the air. If you need to repeat what you said, do not hesitate. Help your audience understand
with more attention. You need to make them feel important and included in the
conversation.
4. Respect trump’s Laughter
Yes, we all know some light-hearted comments make small talk easier. Heck, it can even
make you the popular one. However, that shouldn’t be the goal since you would also want
yourself to be taken seriously. Give respect to earn it back. Use it to establish trust and
commitment.

12. 5. Novelty holds the attention
Putting in novel attractions helps draw focus and makes it memorable. Novelty does not
necessarily have to be funny. They can be interesting facts or gestures that seem unique.
The point is to help the audience remember exactly what you want them to.
6. Nobody cares
Don’t be anxious. Yes, how you interact matters. But that doesn’t mean everything you’re
doing in public is under a microscope. People are too engrossed by themselves (and not
necessarily in a bad way) to notice your tilted head or a slight accent at the end of words.
Understand that people don’t care to that extent and just relax.
Work on Yourself
7. Prioritise
We hope this to be the reason you visited our blog. Because you have set priority to
becoming a master communicator. Being conscious about your surroundings as well as
yourself is key. If you can objectively judge your and others’ actions then you’re already
halfway there. Setting priority to improving communication skills

13. 8. Body language
It is a broad term involving a lot of things related to communication using our bodies.
Body postures are important in setting the flow of the conversation. Some gestures are
acceptable and others are to be avoided varying on the environment. To improve your
communication skills, maintain a strong yet receiving posture. Use eye contact to draw
focus and declare emphasis. Hand gestures are good when used in explaining things.
Consequently, too much hand movement can become distracting. Use your body to convey
messages consciously.
9. Confidence
There is no exception in this. You are either confident or you’re not. There is no way to fake
it. So might as well develop confidence in yourself. A good way to do that is, prepare for
the important interactions. You can’t be confident walking into a room blindfolded.
10. Prepare
Being prepared means a lot of things in communication skills. Prepare your response only
after processing all the information available. Consider variety in explaining. Try to use
appropriate metaphors in describing things. This makes conveying concepts easier.
Format what you say before you say it. Cause we all know that the bullet one shot can never
be put back in the cartridge.

14. 11. Develop empathy
To develop empathy you should try two ways, if possible. One is to think to yourself.
Reflect on your activities and incidents. Imagine situations and put yourself in them. Try to
develop an idea about how you react to certain things in your head.
The other way is to read a lot. Reading exposes you to others’ experiences making it
easier to empathize. Learning about fictional characters is good too. It helps you build a
reserve of appropriate responses and understand how to properly use them.
Content Matters
12. Say the right amount
Avoid talking unnecessarily. Assess how much you need to say to clearly describe or explain
something. Set that as your working limit and then gain a better understanding to shorten
the narrative. Try and keep it straight forward. In a world obsessed with time, it is good to not
waste any of it beating around the bush. Say what needs to be said without being impolite.

15. 13. Over-communicate
Over-communication may seem to counter productive, but trust us when we say it is
important. People usually never remember facts in one go. Make sure to convey a message
on several occasions if possible. The average person has a low information retention rate
on single event exposure. The best way to do this is to try a follow-up approach to see how
much got through in the first attempt.
14. Time it right
Timing is key. Even good news seems frustrating delivered badly. When you choose to say
a certain thing has a huge impact on how or whether it gets accepted. Time it right and you
can get the most out of any situation. Not all moments are good or bad. Improving
communication skills means knowing the difference.
15. Keep it positive
We all have bad days. Sometimes we are just angry out of hunger or, hangry as the internet
calls it. It is very important to snap out of the grogginess when communicating in an office
setting.
You may have had a bad day, but that doesn’t give you the right to misbehave with a fellow
colleague or ruin their day. No matter what the case, always greet with a smile and listen
intently. Most of all, keep the interactions positive for both you and your audience.

16. 16. Lead with key points
This one’s similar to not beating around the bush. The highlights of your topic need to be
clear from the very start. People pay more attention when they know what it is they are
learning and whether it is important or not. It also helps people pick where to focus and
where attention isn’t necessary. It makes the conversation relatable helping audiences
remember ideas better.
17. No one needs to know everything
This one applies everywhere. You will always have things to talk about. But it is important to
understand who needs to know what. Too much information is never good in any
relationship. Keep your talking points on the topic. Avoid wandering around.
Don’t go into unnecessary details cause that’ll just make things too complex for some and
down right useless for others. Always try to keep it relevant. Remember that “knowing
everything is not always good.”
18. Classify information
Being able to tell apart sensitive information is key to improving communications. It doesn’t
help to leak unnecessary or even unpleasant information for the sake of being a good
communicator. Moreover, it will serve to create a bad impression for you.
Maintain confidentiality at all times. Sensitive information is never a good starting point.
Avoid addressing them as much as possible. Always respect the privacy of others.

17. Technology
19. Write texts
Writing texts have been shown to improve thinking capacity and written articulation. Texting
makes you abide by a word limit. Explaining complex concepts over text messages helps
build a better understanding of the topic as well as reducing the words needed to describe it
properly.
If you want to make it more effective try the Twitter 130 character tweet challenge. Take
an idea and type it out in 130 characters. You’ll be amazed by how efficient you become in
overall communication.
20. Use visual aid but don’t depend on it exclusively
Visual aids are great. We all love them, especially while presenting for a large audience.
However, it is not always a good practice to depend on them. Experts say, poorly timed
visual aid can sometimes do more harm than good. Don’t use visual aids if they aren’t
necessary. You want your audience to focus on your voice and your expressions. The idea
is to become the content instead of presenting the content separately.
Conclusion

18. After reading such a long post you must be spent. Some of the things you probably knew
already, others may have slipped. The key to being a good communicator is being
conscious about yourself and the people around you (or people you need to communicate
with).
Improving your communication skills is one of the easier ways to gain a professional
advantage. Relations between your superiors and subordinates all depend on how well
you communicate with them. There is a sweet spot between being taken seriously and
being unapproachable. Most people never find this spot and either become unnecessarily
friendly or just plain rude. Find the sweet spot and your work environment will turn into your
comfort zone.