How to Improve Communication Skills
From Your Warehousing and Distribution
Center in Southern California
River Plate Fulfillment and Trucking

How to improve communication skills.

River Plate is bringing you this series of pages on the theme of communication as a service to our customers, the business owner. We understand the importance of having a healthy repoire with our associates and friends and we want to make our customers aware of the various ways that properly executed communication can benefit them personally and professionally.

The services we provide (Pick and Pack in Southern California, Nationwide Trucking, and fulfillment in California...to name a couple) could not be done without our loyal customers. It is because of them that Riverplate continues to grow year after year. Our goal is 100% satisfaction on the work and service we provide to all of our customers.

How to Improve Communication Skills / Enhancing Effectiveness

We all have people with whom we have to work to get thinks done. Our ability to communicate with clients, customers, subordinates, peers, and superiors can enhance our effectiveness or sabotage us. Many times, our verbal skills make the difference.

Many people get their communications skills tested in front of a large crowd of people. People feel a certain anxiety in this type of situation. They imagine forgetting their lines and appearing incompetent in front of their peers. It is no surprise that the number one fear in the world is the fear of public speaking. This is why it is so important to learn how to improve communication skills. The other alternative is to become a monk and live alone in a cave. The choice is yours.

How to Improve Communication Skills / 10 Ways

1. Develop your voice - A high-pitched voice is not perceived to be one of authority. And a high soft voice can make you sound like a mouse to an aggressive co-worker who is out to make his/her career at the expense of anyone else. To avoid this embarrassing scenario try practicing exercises to lower the pitch of your voice. Here is one to start: Sing - but do it an octave lower on all your favorite songs. Practice this and, after a period of time, your voice will begin to lower.

2. Slow down - people will perceive you as nervous and unsure of yourself if you talk fast. However, be careful not to slow down to the point where people begin to finish your sentences because it is taking you too long to get your point across.

3. Animate your voice - Avoid speaking in monotone. Use dynamics. Your pitch should rise and lower. Your volume should be soft and loud. Listen to your local TV news anchor; take notes. Build an appropriate level of enthusiasm in your voice. If you sound bored, your audience will be bored.

4. Enunciate your words - Speak clearly. Don't mumble. If people are always saying, "Excuse me, I didn't get that." to you, you are mumbling.

5. Use appropriate volume - Use a volume that is appropriate for the setting. Speak more softly when you are alone and close. Speak louder when you are speaking to larger groups or across larger spaces.

6. Pronounce your works correctly - People will judge your competency through your vocabulary. If you aren't sure how to say a word, don't use it. Also speak to the level of your audience. Obviously you would use a different vocabulary level with a room full of 6-year olds than you would if you were speaking at a corporate meeting.

7. Use the correct words - If you're not sure of the meaning of a word, don’t use it. Start a program of learning a new word a day. Use it in your conversations during the day (not to excess). If someone uses a word during the day that you are not familiar with, make a mental note to look it up when you have the opportunity.

8. Make eye contact - I know a person who is very competent in her job. However, when she speaks to individuals in a group she does so with her eyes shut. When she opens them periodically, she stares off in a direction away from the listener. Those with whom she consults perceive her as incompetent. Because of this she does not garner the respect that she would like. Don't let this happen to you. Look people in the eyes with confidence. Don't stare, just show them that you are present and you know what you are talking about.

One technique to help with this is to consciously look into one of the listener's eyes and then move to the other. Going back and forth between the two (and I hope they only have two) makes your eyes appear to sparkle. Another trick is to imagine a letter "T" on the listener's face with the cross bar being an imaginary line across the eyebrows and the vertical line coming down the center of the nose. Keep your eyes on that "T" zone.

When you learn how to improve communication skills in the area of eye contact, you will have a paradigm shift. And while you will see the world in a better, more expansive light, your peers will see you in this way as well.

9. Use gestures - Make your whole body talk. Use smaller gestures for individuals and small groups. The gestures should get larger as the group increases in size.

10. Don't send mixed messages - Make your words, gestures, facial expressions, tones, and message match. Disciplining an employee while smiling sends a mixed message and, therefore, is ineffective. If you have to deliver a negative message, make your words, facial expressions, and tone match the message.

When you take the time to learn how to improve communication skills productivity will reign.

Thank you for visiting the How to Improve Communication Skills page. River Plate is happy to support all of your trucking and fulfillment needs. Please think of us for your shrink wrap, warehousing, trucking, shipping and all your other order fulfillment needs. This leading Southern California Fulfillment and Trucking Facility serves all over the country and some international destinations. These are just a few of the locations your San Fernando Valley Fulfillment House, Riverplate serves:

Chatsworth, Bell Gardens, Malibu, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Adelanto, Antelope Valley, Beverly Hills, Beaumont, Northridge, Bellflower, Anaheim, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Palm Springs, Orange, Baldwin Park, Banning, Barstow, Lakewood, Loma Linda, Lucerne Valley, Monrovia, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Long Beach, Lompoc, Burbank, Coronado, Blythe, Covina, Costa Mesa, Corona, Compton, Commerce, Colton, Coachella, Claremont, Chula Vista, Chino, Cerritos, and many more.

For more information on communication follow these links:

Cross Cultural Communication

Definition of Business Communication

Definition of Communication

Effective Business Communication

Effective Workplace Communication

History of Communication

Importance of Communication

Nuance Communication

Organizational Communication

Project Management Communication

What is Communication