If you think about which soft skill you use the most in your day-to-day life, communication is probably the first one that comes to mind. People are always in contact with each other, so communication plays a fundamental role both personally and professionally. But how do we manage to convey more clearly what we want to communicate? The answer is simple, you must improve your verbal communication.
Verbal communication is one of the most valued soft skills in the labor market, since being a good speaker is one of the most important characteristics that a leader and any worker must have. Communicating well avoids misunderstandings and increases team proactivity.
Key Facts
- By improving your verbal communication you will be a better speaker. This is one of the soft skills most in demand by companies and organizations, according to APD magazine (1).
- Verbal communication is essential for conflict resolution; knowing how to communicate assertively and concretely avoids misunderstandings. Therefore, it is useful on a personal and professional level.
- Verbal communication is a skill that we use every day, but you can get much more out of it if you improve it.
What you should know about verbal communication
As we mentioned earlier, verbal communication is fundamental for professional and personal development. That is why we clear all your doubts about what it is, its importance and we tell you how to improve your communication, take note!
What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?
When we talk about verbal and non-verbal communication, the phrase “everything communicates” is perfect to explain both concepts. On a daily basis we coexist and interact with different people we see in public, cafes, stores, etc. Based on their expressions, way of speaking, dressing, gestures and even their posture, we can get an idea of what each one is like. We leave you with the following list, so that you can understand the differences between both ways of communicating:
Verbal communication
It is about transmitting messages in a clear and concise way, in a few words, so that there is no room for doubts or interpretations far from what you really want to transmit.
Non-verbal communication
It covers different actions and gestures that are divided in two:
- Kinesics: mainly, they are all those gestures and body movements that a person makes during a communicative process (speech, presentation, conversation, etc.).
- Proxemics: is what is made known based on the distance between two people, since it communicates closeness or remoteness between them (2).
What are the pillars of verbal communication?
There are different concepts that you must take into account to achieve a good communication. In this case, verbal communication has the “seven C’s”, which are principles that guarantee to transmit ideas and messages in the most direct way possible. We leave you with the following infographic so that you can get to know each of these principles:
What types of verbal communication are there?
Our way of communicating changes depending on the context and depending on who we are addressing. That is why it is important to adapt to each environment and person or group. Below, we leave you with a small table so that you know the types of communication that exist and what they consist of:
| Type | Definition |
|---|---|
| Interpersonal | It is the communication between two people. In this type of communication it is important to listen and take the necessary time to respond. |
| Intrapersonal | It refers to the way in which we mentally articulate the sentence. It is necessary to find the right words to better express an idea and opinion. |
| Small group communication | This type of communication is used in meetings and its objective is to carry out the communication in a good way so that there is greater participation. |
| Public communication | This is the instance in which you address a large number of people. In this type of communication it is important to use a vocabulary easy to understand and without technicalities. |
What are the advantages of having a good command of verbal communication?
We live in a society where communicating is essential to carry out any type of activity or task. Therefore, knowing how to communicate assertively is a skill that you must learn to manage and improve, to achieve a clearer communication with anyone. Here are some of the main advantages of having good verbal communication skills:
- Establish relationships: communication is the main means by which we manage to establish solid relationships with other people.
- Improved productivity: communication in organizations is a tool that can increase the motivation of a person or work team. In addition to helping to create a pleasant work environment, it serves to boost the morale of your team, give detailed information and directions to carry out important projects.
- Transmit clear ideas: under any circumstance, whether professional or personal, knowing how to transmit ideas clearly is fundamental to avoid misunderstandings. By formulating your sentences well and explaining each idea completely, you will be able to communicate assertively.
- Persuasion: in corporate environments, having the ability to exert influence through speech is important to start different projects.
How to improve verbal communication?
Improving your verbal communication will help you professionally and personally. Sometimes we forget, but knowing how to communicate implies knowing how to listen, in fact, it is one of the most important elements of communication (3).
During a conversation it is normal that there is a stage where there is greater concentration, so implementing a process of empathic listening is a good start to achieve greater understanding. Below, we mention what other communication skills you can improve to strengthen your verbal communication:
Active listening
This is a technique that demonstrates concern and interest in what others are saying, while allowing you to better process information. It mainly consists of three stages: acceptance (receiving the message without making value judgments), classification and interpretation, and finally, feedback. You should listen to the speaker, without thinking about your next question.
Concentration
You must be attentive to one thing at a time, if the other person is speaking, listen, then you can take a few seconds to formulate your response.
Open-mindedness
Many times we close ourselves off from understanding others because of our own beliefs. When interacting with others it is important to understand the message without any bias.
Focus on the message
Sometimes when explaining something we go a bit off the deep end, both when listening and speaking, focusing on what you really want to say and reinforcing the message with examples directly related to it is the best thing to do.
Verbal communication and leadership
Communication skills are directly related to our ability to lead. Presenting proposals in an organization, defending ideas and motivating a work team are actions that can be carried out through communication. Language is not merely descriptive, but has a performative quality (4), i.e., through communication, action takes place.
At a professional level, practicing skills to improve your verbal communication will have a positive impact on improving business communication. As we told you earlier, it is one of the fundamental soft skills for all members of an organization, whether you are an employee or an employer, it is a differentiating element. With your words you can bring an idea to reality.
But that’s not all, good verbal communication allows us to expand our projects by being essential in public relations and negotiations. Communication in the organizational environment has a great impact on the culture and work environment (5).
Conclusion
Communicating is something innate to human beings, so we invite you to continue learning to do it better and better. There are several courses in public speaking, coaching and verbal and non-verbal communication that will help you convey ideas and messages more clearly. In addition, they will teach you different techniques, postures and gestures that will be in tune with and reinforce what you are trying to convey.
Learning to communicate is a soft skill that is in high demand in organizations, therefore, if you improve it, it will be a differentiating element in your favor. While it is important for your professional development, it is also important for your personal development, as it will provide you with tools for conflict resolution, assertive communication and active listening skills.
References
1. Monroy S. Soft Skills: which will be the most demanded in 2022 [Internet]. APD Spain. APD; 2022 [cited 2023 Jan 24]. Available from: https://www.apd.es/soft-skills-mas-demandadas-en-empresas/
2. LA Communication. Mheducation.es. [cited 2023 Jan 19].
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3. Hernandez, K. Active listening as a necessary element for dialogue. Revista Convicciones [Internet]. 2018. [cited 2023 Jan 24].
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4. Felten L, Lebocey M, Louvet M, Ouattara N. The performativity of language [Internet]. Growthinktank.org. [cited 2023 Jan 24].
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5. Rincón Quintero. Corporate Communication, Public Relations and Logistics in Organizational Dynamics. Rev Encuentros [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2023 Jan 24];12(1):47-58.
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