How to develop effective communication skills

By: Amanda Phagan, Edited by: Gabriela Pérez Jordán

Last updated: January 20, 2026

What does it mean to be an effective communicator? There's much more to effective communication than clear language. Carefully planning your communication can help you effectively persuade, inform, or entertain your audience.

Here are the top five effective communication skills you'll need to improve business relationships and elevate your career.

Top skills for effective communication

We communicate in many ways every day. Sometimes, however, our message may be misinterpreted, ignored, or forgotten. Effective communication skills can help us clearly articulate ideas and build better relationships — especially in the workplace, where deadlines, revenue, and important professional connections are at stake. Here are five communication skills you can polish today to advance your career tomorrow.

1. Know your audience

Any marketer will tell you that knowing your audience is the first and most crucial step in effectively communicating a message. Knowing your audience means considering their goals, pain points, motivators, schedule, vocabulary, and preferred communication methods.

For example: When proposing a new project idea to your manager, who wants their team to prioritize cross-functional collaboration, you may pique their interest by announcing your intention to collaborate across departments.

Whether your job involves writing emails, leading stakeholder meetings, or developing a social media strategy, researching and speaking to your audience's unique needs can go a long way.

2. Be clear and concise

A clear and concise message is key — especially if you need your audience to do something in response. According to the American Psychological Association, our attention spans are shrinking, so "getting to the point" is more important than ever.

For example, when typing out an email, eliminate "fluff" words and phrases that might bury or weaken your message. You can also use formatting tools (like bolding, highlighting, and italicizing) to emphasize important parts of your message.

3. Use storytelling to engage your audience

What do your five-year-old nephew and coworkers have in common? They both love a good story! While we can all appreciate a classic children's storybook, stories are actually all around us — even in the workplace.

When you need to engage your audience, especially during a longer presentation or interview, incorporate storytelling elements to enhance your message. Start by painting a picture, complete with key details. Appeal to your audience's emotions, use a strong hook, and don't hesitate to get a little personal. Then, introduce elements like conflict, climax, and resolution.

4. Mind your nonverbal cues

If you've ever taken a public speaking course, you may already know the importance of body language while communicating. We often take nonverbal cues for granted, but they are especially important in pitches, presentations, and meetings.

If you have a presentation coming up, remember to use nonverbal cues to your advantage. Make eye contact with your audience, maintain a confident posture, and use hand gestures for emphasis when necessary. If you're in an audience, you can also make eye contact, take notes, and nod when appropriate to improve your engagement with the presenter.

5. Practice active listening

Many of us "listen" to others without quieting our own thoughts or fully processing what's said. Active listening involves giving a speaker your undivided attention, using engaging nonverbal cues such as nodding, rephrasing what you heard, and asking relevant questions. In professional settings, this may also involve taking notes.

Active listening signals to others that we are fully engaged and interested in what they have to say, making them feel heard and respected. In contrast, interrupting, multitasking, or quickly changing topics can have the opposite effect.

Benefits of effective communication skills

Effective communication skills in the workplace can be the difference between being an acceptable and exceptional employee or manager. The benefits of practicing these skills include:

• Delivering stronger presentations.
• Sending more digestible emails.
• Standing out in meetings.
• Becoming a better manager or a more inclusive team player.
• Demonstrating confidence.
• Creating more impactful projects.
• Getting more responses/results.
• Showing that you care about your audience's priorities.

How to develop effective communication skills

If you want to take your communication skills to the next level, consider enrolling in an executive education program taught by communication experts. These cohort-based programs can help you refine your professional skills as you prepare for more senior roles.

Once you've learned the building blocks of effective communication through a professional development program or course, put your skills to the test by incorporating them into your daily life.

As these skills gradually become habits, it may be helpful to stay in touch with peers who took the same course(s) you completed or identify a role model who embodies top-notch communication skills.