Effective communication skills

What does it mean to be an effective communicator? There's much more to effective communication than clear language and a pleasant demeanor. Carefully planning your communications 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.

Key skills for effective communication

We communicate every day in various ways. Sometimes, however, our message is misinterpreted, ignored, or forgotten. The key to avoiding these pitfalls is practicing effective communication skills — especially in the workplace where deadlines, revenue, and important professional relationships are on the line. Here are five communication skills you can polish today to advance your career tomorrow.

1. Know your audience

Any writer or content creator will tell you that knowing your audience is the first and most important step in communicating any 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 including a coworker from another team and calling out your intention to collaborate across departments.

Whether your job involves writing lots of 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 bury and weaken your message. You can also use formatting tools to highlight important parts of your message.

Do this: “Hi! What is the budget for our team's upcoming outing? The outing is Monday, 11/18, so please let me know by Thursday, 11/14."

Not this: “Happy Monday! I hope this email finds you well. I'm just reaching out to ask about the budget for our team's upcoming outing. I think the deadline for those numbers is approaching, so please let me know when you have a chance. I know you're super busy!"

3. Tell a story

What do your 5-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. Start by painting a picture complete with key details. Appeal to your audience's emotions, use a strong hook and don't be afraid to get a little personal. Then, introduce elements like conflict, climax, and resolution.

4. Mind your nonverbals

If you've ever taken a public speaking course, you may remember the importance of body language. 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 nonverbals to your advantage. Make eye contact with your audience, maintain a confident posture, and use hand gestures for emphasis when needed. If you're in an audience, you can also make eye contact, take notes, and nod to improve your engagement with the presenter.

5. Listen actively

Many of us “listen" to others without quieting our own thoughts or fully processing what's said. Active listening is giving a communicator 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 say, making them feel heard and respected. In contrast, interrupting, multitasking, or quickly changing topics can have the opposite effect.

How to develop more effective communication

If you want to fine-tune your communication skills, a good first step is enrolling in an executive education program taught by communication experts. Once you've learned the building blocks of effective communication, 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) as you or identify a role model who embodies top-notch communication skills.