An entrepreneur relies on people, and these are not only subordinates, but also partners and clients. If a business owner cannot establish communication within his team and with the outside world, he is doomed to failure. On the other hand, every successful business is built on good communication. It doesn't matter how good and profitable your service or product is if you can't convey its value to your audience.
Communicativeness is one of the mandatory characteristics of an entrepreneur. This is expressed in the formulation of business goals, its strategy, values and interaction with others. Communication, like other entrepreneurial skills, are not innate; they can be developed. A wise leader cultivates business skills and they quickly bear fruit. Below are tips that will help you find common language with people and unlock your communication potential.
Keep in mind that it is not the words themselves that matter most, but how they were said. Facial expressions, body language and other non-verbal elements account for about 55% of all communication. To become experienced and effective in communication, you need to monitor your facial expression, posture, and hand movements. Also, over time, you will be able to correctly interpret such gestures and facial expressions of your interlocutors. Dealing with hidden objections and anticipating thoughts is the next level to strive for.
Listening skills are an essential component of a successful communicator. TRY not to focus on your point of view, but try to understand the essence of the problem or task that they are trying to convey to you. Take a break and listen to those around you, and only then give relevant reviews from your side. Chances are you will be able to learn a lot about your business, product or service.
To ensure that you are not talking to a fictitious copy of the other person in your head, make sure that you can mentally retell their message. Only then come up with an answer. Pay attention to details, extract as much information as possible from the dialogue, so you can satisfy the needs of clients and skillfully find a common language with the team.
If you have a huge flow of calls and you can’t always pay a lot of attention to each task, you can record phone calls. Moreover, now there is a call recording app that is available for iOS and offers a free trial period. With an app like Call Recorder for iPhone you can save recordings of any length and play them back at any time. A good memory is not a necessary characteristic of an entrepreneur when there is a recording of conversations.
Your interlocutors are free to disagree and this should not embarrass you. The world from another person’s point of view may look completely different, they have different pain points, impressions and life experiences, what’s surprising about a distinctive opinion?
To overcome disagreements, you need to learn how to convey and argue your position. You can start with the basic principles of debate: be based on facts, obvious logic, and authoritative opinions. At the same time, it is better to abandon the stereotypes or myths that haunt many of us, but they do not demonstrate our incompetence in front of a person. Remember that you are attacking the argument, not the person, so don't get too personal.
It is important to consider not only evidence and facts, but also emotions. Emotions can cloud people's logic and make it difficult to perceive facts. But you can also use them to your advantage if you are skilled enough to do so and understand the person well.
Conflicts are part of the life of entrepreneurs and this is normal. Some have more, some have less, but this does not eliminate the need to manage disputes. It doesn’t really matter what the reason for the disagreement is: misunderstanding, different attitudes to issues, or an attempt to shift responsibility.
To be effective in managing disputes, you need to develop empathy. Strive to see the world through the eyes of the involved party. A common situation: you think that the client is worried about the price, but he is more interested in the guarantee. He is even ready to overpay if he receives guarantees that he was heard and the result will be as he expects. The manager talks about the price and claims that he has a good price or even offers a discount, but this helps the client to reject hesitation. A wise manager will listen to the client about his problem, previous experience and offer the optimal solution. This impartial, attentive approach bears fruit.
If an entrepreneur understands that the other party is to blame, blaming her, also on emotions, is a bad communication tactic. Respectful communication with constructive evidence will help shift the focus from personal hostility to helping resolve the situation. Be sure to try to formulate your thoughts and position clearly so as not to cause unwanted emotional attacks that could spoil the relationship.
During a presentation or just a dialogue, try to focus not on a vivid image of your thoughts, but on clarity. Not only can your metaphors or sarcasm be inappropriate, but they are often taken the wrong way. It is better to say less and more clearly than to say more elegantly and veiledly. At least 90% of the time or if you are not sure that you will be understood correctly.
It is impossible to communicate effectively with customers or employees who are irritated, dissatisfied, or emotionally depressed. A positive attitude is important and it is felt more than you think. If you think you can instantly switch from anger to friendliness between different customers, you are wrong. Anyone who sees you irritated from the outside will try to avoid communicating with you.
What do these words mean in practice? This means that you are ready to look for a way out of the situation, you can meet on some issues and are ready to compromise. Problems can arise even with the most dedicated employee, and if you overcome the difficulty, you will either strengthen your relationship or you may even lose him. You don't have to agree to everything, but you might be able to find a middle ground that is acceptable to both parties.
Practice makes perfect and this applies to communication. Entrepreneurs can simply set aside time occasionally to communicate with a customer or supplier to strengthen the relationship. You may be surprised, but this way you can learn about business weaknesses, possible solutions or the best conditions for cooperation.
While studying the attention of modern people, the study showed that it takes only 8 seconds to attract attention. If you can get your point across quickly and clearly, even better in 8 seconds, you have a better chance of being heard. An entrepreneur should strive to be concise and his words concise and understandable.
Don't waste your time or anyone else's unless the situation requires it. When you continue to say unnecessary things, you only confuse the other person. You need to feel the situation, sometimes you need to give a more detailed answer in order to clarify. If this is not the case, be brief.
Enhancing the soft skills for entrepreneurship is a gradual process. Prioritizing your ability to communicate effectively can significantly propel your career and overall achievements. Identify any shortcomings in your communication abilities and consciously refine them through practice until each skill meets your standards.
Alex Quin is a full-stack marketing expert and global keynote speaker. Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of UADV Marketing - a member of the Forbes Agency Council.
