One thing executives in the specialty chemicals and plastics industry have in common is exceptional communication skills. In our experience, great speakers also make powerful leaders. It’s usually what separates successful leaders from average managers. If you feel stuck in your current career, now may be a good time to overhaul your communication skills. Here are three tips to improve your communication skills for career advancement.
Speak Persuasively
The key to persuasive speaking isn’t always saying the right things to get your main points across so that everybody agrees with you. It’s more about being authentic and focusing on what you want others to hear. First, it’s important to research your audience to determine which personal speaking style will be most effective. From the tone that you are using to the way you stand and smile, different speaking situations require authentic behaviors if you want to make a connection with the audience. Although it’s acceptable to gain inspiration from the techniques that great speakers like Tony Robbins uses, you don’t want to imitate their entire style either. The most effective presentations always have just the right mix of logic and emotion.
Guidelines to Follow
Some people are naturally gifted at speaking and are able to maintain many good habits of communication. Yet, most of us need some guidance. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Use straightforward language.
- Interact with the audience.
- Repeat keywords and phrases.
- Focus on being conversational.
- Use an active voice.
- Follow patterns of organization.
- Avoid using jargon.
Solicit Feedback
There are plenty of people that aren’t even aware that they have bad speaking habits such as not making enough eye contact, fidgeting, etc. Try recording yourself speaking alone to discover things that you can improve upon. Then, reach out to friends, family, and coworkers for additional feedback regarding your communication style.
Start with Some Comic Relief
Speaking in front of an audience becomes almost effortless when the people who are listening are also being entertained. One of the best ways to ease into public speaking is to start by telling a few jokes to a small group of your friends. Staring with a simple joke can put both the speaker and audience at ease.
Improving your communication skills is a great way to improve your chances of career advancement in the specialty chemicals industry. Great speakers are able to adapt their styles based on their audiences. And, just like you, they are vulnerable to mistakes. Just learn from them, move on, and get a little better each time.
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