Five Characteristics of Successful Business Communicators
Business revolves around successful communication, be it non-verbal, verbal, written, analogue or digital. Managers, leaders and salespeople all need to be skilled communicators in order to perform their roles effectively. Maguire Training provides a wealth of invaluable training courses and E-learning modules that are designed to develop effective communication skills and equip business leaders with the skills required to communicate confidently, powerfully and persuasively in a variety of situations that they may encounter in the course of their duties.
Good communication in business is vital to establishing relationships, influencing negotiations, successful selling, delivering presentations, problem-solving and many other aspects of a manager's or salesperson's role. Whilst effective and practical training is an invaluable aid to improving business communication skills, the best communicators exhibit certain characteristics which enable them to hone and maximise their abilities. By adopting these traits, anyone should be able to communicate more confidently and effectively.
The five characteristics of successful business communicators are:
- Proactive participation
Good communicators proactively seek out opportunities to develop their skills by, for example, appropriately contributing their opinions and knowledge in group discussions or meetings, rather than simply sitting back and letting the conversation flow around them. Other opportunities might include volunteering to chair a meeting, steering a group, or giving a speech or presentation. Being proactive rather than waiting to be asked to contribute suggests a communicator who is both capable and confident in their abilities. - Ability to learn from others
Improving business communication is a journey rather than a destination; there are always effective skills and strategies that can be learned from others and adopted for an individual's own use. Successful business communicators are willing to be mentored by those with greater skills and experience, will seek out training and development opportunities and will actively further their knowledge by reading about the subject. - Listening, rather than hearing
Being a good listener is a hallmark of a successful communicator. Unlike simply 'hearing', listening involves taking in information, processing it, understanding its context and meaning and using these to form reasoned, intelligent responses. Often an unskilled communicator will only 'hear' what is being said and will second-guess the context and meaning in a bid to interject with a response. An inability or unwillingness to listen properly can lead to misunderstanding and a breakdown in business communications. - Willingness to practice communication skills
Every communicator can improve with practice, and the most successful communicators will practice every aspect of their daily communications, from refining their telephone technique and manner, to honing their public speaking or presenting skills, to drafting and re-drafting documents and emails until the tone, style and content are optimal. - Staying focused
Communicating effectively in the typical work environment demands that you pay attention to whoever you are communicating with and don't lose focus as a result of distractions, such as a ringing phone or incoming email. In group communication situations, such as meetings or presentations, nerves or anxiety can cause a loss of focus that is detrimental to communication; successful communicators will adopt strategies to help them overcome these distractions.
How can we help?
Good business communication skills are a valuable asset that every leader, manager or salesperson should aspire to obtain. For those who are simply unable to attend classroom-based courses, Maguire Training's comprehensive E-learning platform provides a range of modules aimed at developing and improving business communication skills whilst allowing delegates to learn as and when it is most convenient for them.
