KEY TIPS TO STREAMLINE COMMUNICATION
BE CAREFUL NOT TO HAVE A MONOLOGUE
When communicating with another person or group of people, if it is supposed to be a dialog, then make sure you are not turning it into a monologue. Even when giving a sales presentation, it is important to stop every few points to make sure that you have not lost your prospect. Sometimes, the prospect is ready to buy, but the salesman is still droning away about benefits that really aren’t important to the prospect at all. Business communication should always be done with the specific needs of the individual client attended to.
If you are telling a long story, stop every so often to let the person respond to a certain part, especially when you are on the phone. Have you ever told someone a story on the phone and then later referred to it only to find that they have little if any recollection of the facts of the story? You didn’t make sure they were still interested in hearing, and they got busy with other things and basically tuned you out.
It is always worth investing time and energy into learning more effective communication skills. There are books, audio programs, and seminars dedicated to this very purpose. Do not assume that you have it all down pat and don’t need help. The wisest person is a perpetual learner.
