7 Strategies to Communicate with Ease and Power

Have you ever said something to your boss, co-worker, friend, or spouse and wished you could take it back? Have you ever jumbled the words during a presentation, sales pitch or networking conversation and felt you could have communicated your message better?

Do you use business jargon and cliches to help make an impact in your messaging? If you said “yes,” you’re not alone. We all have communicated ineffectively at times and wished we had a “do-over.”

Communicate with Ease, Power

The key is effective communication. Knowing what to say and how to say it is a must-have leadership skill. Fortunately, we have a variety of communication tools at our disposal to get our messages across clearly, respectfully and impactfully.

It takes practice, and the benefits are plentiful. Excellent communicators become stronger leaders, better collaborators and confident negotiators. They are empathetic, trusted, liked, and often rewarded for their way with words.

Follow these proven techniques to improve how you communicate and increase your leadership stature:

1. Speak Assertively

Assertive communication is the language of leadership. Make it your go-to style in every conversation. Assertive communication is not passive, it’s not aggressive, and it’s certainly not passive-aggressive.

Assertiveness is respectfully communicating and expressing your thoughts, feelings and opinions in a way that conveys your views and needs, without putting down the other person’s thoughts, feelings or opinions. Assertive communication aims for a win-win, and it helps build trust, solves differences, promotes problem-solving and strengthens relationships.

2. Consciously Listen

Articulating your message fluidly and assertively is among the cornerstones of excellent communication – and so is conscious listening. When you are completely present, void of judgment and distraction, you not only hear the message, you understand it.

Conscious listening is an attitude that replaces hearing. It’s a mindful practice that takes one’s entire message into account including their emotions and body language.

3. Avoid Clichés

When you use clichés in your communication, you lose impact. You are borrowing a once-clever word or phrase that is unimaginative, dull, can sound silly, and considered lazy communication.

Many clichés are overused, such as “If the shoe fits,” or “Think outside the box.” Listeners will likely gloss over them, assuming their common meaning while ignoring your specific use of them. As a result, they can be obstacles to successful communication. Use language that speaks to your emotions and creativity.

4. Avoid Jargon

Jargon is the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group. To colleagues, jargon is business-speak easily understood, but to others, it is convoluted and often lacks understanding, which is a hallmark of effective communicators.

What’s more, audiences do not respond well to jargon and will likely be less engaged in what you have to say. Rid jargon from your vocabulary. Strive for simplicity and clarity with words that are familiar and straightforward.

5. Leverage Your Body Language

Our body language plays an essential role in our verbal communication. It can help break barriers, increase engagement and as develop a stronger connection with others.

A compelling, confident communicator uses nonverbal communication to reinforce their messages. Maintaining eye contact, using gestures, varying the tone of your voice and pausing are effective body language elements to enhance your communication.

6. Speak with Empathy

The most effective leadership communications are those that deliver empathy. When we speak with empathy, we strive to understand and acknowledge the situation, demonstrate compassion, and remove judgment.

According to Daniel Goleman, an internationally known psychologist and author of Emotional Intelligence, “Empathy represents the foundation skill for all the social competencies important for work.

7. Be YOU!

We can all spot a phony communicator, someone who is not true to his or her words, is boastful, fake and manipulative. The best communicators are those who assertively convey their messages while showcasing a bit of their engaging personality.

They are vulnerable, inclusive and true storytellers. When you speak authentically, others listen. You gain trust, rapport, and confidence – winning results of an all-star communicator.

You can master these tips and more. Check out our event, “Say This, Not That: Communicate Effectively with Ease & Impact” and uncover the art of impactful communication to convey your ideas with clarity and confidence.