IGCLC™ Accredited:Certificate in Verbal Communication Skills

Listening is essential to communication. You might think this is something you are already doing but after this lesson you might realise there are some things you need to change.

When communicating with others, they should be confident that you are listening to them through the use of certain cues. Having a connection of understanding each other is even better.

Both open and closed questions are useful in communication. They serve different purposes so you can get the information you need without making assumptions are misunderstandings.

How you phrase questions often determines the answer you get. There are certain things you can do to get more information and build a rapport with the person you are talking to.

We need feedback to be able to progress but it also needs to be communicated in the right way. It should be non-confrontational but also easy to understand. Otherwise people won’t act on it.

You should be good at receiving feedback too. It's not just a case of leading by example but the improvements other people have to share can make a real difference. No one is above feedback.

Conflict resolution can seem like the most difficult communication. There are some things you can do to make it easier and encourage people to move forward instead of getting stuck in conflict.

There are some more methods you can use to overcome conflict situations and learn from them. There is a sensitivity around conflict that you need to be aware of. Crossing the line will stunt progress.

Your communication with your customers is essential to the future of your business. There are various ways you can interact with your audience but in this section we are going to look at the benefits of podcasting.

The most important part of a podcast is having a good connection with your audience. There are some guidelines for things you should do to make your audience’s experience as enjoyable as possible.

Videos are another great way to connect with your audience. This involves both direct selling and having conversations with your audience about relevant topics. Either way the values of your business should shine through.

You can’t just produce videos, you need to put out good videos. This is where understanding how to communicate well comes into play. It takes some getting used to but before you know it speaking in front of a camera will seem natural.

There is a level of distance between you and your audience in videos and podcasts because it is pre-recorded. Running live webinars allows you to content with your audience in real time.

You face different challenges when doing a webinar. The main one is that it is live so you need to get it right there and then. You can perfect your performance with practice.

In person presentations are just as effective as online ones. Even though you will reach less people, you will connect with them in a more personal way. It might seem scary but it is something worth doing.

There are some good presentation habits you can get into to make sure your performance is the best it can be. You might feel out of your depth at first but you will get used to it.

Interviews will keep your audience engaged and give you another way to discuss your niche. Quite a bit of preparation does go into a good interview. Behind the natural flow of conversation is research.

The point of preparation is to ensure you are confident during the interview and can keep the conversation going. Whether your expert is talkative or quiet, you need to keep the interview on track.