Experience Essay free essay sample

What Is the Meaning of Verbal Communication? Verbal communication is an act of conveying messages, ideas, or feelings through the use of mouth. Verbal communication is the main way of communicating face-to-face. Among the key components of the verbal communication are words, sound, speaking, and language. 9 effective forms of Verbal Communication 1. Read more – Simply increasing what you read (business texts, novels, newspapers etc) can improve your vocabulary, help you express ideas clearly and eliminate weaknesses in your language skills. 2. Observe Responses Observe response to your message. What people are thinking is not always expressed verbally. Read people’s thoughts by watching their facial expressions, hand and foot gestures. Look at their eyes for signs of confusion, disagreement, disbelief, resistance or understanding. 3. Think about the words – Too many words will bore your listener, take up too much time and result in you losing credibility. There is no need to waffle! Remember not to use words that people don’t understand (they may not even tell you that they don’t understand what you are saying), as you may appear intimidating and make them feel inferior. 4. Prepare (if you can) – You would spend time planning what you would say if you were writing. You would also think about how to make it accessible to as many readers as possible. If you know of an approaching situation, take time out to think about the questions you may be asked and what answers you may need to give. If you are delivering a presentation, you should be prepared for awkward questions and situations where you may need to explain something in a different way. 5. Listen and be interested – Listening more and talking less means you will understand and bring your listener into the conversation. This helps them to trust you and make them feel that you really understand their needs. When they talk, be interested and show your interest. This will improve the rapport you are trying to build. Using note-taking skills like Mind Mapping can help you to take more effective and memorable notes. 6. Be aware of non-verbal communication traps – The impact of the words you say is only a small element of the communication you are giving. You should make sure that your words, their tone, the gestures you make, facial expressions and body language you use, are all relevant to your conversation. 7. Honesty is the best policy Promising something that is not possible will break down any trust that you have developed. Telling someone that you don’t know – but can find out is more positive than just trying to give an answer you hope is effective. 8. Show and seek some understanding – Look for understanding from your audience. It’s easier to back track at certain points in your conversation than revisit the whole conversation again – or you risk getting the wrong results because your audience did not understand! You can use this when delivering or receiving a message. Occasional summaries and confirmation questions can be extremely useful. 9. Think about perspectives – Think about what you are saying from the other persons perspective. Just because you understand what you mean, it doesn’t mean that they will. What Is the Meaning of Verbal Communication? Nonverbal communication is behaviour, other than spoken or written communication, that creates or represents meaning. In other words, it includes facial expressions, body movements, and gestures. Nonverbal communication is talking without speaking a word. It is very effective, maybe even more so than speech. Remember the saying, â€Å"Actions speak louder than words. † 10 effective forms of NonVerbal Communication 1. Pay Attention to Nonverbal Signals People can communicate information in numerous ways; so pay attention to things like eye contact, gestures, posture, body movements, and tone of voice. All of these signals can convey important information that isnt put into words. By paying closer attention to other peoples unspoken behaviors, you will improve your own ability to communicate nonverbally. 2. Look for Incongruent Behaviors If someones words do not match their nonverbal behaviors, you should pay careful attention. For example, someone might tell you they are happy while frowning and staring at the ground. Research has shown that when words fail to match up with nonverbal signals, people tend to ignore what has been said and focus instead on unspoken expressions of moods, thoughts, and emotions. 3. Concentrate on Your Tone of Voice When Speaking Your tone of voice can convey a wealth of information, ranging from enthusiasm to disinterest to anger. Start noticing how your tone of voice affects how others respond to you and try using tone of voice to emphasize ideas that you want to communicate. For example, if you want to show genuine interest in something, express your enthusiasm by using an animated tone of voice. 4. Use Good Eye Contact When people fail to look others in the eye, it can seem as if they are evading or trying to hide something. On the other hand, too much eye contact can seem confrontational or intimidating. While eye contact is an important part of communication, its important to remember that good eye contact does not mean staring fixedly into someones eyes. How can you tell how much eye contact is correct? Some communication experts recommend intervals of eye contact lasting four to five seconds. 5. Ask Questions about Nonverbal Signals If you are confused about another persons nonverbal signals, dont be afraid to ask questions. A good idea is to repeat back your interpretation of what has been said and ask for clarification. An example of this might be, So what you are saying is that 6. Use Signals to Make Communication More Effective and Meaningful Remember that verbal and nonverbal communication work together to convey a message. You can improve your spoken communication by using body language that reinforces and supports what you are saying. This can be especially useful when making presentations or when speaking to a large group of people. 7. Look at Signals as a Group A single gesture can mean any number of things, or maybe even nothing at all. The key to accurately reading nonverbal behavior is to look for groups of signals that reinforce a common point. If you place too much emphasis on just one signal out of many, you might come to an inaccurate conclusion about what a person is trying to communicate. 8. Consider Context When you are communicating with others, always consider the situation and the context in which the communication occurs. Some situations require more formal behaviors that might be interpreted very differently in any other setting. Consider whether or not nonverbal behaviors are appropriate for the context. If you are trying to improve your own nonverbal communication, concentrate on ways to make your signals match the level of formality necessitated by the situation. 9. Be Aware That Signals Can be Misread According to some, a firm handshake indicates a strong personality while a weak handshake is taken as a lack of fortitude. This example illustrates an important point about the possibility of misreading nonverbal signals. A limp handshake might actually indicate something else entirely, such as arthritis. Always remember to look for groups of behavior. A persons overall demeanor is far more telling than a single gesture viewed in isolation. 10. Practice, Practice, Practice Some people just seem to have a knack for using nonverbal communication effectively and correctly interpreting signals from others. These people are often described as being able to read people. In reality, you can build this skill by paying careful attention to nonverbal behavior and practicing different types of nonverbal communication with others. By noticing nonverbal behavior and practicing your own skills, you can dramatically improve your communication abilities.