Using Verbal Communication As A Tool

Using Verbal Communication as a Tool

What is Verbal Communication?

Verbal communication can be defined as the process through which a person transfers a message in a manner that can be easily understood by someone who receives it. Verbal communication is also known for the directions and instructions that accompany it.

Verbal communication is a type of communication where the information flows through verbal medium like words, speeches, presentations etc.

Who uses Verbal Communication?

Anyone who has ever given a presentation, participated in a team meeting, or had a conversation with another person will have used verbal communication. Good verbal communicators are sometimes perceived as more intelligent than their quieter peers. They are able to influence and persuade better, too. The good news is that verbal skills can be learned and honed. Read on to learn more about what verbal communication is, the types of it, and why verbal communication skills are important for everyone to have.

What are the types of Verbal Communication?

Verbal communication is the use of sounds and words to express yourself, especially in contrast to using gestures or mannerisms (non-verbal communication).

When you’re taking part in verbal conversation, you listen and talk to someone else, usually face-to-face. Many people consider speech to be a subset of verbal communication, since it relies on words expressed by mouth.

Why are verbal communication skills important to have?

Verbal communication skills are essential to achieving maximum effectiveness in all professional settings. Developing and sharpening the ways that you communicate with the world around you will make certain that you deliver effective messages, foster strong relationships, and solidify opinions. This article will show you how to communicate effectively, meaningfully, and confidently with individuals and groups.

In general conversations, a problem can be solved by speaking. As in speaking with your employees to get the problem resolved. Having an effective mode of communication is essential for any business and choosing the right communication style is crucial to success.

Process of Effective Verbal Communication

Opening Communication

In many interpersonal encounters, the first few minutes are extremely important. First impressions have a significant impact on the success of further future communication.

When you first meet someone, you form an instant impression of them, based on how they look, sound and behave, as well as anything you may have heard about them from other people. How people present themselves the first time can tell a lot about how much self-control and composure they have or choose to have in-front of you.

This first impression guides your future communications, at least to some extent.

For example, when you meet someone and hear them speak, you form a judgement about their background, and likely level of ability and understanding. This might well change what you say. If you hear a foreign accent, for example, you might decide that you need to use simpler language. You might also realise that you will need to listen more carefully to ensure that you understand what they are saying to you.

Of course your first impression may be revised later. Some people are generally bad at giving their best first impression of themselves. You should ensure that you consciously ‘update’ and keep an open mind in your thinking when you receive new information about your contact and as you get to know them better.

Basic Verbal Communication Skills: Effective Speaking and Listening

Effective speaking involves three main areas:

1. the words you choose,

2. how you say them, and

3. how you reinforce them with other non-verbal communication.

It is worth selecting your choice of words carefully. You will probably need to use different words in different situations, even when discussing the same subject. This is looking at who your audience is. For example, what you say to a close colleague will be very different from how you present a subject at a major conference.

How you speak is not only about the words that come out of your but also includes your tone of voice and pace. Similarly, non-verbal communication can send important messages to your audience, for example, about your level of interest, emotional state, and commitment.

Non-Verbal Communication: Face and Voice.

Active listening is an important skill. However, when we communicate, we tend to spend far more energy considering what we are going to say than listening to the other person.

Effective listening is vital for good verbal communication. There are a number of ways that you can ensure that you listen more effectively. These include:

1. Be prepared to listen. Concentrate on the speaker, and not on how you are going to reply.

2. Keep an open mind and avoid making judgements about the speaker.

3. Concentrate on the main direction of the speaker’s message. Try to understand broadly what they are trying to say overall, as well as the detail of the words that they are using.

4. Avoid distractions if at all possible. For example, if there is a lot of background noise, you might suggest that you go somewhere else to talk.

Be objective.

Things to avoid to be objective are as follows.

1. Do not spend time trying to think of your next question while the other person is in the middle of giving information. If you really need to, jot it down somewhere so you can ask for clarification after their speech.

2. Do not dwell on one or two points at the expense of others. Try to use the overall picture and all the information that you have.

3. Do not stereotype the speaker. Try not to let prejudices associated with, for example, gender, ethnicity, accent, social class, appearance or dress interfere with what is being said (see: Personal Appearance).

Ways to improve Verbal Communication

There are a number of tools and techniques that you can use to improve the effectiveness of your verbal communication. These include reinforcement, reflecting and clarifying, and questioning.

Reinforcement

1. Reinforcement

This is the use of encouraging words alongside non-verbal gestures such as head nods, a warm facial expression and maintaining eye contact. All these help to build rapport and are more likely to reinforce openness in others. The use of encouragement and positive reinforcement can:

a) Encourage others to participate in discussion (particularly in group work);

b) Show interest in what other people have to say;

c) Pave the way for development and/or maintenance of a relationship;

d) Alleviate fears and give reassurance;

e) Show warmth and openness; and

f) Reduce shyness or nervousness in ourselves and others.

2. Reflecting and Clarifying

1. Reflecting is the process of communicating back or exchanging feedback with another person to clarify your understanding of what has been said.

2. Reflecting is a specialised skill often used within counselling, but it can also be applied to a wide range of communication contexts and is a useful skill to learn.

3. Reflecting often involves rephrasing the message communicated to you by the speaker in your own words. You need to try to capture the essence of the facts and feelings expressed, and communicate your understanding back to the speaker. It is a useful skill because:

a) You can check that you have understood the message clearly.

b) The speaker gets feedback about how the message has been received and can then clarify and revise their speech accordingly.

c) It shows interest in, and respect for, what the other person has to say.

d) You are demonstrating that you are considering the other person’s viewpoint.

3. Questioning

Questioning is broadly how we obtain information from others on specific topics. It is an essential way of clarifying areas that are unclear or test your understanding. It can also enable you to explicitly seek support from others.

On a more social level, questioning is also a useful technique to start conversations, draw someone into a conversation, or simply show interest. Effective questioning is therefore an essential element of verbal communication.

We use two main types of questions:

1. Closed Questions

Closed questions tend to seek only a one or two word answer (often simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’). They therefore limit the scope of the response.

For example:·

“Did you travel by car today?” and

“Did you see the football game yesterday?”

These types of questions allow the questioner to remain in control of the communication. Closed questions can be useful for focusing the discussion and obtaining clear, concise answers when needed.

This is often not the desired outcome when trying to encourage verbal communication, so many people try to focus on using open questions more often.

2. Open Questions

Open questions demand further discussion and elaboration. They therefore broaden the scope for response.

For example:

“What was the traffic like this morning?”

“What do you feel you would like to gain from this discussion?”

Open questions will take longer to answer, but they give the other person far more scope for self-expression and encourage involvement in the conversation.

4. Summarising

A summary is an overview of the main points or issues raised. It can also be called the conclusion to serve the same purpose as ‘reflecting’ to review and agree the message, and ensure that communication has been effective combining the findings, issue and proposed solution.

When used effectively, summaries may also serve as a guide to the next steps forward.

The way a communication is closed or ended will, at least in part, determine the way a conversation is remembered. People use both verbal and non-verbal signals to end a conversation.

An example of verbal conclusion:

“Thank you so much, this has been really helpful.”

Examples of Non-verbal conclusion:

1. Standing up

2. Turning away

3. Action such as closing notepads or folding a paper

These words and actions indicate to the other person that the initiator wishes to end the communication. People often use a mixture of these, but tend to start with the non-verbal signals, especially in the face-to-face situation.