To create this article we have joined forces with Sandy Chernoff, a leading Communications Expert & Soft Skills Consultant from Vancouver BC, Canada. Sandy is the founder of www.softskillsforsuccess.com and the author of the book “5 Secrets to Effective Communication”.
In this article, Sandy and I are combining our expertise since we want all of you to understand how you can communicate better because it is crucial for all aspects of your business, whether its verbal communication or its written communication or its communication through your LinkedIn Profile, it is very important that they are all consistent and that they all send the message that you want your public to receive.
So lets begin…
What is Effective Communication
Effective communication is essential in all we do… most people think they know how to do this as we have been doing it essentially since we were born, sadly few really are good at it. As a result most of us experience much conflict, disappointment, resentment, confusion and complaining and often do not get what we expected or wanted.
Effective communication means sending messages that are understood by those with whom you are communicating and understanding the messages sent to you.
In business, we need to be authentic, honest, clear, and impactful when we articulate our vision, goals, and aims. We also need to be able to issue clear instructions to others. Again, because assumptions seem to be common when offering information to others, we are often unhappy with the outcomes.
Our brand, reputation and quality of products or services must be consistent with what we are communicating verbally, non-verbally and on-line. People do business with those they trust….in order to develop that trust we need to be presenting our true selves and beliefs with regularity and reliability. Otherwise we will lose that trust, our relationships will suffer and so will our business.
All relationships are based on trust, respect and rapport and cannot be developed, nurtured or maintained without excellent communication skills… beginning with Active Listening.
How to Truly Listen
The more one listens to others, the more one can learn. The more we learn, the more effective we can be in dealing with the people in our business, in our personal lives and in our “virtual” lives. Every aspect must be in alignment, reinforcing the persona you wish to put forth to the world. The more authentic you are the easier it is to maintain that consistency.
Remember this… hearing is an ability, listening is an art which requires your ears to hear, your heart to experience feelings, your mind to process the information and your eyes to see the non-verbal messaging that is also being sent.
Being Present on LinkedIn
In our modern technological world, we present ourselves not only in person, but also through our profiles in the various on-line platforms available today.
One of the most crucial of these on-line platforms is LinkedIn, the largest and most popular network of professionals in the world.
In fact in many occasions if you are not present on LinkedIn and if your profile there is not active, well developed and consistent with your live persona, your business will not thrive as it could. Why? Because most professionals search for answers using LinkedIn, so if you are not there, they will be unlikely to find you and your business.
Therefore, you need to ensure that you have a solid presence on LinkedIn that is characterized by professionalism, credibility and trustworthiness. You need to be positioned as a likeable expert in your field who is getting discovered by those who you want to be discovered from, thus significantly increasing your exposure and eyeballs from your ideal prospects. Whether you are looking for a new position, for more customers, or looking to identify the right candidates, communicating your personality and strong points on your LinkedIn profile in the most attractive way, as well as efficiently communicating with your LinkedIn Network (i.e. via the most effective updates, group discussions, posts, messages) is crucial to your success and achievement of your professional goals.
We challenge you to review how you communicate your brand and self to the greater world (both offline and online) and to try to make sure that what is out there is consistent, authentic and valuable so that you will attract the contacts and business opportunities you deserve.