Verbal Communication: How To Communicate Directly
There aren’t many fields where you can get by without utilizing verbal communication skills. The higher up your role in a business, the more critical it is that you communicate effectively with the people around you.
Despite being such a universally necessary skill, verbal communication is more complicated than many people think. The ability to get a message across to another person in a way that is effective and concise takes practice and attention.
Whether interacting with an employee, a customer, or a superior, communicating well is a skill that everyone should grow.
The Four Types of Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is complex and has to change depending on who it is you are communicating with. You can be talking to one person or a group of people within infinite different scenarios.
These scenarios have been boiled down to four types of verbal communication that encompass the types of interactions you might be having at a verbal level.
Intrapersonal
Intrapersonal communication is the kind of communication that happens in your head. While it might seem unorthodox to consider discussions you have with yourself when trying to improve your ability to talk to others, it is an important skill to get down. Before you can get a message to someone else, you need to make it clear and understandable.
In your head is where the chaotic threads turn into meaningful thoughts that can be conveyed to other people in a way that makes sense. Before engaging with other people, it is a good idea to run things through your head and make sure you can communicate a concept to yourself effectively.
Interpersonal
Interpersonal communication is more orthodox, describing the conversations you have with another person. This type of communication can happen in person or virtually, over a phone or video call.
Interpersonal communication is usually more intimate than other types, requiring that you connect with a person to understand how to get your point across to them.
To communicate verbally with another person requires social skills and non-verbal skills that share your intention and tone with the other party.
It also means that you have to read the other person’s verbal and non-verbal cues to best convey your message to them.
Small Group
Small group discussions could range from a school group project to a virtual board meeting. What is unique about small group communication is that you will usually assume a role within a small group, and your method of communication will differ depending on whether you are taking a leadership role.
Small group communication also requires that you read the other people in the room, which becomes more complicated as you need to communicate in a way that speaks to the entire group, not just an individual.
You will have to talk more generally so that your language matches the group.
Public
Public communication generally doesn’t involve the issue of choosing a role because it assumes the spotlight is on you. Public communication usually gives a minimal opportunity for the receiving party to respond because the group is so large that it is impossible.
Public verbal communication can be the traditional sort, in front of a crowd. Still, it can also be online or even asynchronous, having recorded a message for a large group to see. This is where language has to be at its most general.
Public communication often requires preparation to make sure you are reaching the broadest possible audience.
Other Types of Communication
Body language
Eye contact
Gestures
Facial expressions
Emotions
Handshake
Body posture
Face-to-face behavior
Tone of voice
Getting Your Message Across
Regardless of the type of verbal communication you are employing, you should always focus on a few things.
Your message should always be concise and organized without being plagued by wordiness and unnecessary jargon. You want your listener to understand you without having to ask too many clarifying questions, maximizing the time you can spend working toward your goals.
You also want to make sure you know your audience; speak in a way that will mesh with them if you want them to understand you best.
Knowing how to communicate with an individual is primarily based on understanding them and how they intake information.
Listening
If you really want to understand someone, you need to be a good listener. Dedicate your attention to the person or group you are communicating with to completely understand how to get through to them.
Try to pick up on things they say about themselves without turning it back to yourself. Giving them the space to express themselves is the best way to understand a person, and understanding them is the best way to help them understand you.
While listening, use non-verbal communication skills to express interest in what they are saying so that they know you get that communication goes two ways.
Consistency
If you want a message to be fully understood by others, you need to be consistent in your communication. If a project is just starting up, you should be willing to communicate where you are at every step of the process to your team members. When everyone is on the same page, communication is easier, and everyone has the same information to go off of.
A lot of this depends on how you communicate, so it is essential to choose productive and intuitive messaging methods. Dialed is an app that allows you to manage your contacts and your network, making it ideal for larger-scale communication. You can categorize your contacts based on their relationship to you, helping you make sure you are sending the right messages to the right people.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors at play when it comes to verbal communication, but there are ways to master it. You must understand your situation and adapt your style of communication accordingly.
Being able to convey a message precisely and interestingly needs to be balanced by listening and understanding the person or group. The importance of verbal communication cannot be understated, so you need to cultivate the skills and tools that will maximize your verbal communication skills.
Apps like Dialed, from the creators of Burner, allow you to manage your communication with team members more efficiently, letting you customize the messages you are sending depending on the audience.
Sources:
Verbal Communication - Definition, Development, Types | BusinessTerms.org
