Here are 10 areas an Entrepreneur needs to focus, to get mastery in the art of communication.
1. Body Language:
Much of communication is nonverbal, so mastering your body language presentation is a must. In any situation, posture matters -- sit or stand up straight with your shoulders back and your head high and straight. Mastering body language can allow you to command a room.
2. Listen and Listen
Be an active listener, first and then, everything other.
Active listening can help you converse, debate, lead, negotiate and mediate, and it makes you seem more thoughtful, empathetic and invested in the people around you.
If you have a reasonable mastery of these 10 critical communication skills, you’ll be in a good position to succeed in your position as an entrepreneur. As happens with any other skill, it’s impossible to perfect these abilities without practicing them; you’ll have to practice them actively, honing and fine-tuning your approach along the way.
3. Conversation :
Conversation is one of the most basic forms of communication, but don’t underestimate it. A simple, friendly conversation with your employees can build trust and expose issues before they become serious. Learn to speak in an approachable, friendly way that you can apply to any situation.
4. Written Communication
You don’t have to be a perfect writer, but you do need to learn to be direct and concise in written forms. You’ll be emailing and texting people within and outside your organization regularly, and it’s important that you communicate your ideas clearly in this medium, with minimal opportunities for misinterpretation.
5. Presentation
You’ll be presenting in a few different formats as an entrepreneur, but they can be collectively grouped into one skill. You may be presenting company financials to your top employees or investors. You may present your business’ services to an interested buyer. You may even give a speech about entrepreneurship at a speaking event. In all these cases, clarity, conciseness, confidence, and poise are all key.
6. Negotiation
You have to negotiate for almost everything in a business, so the better you are at negotiating, the more successful your business will be. You’ll be able to secure better terms for your office’s lease, more reasonable salaries for your most talented employees and even more lucrative options for your top clients. Negotiating effectively is more than just using the right words; it employs timing, a knowledge of the right facts and the ability to remain confident throughout the process.
7. Mediation
Though your role as a mediator will be less often necessary than your role as a converser, for example, there will be times when you have to step up and resolve a conflict. It might be between two employees with differing opinions about whose responsibility something is. Or it might be between two competing vendors who suffered a lapse in communication. In any case, you’ll have to acknowledge both sides and help them work out their own problems.
8. Debate
Debating can be a healthy discussion of two or more alternative options in a productive, respectful setting. Your job in a debate isn’t to win against the enemy -- it’s to present your case and opinions clearly. Doing so, whether you're dealing with investors, partners or employees can help you elucidate your ideas with greater strength and clarity.
9. Leading
Your responsibilities as a leader are multifaceted, but from a communications perspective, your biggest responsibilities are instilling confidence, trust, and passion in your team. You’ll be inspiring people through everyday messages, public and private, and retaining your poise as a leader throughout those situations is key to achieving and maintaining a powerful image.
10. Cross-platforming
Today’s field of communication is much wider than the fields available to generations past. Phone calls, texts, emails, video chats, instant messages, and other mediums are all commonplace, and you’ll need to know which ones are appropriate for which applications.