We are living in a world that is dominated by the quick transference of information. Whether we are firing off messages via social media or communicating face-to-face, it can sometimes be difficult to get the right words out. While we all know how to communicate, we can take the act for granted. If you are a burgeoning professional or someone who struggles in social situations, it can help to have a list of tips to go back to when it is time for an important engagement. Today, we are going to walk you through a variety of communication tips. Implement these concepts into your day-to-day life in order to immediately improve your social communication skills.

1) Slow Your Mind Down – The easiest way to stumble during a conversation is to hurry. When you hurry to get your thoughts out, you stop yourself from thinking through what you are going to say. Additionally, a person who is speaking quickly will likely be seen as nervous or lacking in confidence. Before you engage in a social situation, take a moment to collect your thoughts. Don’t take too long, however, as that, too, will send the wrong message.

2) Use Your Body Language – Every movement that we make is included in our communication skill set. If you’ve watched a nervous public speaker, you likely already know what we are talking about. Your body language will oftentimes be more important than the words that you are saying. Heath Ledger famously said that we communicate more in between our sentences than during them. Stand straight, smile, and make eye contact in order to show that you are present and confident. This tip is easier said than done, but it is the cornerstone of an effective oratory skill set.

3) Disregard Filler Content – Whether you are drafting an email or talking to your boss, make sure to nix all filler content from your communication efforts. Skip filler words like ‘uhm’, ‘ah’, and ‘like’. We also have our own filler words that are unique to our lives. Take some time to analyze your own speech patterns. Do you have a word that you go to in order to buy time? Once you take stock of yourself, you can begin to refine your skills in an authentic way. Speaking of authentic…

4) Stay True To Yourself – Your communication skills need to be improved, but you can’t lose sight of who you are along the way. When you adopt a phony communication technique, your audience can see right through you. Embrace the techniques that we’ve suggested, but incorporate them into who you are rather than let them overtake you. Your audience wants an authentic version of your professional self, not a fake version.

Communicating is integral to daily life, but that doesn’t make it easy. There are plenty of ways to improve your communication skills, and we’ve highlighted a few of them above. Our list is far from comprehensive, so make sure to look inward in order to diagnose your own communication faults.

Catherine Gomez