Communication Skills—A Comprehensive Guide

Obaidverse
4 min readFeb 18, 2022

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Every now and then we have to share our feelings, discuss important details with concerned people, and express emotions. All of that requires planned communication to deliver the right message to the right person. Communication gaps can create ambiguity and confusion. This situation is not pleasant and can worsen matters in critical negotiations. The article will emphasize the importance of communication skills in everyday life and how we can improve our negotiations with a few clean steps. So let’s hop right in.

There are many areas where fluent communication skills can come in handy including your everyday physical negotiations or business-level deals. For example, buying a car from somebody requires a lot of skills to keep the price tag in your favor. Apart from that, large negotiation firms are established with huge multi-dimensional companies to secure successful deals and many firms like these are hired by people to perform mediation and arbitration in complex legal situations. All in all, it is an important sector that operates to safeguard your interests in complicated situations.

In the age of the internet, where the world has become a global village, there are more than just physical negotiations. Online chats, video calls, social media, and numerous platforms allow users globally to communicate with each other. This is not a simple task because sometimes, you have to chat with a person whom you have not met in your life or seen him. At such points, you have to guess the mindset of the next person and communicate accordingly. Such situations can arise while having business negotiations for online remote jobs as securing a project on freelancing websites. So, it is never too late to pay attention to these skills and refine your interaction with people globally.

When you think of negotiations, there are certain rules to follow. First of all, you try to create a larger pie in any situation. It means that do not just look for differences but try to create a situation in which both parties can benefit from each other. Try to preserve the cultural values of the other side if you are going to talk across your borders. Your aim should be to listen to the other side rather than just imposing your personnel will as it will lead to a deadlock. Many successful negotiation consultants get the most out of any situation by just listening and gaining more facts which help them make a precise decision.

If you are stuck in a delicate situation that can impact your life seriously, then try to focus on stress management during negotiations. Your ability to control your emotions at this point will make or break the deal. Generally, we ignore this fact thinking that we can manage these delicate situations but most of the time such thoughts are just deceptions. Your main aim should be to open roads for talks and remove that bone of contention in these situations. There will always be a time when you will have to face such situations, so it is better to remain prepared. Along with other things that will help you here, your communication skills are perhaps the most important ones.

One thing that you need to keep in mind is that there is not a single course or degree program that will make you a master of communication skills. It takes a lifetime to understand the dynamics of productive negotiations. The best practice is to get out there and interact with more people because it will help you understand various viewpoints.

There are many online courses available on various platforms that allow you to develop essential negotiation skills. These skills will come in handy in your personal and professional matters. I did a course on a renowned online learning platform called Coursera.com to amplify my communication skills. That course was offered by the University of Michigan and the lectures were delivered by Professor George Siedal who is known for his work in this field. You should also go for these courses as they will help you understand and interpret others pretty well.

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