GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. Acknowledge others communicating with you verbally and non- verbally.

2. Rephrase thoughts. It is often good to rephrase and repeat what is being said to you back to those who are speaking. This insures not only that you understood what they said but more importantly what they meant.

3. Give examples. Using examples or personal experiences is a helpful way to communicate your ideas.

4. Use good diction. Speaking clearly and distinctly is extremely important. People may miss your point if you are hard to understand.

5. Maintain a positive attitude. You can communicate with a positive attitude whenever you speak. People will be more interested in what you say if you are using a positive sentence structure too.

6. Listen actively. Listening is the key in developing any type of relationship.

7. Interpret. Read between the lines of what is being said. Some people have a hard time expressing themselves. You can help them by trying to interpret what they mean.

8. Share. Sharing your ideas is a personal effort to relate to others.

9. Build trust. You need to build a bond of trust between you and the others in the conversation. Make them feel more at ease and they will be more likely to exchange ideas.

10. Make a connection. True communication requires a connection between the parties to a conversation. Try to build a connection. Find a common ground or common interest to open the way to a good conversation.