Coaching Video Series - Powerful Communication Strategies

Powerful Communication Strategies

What if one conversation could change your life? Are you ready to have that conversation? Michelle Yozzo Drake discusses how to communicate effectively in every day life to speak your mind and convey your message clearly.

Powerful Communication Strategies

What would happen if one conversation could change your life? Are you ready to have a conversation that would have that kind of impact? Do you have the skills to be able to really get your ideas across in that one incredibly important conversation?

The ability to communicate your ideas effectively is the key to being able to get what you want from your career and from your relationships. Communicating is about projecting or sending messages - and it's also about receiving them. Communication is about taking those messages in and processing the information that you have.

Consider your nonverbal communication: your body language, your eye contact, what your gesturing is saying, what your face is saying. Your voice may be saying "yes" but your crossed arms and closed body language is screaming "no. Understanding how you project your nonverbal message is as important as the pitch, tone and variation of your voice and the words you choose. When having difficult conversations, try to project a relaxed, easy-going body language. Tense body language will only worsen a tense situation. Project a soothing, diffusing body language while still being strong, firm and in command.

Be aware of the information are you receiving as well. What kind of cues are you looking for in the person who is speaking to you? What kind of information are you getting from their body language? And how are you receiving that information?

Adjust your communication style to suit someone else's and the situation at hand. You would communicate very differently with a boss while negotiating a salary hike than you would when communicating with a child negotiating for a later bed time. Know who your audience is and how they respond best to have those important conversations effectively. Learn others' communication styles. How do they process information? Are they creative and respond to larger conceptual pieces? Or are they very analytical and prefer bulleted lists and straight facts?