The 10 principles of effective communication

Communication is a way to express our thoughts, opinions, and make people understand what we are trying to say. Principles of effective communication In technical terms, communication is a way to engage with an audience and get the desired outcome or goal. Effective business communication skills may sound like an easy thing to achieve, but it is in fact not so easy. A lot of times, even the most capable communicator fail to connect to their audience, because of several reasons.

Here are the ten essential principles of communication which can help you in attaining effective communication and building the connection you want with your audience.

1. Knowing what you want to achieve with your communication

Communication is a way to express your thoughts and opinions and also, to get an outcome out of people. It is important to know clearly what you’re trying to achieve through your communication or the go of your communication process. You can then plan how you are going to communicate to your target audience to get the desired outcome and achieve your goal.

2. Choosing the right medium to communicate

Communication can be done through various mediums. With the right communication medium, you can attain effective communication leaving a positive impact on your audience and therefore, leading to your desired goal. Different mediums require different formats and hence, it is important that the content you’re going to communicate through a particular medium is tailored accordingly.

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If you want to communicate through Instagram, then your content must have a related eye-catching picture. This will get the reader’s attention and indulge them in your content and you’ll then be communicating your thoughts and ideas through that post. Hence, choosing the right medium is a necessity for the type of communication you’re trying to achieve.

3. Time is essential

Understanding the value of time is an essential criterion in the communication process. One of the most important principles of communication is valuing your audience as well as your own time. Your communication should be precise taking up only a limited time of your audience. It is a common mistake made by many; they spend hours to communicate something that could have been done in a few minutes. This is a sign of unprofessionalism. When we talk about time then the delivery of your communication at the right time without any delay is also an important factor in effective communication.

4. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Your communication should be simple and precise. Using long and complicated content to convey your message can lead to confusion. Usage of simple words and language is advised for achieving effective communication. Using simple language easily delivers your message to the target audience and helps the audience to respond quickly. A lot of times, people use complicated and technical terms to look more professional and lose the main focus of their communication which is to get your audience to understand the purpose of your communication and not make them lost in the technicality of the message.

5. Engage your audience into a conversation

Communication is a two-way process. If you are the only one in the room talking then chances are you failed to deliver effective communication. Listening is an important principle of effective communication. To deliver your message to the target audience, you must know how to listen to them and understand their needs as well. Listening to your audience will make them feel involved, developing an interest in whatever it is you want to communicate. Listening to your audience, their needs, and ideas and engaging them in a conversation is the best way to connect to them.

6. Keep your message adequate

We have talked about the importance of simplicity in communication. Adequacy is another important factor that must not be compromised. When you want to communicate something to your audience, you must send a message that is not only simple and clear but also complete. Half information and incomplete messages can hamper your communication process. Lack of adequacy in your communication will fail to deliver the exact message to your audience and hence, you will struggle in building a connection with them.

7. Formal and Informal communication: when to choose which

The communication process is mainly two types formal and informal. Both formal and informal communication hold importance in the principles of effective communication. A good communicator knows exactly when to choose which type of communication. If you are in a business meeting, then a formal communication would be the right choice depending on the scenario. But if you are engaging with a school audience or college students you can use informal communication as it is a better way of building a connection with the young ones.

8. Make your communication interactive

Studies have shown that pictures and videos can engage the audience to a new level. Using pictures and videos help in delivering the message clearly as well as in an entertaining way. Your audience may be filled with people of age group; the one thing common in all of them is they don’t want to get bored. Now, the best way to keep them entertained while also, trying to communicate is to use pictures and videos.

9. Be persuasive

Persuasion is the key to effective communication. When we are trying to communicate with someone, we are, in a way trying to persuade them to get an outcome. Your communication should be as persuasive as you can get without coming off as forceful. Study your audience thoroughly, and then persuade them accordingly. According to recent studies, it has been proven that people’s emotional side of the brain works five times faster than the rational one. Therefore, using stories and humor to connect to persuade your audience is suggested advice.

10. Continue to improve

Being the best communicator isn’t something you naturally acquire. It is an elaborate process of communicating with others and then listening to their feedback. Listen and understand where you may be failing in delivering effective communication and improve accordingly. You can get feedback through emails or texts, but the best way is to get your feedback face to face. Studying the reaction of your audience’s face while you are delivering the message can help you understand if you are doing it right or you need to adjust some changes in your way of communication.

These are the ten essential principles of communications. Practicing these principles in your daily communication process can help you in achieving effective communication. Effective communication is the key in building a strong connection with your audience.