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Verbal Communication Skills and Tips to Improve it

Saptakee Sengupta
Verbal communication skills are one of the most effective means to express yourself in professional and personal life.
The way we communicate is a reflection of our character. Verbal communication is the form, wherein we express our inner self through the power of language. In layman's term, it's the oral interchange of words.
Speaking and listening are the two tools that make a conversation fruitful. Lack of these skills can create misunderstandings in personal and professional life. Therefore, the importance of self expression through 'talking' is vital to connect with the surroundings.
Human beings possess the inherent ability to express themselves in different ways. If one has the skills, he can easily make his way to the ladder of success. These abilities play a key role in knitting people together. Let us see how they can affect you in many ways.

At the Workplace

An effective communication has the ability to settle down a conflict, while a discourse containing irrelevant words can easily flare up a controversy. Therefore, employees of the corporate world should understand its importance.
It is one of the most vital factors that establishes mutual trust between an employee and the employer. For instance, it is an essential criterion for the human resource management, that deals with recruitment and retention of employees. These qualities are furthermore fortified if one speaks politely, with precision and attitude.
Self exposition helps an individual to figure out in interviews or during any activity that requires display of speech. It is also capable of increasing the job satisfaction level, reducing conflicts, and establishing a harmony at the workplace.

For Children

Teaching how to speak properly right from the tender age is beneficial in the long run. A child's psychology is extremely sensitive to perception of voice and the visual cues. They tend to catch the word at once after they listen.
At first they receive the words through the senses of hearing, they interpret whatever they hear, and then express it in their own way. This is the technique adopted by toddlers. Eventually their grasping and expression power develops with age.
It's a responsibility of teachers and parents to expand their word power, so that they can effectively form sentences and improve their communicative abilities. Children who are taught to speak efficiently can communicate with swiftness and subtlety when they reach adulthood.

How to Improve these Skills?
So how to improve these skills? How to rectify yourself from haltering in between a speech? How do you know if you are speaking correctly? These problems can be solved, if you focus on what you actually want to express.

Think Before You Speak

Organize your thoughts before you deliver a speech. Take considerable preparation to overcome nervousness. Avoid intermittent pauses and awkward gestures.
You need not be over clarifying, if you have used an impromptu sentence. A prior mental preparation helps in appropriate deliverance of what you actually want to convey.

Be Confident

Practice the speech beforehand, if you have a tendency to falter. Do not speak anything you are not sure of. Try to visualize yourself delivering the speech.
Impose self-control over your body movements, especially standing posture and movement of hands. Practice can help you raise the confidence.

Have a Clarity of Speech

Avoid using jargons. This can backfire if you are not able to pronounce them clearly. Pronounce words with clarity, so that the listener is able to understand them completely. You can practice your diction by recording your voice and improvising it.

Vary Your Vocal Tone

It is used to make a speech more appealing to the audience. It involves emphasizing on key phrases to grab attention and to make your communication more effective.
If a child is taught to develop the power of expression, he will gradually master the art. This is one of the most effective ways to sharpen one's skills right from infancy.