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Whether you’re trying to make a sale, give feedback to your team or build a new business relationship, great communication skills are key.

Here are 4 features of truly effective communication to bear in mind…



It’s personal

There’s nothing more annoying than a boss or salesperson talking to you like some corporate prospect. The most effective communication happens between 2 or more people who understand each other and are willing to work together.

According to leadership advisor, Mike Myatt, great communication is born out of meaningful relationships.

“Classic business theory tells leaders to stay at arms length. I say stay at arms length if you want to remain in the dark receiving only highly sanitized versions of the truth. If you don’t develop meaningful relationships with people you’ll never know what’s really on their mind until it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Get personal with your communication. Be yourself, there’s nothing unprofessional about asking how someone’s holiday went.

It’s engaging

Communication is about dialogue, not monologue. You can talk at people, and other people can talk at you, but if you’re not interesting each other, you might as well not bother.

Kevin Daum, author of ROAR: Get Heard In The Sales And Marketing Jungle, stresses how great communication should be engaging for everyone involved…

“Amazing communicators know how to give and take in a reciprocal manner. Not only do they initiate conversation, they help drive the direction and encourage others to take part. They often mirror by repeating others’ comments, concerns and feelings in a manner that shows understanding and interest.”

Instead of just laying out the bare facts, communicate in a way that you both find interesting. If neither of you are engaging fully, your conversation is probably a waste of time.

It’s concise

Let’s not beat around the bush. Overly complex communication doesn’t do anyone any favours.

Leadership and communications executive, Susan Tardanico, advises against jargon for truly effective communication…

“Effective leaders distill complex thoughts and strategies into simple, memorable terms that colleagues and customers can grasp and act upon. If you’re having trouble distilling something to its essence, it may be that you don’t understand it. So get clear and look out for technical jargon and business speak, which add complexity. Say what you mean in as few words as possible.”

Make sure you explain clearly and simply whatever you’re trying to say. If the other person is looking confused, or failing to grasp what you’re saying, go back to the beginning and try to be as clear as possible.

It’s two way

Most people will say that communication is more about listening than talking but content marketer, Belle Beth Cooper, reminds us that great communication involves not only listening, but active listening…

“You might have heard of active listening before. It’s something we often get confused with passive, silent listening. Active listening, in fact, means taking part in the conversation and working on the rapport between you and your partner.”

When you’re listening to someone, try repeating or paraphrasing certain points they say to show you’ve heard and understood and questions when you want more detail. Don’t just listen, understand.

Contactzilla is simple, secure contact management that blends into your existing workflow seamlessly. Share address books with your colleagues, collaborate on keeping contacts up to date, sync with your phone and never be without the right phone number or email address again. Find out more.

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