Fair or not, how professional you are to others is often a matter of perception and nothing affects others’ perception of you more than your verbal and written communication skills. This two-part series will explore the best practices for each.
Why is verbal communication important?
Picture this: You’re the boss and you are attending a meeting. You ask for input from your team. One subordinate immediately jumps in with a two-minute well-thought-out idea. Another one pipes in more hesitantly, maybe even using one of the verbal tics where the voice rises at the end of every sentence, as though it’s a question? Rather than a declaration? Which one will you assume is the more capable?
Naturally you are going to choose the former one. And it’s easy to see why, even though that might not be the case. How you present yourself verbally in meetings has a great deal to do with how capable your coworkers believe you are. Here are five steps for polishing your verbal communication:
1) Pay Attention to Your “Tics”
Tics are filler words that you insert into your speech — usually without even knowing that you are doing it. Words like um, er, etc. Overusing any filler word makes you sound insecure and can be distracting to listen to. Your audience wonders if you know what you are talking about or if you are just making it up on the fly. These words are typically imperceptible to you if you overuse them, so consider asking a trusted colleague or family member if you overuse filler words or tics. If you find out that you do, make an effort to pay attention and notice when you’re using them. Keep a piece of paper handy during a meeting and subtly make a tally mark every time you use one. You might be surprised at the end to see how often you use it. Being aware of the issue is the most important and hardest part. Another way to check your progress is to tape yourself talking on the phone or at a meeting and analyze it later.
2) Avoid Using the “Up Talk”
As referenced above, the up talk is raising your voice in a question when you are really making a statement. This is a habit that many people, particularly women, get into, and it can undermine your authority and negate everything you are saying. Again, ask a trusted source to let you know if you are using this speaking pattern and do everything you can to counteract it.
3) Speak Up in Meetings
No one will know the great ideas you have if you don’t share them. Many a career has been derailed because someone was too shy or unsure to speak up in a meeting, and conversely many people achieve the halo effect of people thinking they are more capable or smarter than they really are, because they are able to speak up and share their thoughts at meetings. The key is to make sure that you are prepared to speak succinctly and wisely. Before you interject, take a moment if you can to collect your thoughts and jot down some key points you want to make. Having an idea of what you want to say ensures that you don’t squander your chance to speak out by losing your train of thought or having your mind go blank. Don’t just blurt things out, but also make sure that you don’t miss your chance to speak. Sometimes you have a clear path to make your point, and sometimes the conversation swirls around and moves onto another topic. Make sure you’ve had the chance to make your voice heard if you have something to say. If the meeting does move along before you’ve made your point, come back to the topic with a phrase such as, “Before we move on I just wanted to add….” or “Jeff, I had one more point I wanted to make…” Assert yourself to ensure that your voice is heard.
4) Choose Your Time Wisely
Just as you don’t want to let the conversation move on when you have something important to add, you also want to avoid talking too much but actually “saying” little. If you reflect on a meeting and realize that you had something you wanted to say on every single point, consider the possibility that you are talking too much and your colleagues will begin to tune you out. At the next meeting, pick carefully the conversations to which you want to add, and make sure that your input is useful and not just rephrasing what others have already said.
5) Be Conversational in General
Don’t wait until there is an organized forum in which to use your verbal skills. Make sure that you are speaking up around the office, for example chatting with your colleagues and your boss, about matters both professional and personal. While it’s perfectly fine to be an introvert in an office setting, the truth is that people who talk more tend to relate better and consequently do better. So even if it feels outside of your comfort zone, take every chance you can to make conversation with your peers and superiors. Your boss is likely to conclude that someone who is comfortable speaking around the office — whether socially or in meetings — will likewise represent the company well in client meetings and other business situations.
Have something to say? Speaking up and sharing your insights will reflect positively on the impression others have of you and your professional abilities. People only know what they see, so make sure they are seeing you speak up and display excellent verbal communication skills, which will translate into increased professionalism in their eyes.
by Cathie Ericson