COMMINICATION SKILLS

HOW TO IMPROVE
COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

 AMITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
The problem with the communication ….is 
the illusion that it has been accomplished.
                                          
                               -George Bernard Shaw

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     COMMUNICATION
• The term 'Communication' has been 
derived from the Latin word 'communis' 
that means 'common'. 
• Thus 'to communicate' means 'to make 
common' or 'to make known'. 
• This act of making common and known is 
carried out through exchange of thoughts, 
ideas or the like..

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            WHAT IS COMMUNICATION ?
Communication is the  process of sending and 
receiving information among people…

Feedback

receiver sender

Medium
Encode Decode
SENDER RECEIVER
      WHY IS COMMUNICATION
IMPORTANT
• Inspires confidence
• Builds respect in business and social life
• Helps make friends
• Develops a distinct personality
• Reveals your ability to others
 EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Effective communication skills are 
fundamental to success in many aspects of 
life.  
• Many jobs require strong communication 
skills and socially people with improved 
communication skills usually enjoy better 
interpersonal relationships with friends and 
family.
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 EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Effective communication is a key 
interpersonal skill and by learning how we 
can improve our communication has many 
benefits.
• Therefore , there is need to improve 
communication skills . 

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 7c’s of effective communication
1. Completeness

2. Conciseness

3. Consideration

4. Clarity

5. Concreteness

6. Courtesy

7. Correctness.
 NEED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION

 As, 70 % of our communication efforts are:
• Misunderstood 
• Misinterpreted 
• Rejected 
• Distorted or 
• Not heard
WAYS OF
IMPROVING
COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
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 LISTENING

“If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we

would have been given two mouths and one ear.”
Mark Twain
 LISTENING
• Listening is not the same as hearing; learn
to listen not only to the words being spoken
but how they are being spoken and the
non-verbal messages sent with them.
• Use the technique of clarification and
reflection to confirm what the other has said
and avoid any confusion.
• Try not to think about what to say next
whilst listening; instead clear your mind and
focus on the message being received.
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• Finally, the best thing you can do to
improve your communication skills is
to learn to really listen—to pay attention
and let the other person talk without
interrupting.
• It’s hard work, we know, but “A good
conversation is a bunch of words elegantly
connected with listening.”

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 WAYS TO IMPROVE LISTENING

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 BODY LANGUAGE

• Body language is a huge part of how we

communicate with other people.
• If reading body language doesn't come
naturally to you, or if you'd simply like to
get better at it, there's a huge body of
work that details what the body is really
saying. 15
UNNECESSARY FILLERS

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 UNNECESSARY FILLERS
• Um’s and ah’s do little to improve your
speech or everyday conversations. Cut
them out to be more persuasive and feel
or appear more confident.
• One way is to start keeping track of when
you say words like “um” or “like.”
• You could also try taking your hands out of
your pockets or simply relaxing and
pausing before you speak.
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 SPEAKING SPEED

• Nobody will hold it against you if

you speak more slowly and clearly.
• Great speakers do the same to get their
message across.
• Selecting your words carefully may also
be seen as a sign of respect towards your
audience.
• Shows that you want to give them the
best possible answer.
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 TIME TO THINK

• Give yourself time to think.

• You may be worried that the people you’re
talking to are impatient and would like you
to say what you want as quickly as
possible.
• First of all, it may not be true – people
often prefer a well-thought-out answer to a
rushed one.
• So just relax and before answering take
time to think. 19
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 HUMOUR
• Laughing releases endorphins that can help
relieve stress and anxiety; most people like to
laugh and will feel drawn to somebody who
can make them laugh.
• Don’t be afraid to be funny or clever, but do
ensure your humour is appropriate to the
situation.
• Use your sense of humour to break the ice, to
lower barriers and gain the affection of others.

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 EMPATHISE
• Empathy is trying to see things from the
point-of-view of others.
• When communicating with others, try not
to be judgemental or biased by
preconceived ideas or beliefs - instead
view situations and responses from the
other person’s perspective.
• Stay in tune with your own emotions to
help enable you to understand the
emotions of others.
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 POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND
SMILE
• Few people want to be around someone
who is frequently miserable. Do your best
to be friendly, upbeat and positive with
other people.
• Maintain a positive, cheerful attitude to life:
when things do not go to plan, stay
optimistic and learn from your mistakes.
• If you smile often and stay cheerful,
people are more likely to respond
positively to you. 23
 MINIMISE STRESS
• Some communication scenarios are, by
their nature, stressful.
• Stress can however be a major barrier to
effective communication, all parties should
try to remain calm and focused.

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 IMPROVING COMMUNICATION

• Don’t use cliches

• Brevity
• Sincerity
• Don’t praise yourself
• Avoid argument
• Be tactful
• Silence
• Enunciation
– Clear, loud, syllables. Flexibility of tone
 PRACTISE
• For distinct enunciation, every word, every
syllable, every sound, must be given it proper
form and value.
• Think of the mouth chamber as a mold, in which
the correct form is given to every sound.
• Will you please move your lips more noticeably?
• The teeth should never be kept closed in
speech.
• Through practices, we can learn to speak more
rapidly, but still with perfect distinctness
 Ways to gain effective conversation

• Good use of English – avoid errors

• Improved vocabulary
• Avoid old phrases
• Use humour
• Add interesting story
• Improve clarity of voice – practice
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 PRESENTATION

• A presentation is the process 
of presenting a topic to an audience. 
• It is typically a demonstration, lecture, or 
speech meant to inform, persuade, or 
build good will.
• This is also a part of communication skill.

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 DEVELOPING YOUR PRESENTATION

• What is your goal ?
• Research your topic
• Develop an outline
• Create or locate learning aids
 MAKING PRESENTATION INTERESTING

• Informative
• Fun
• Variety
• Energy
• Audience Interaction
  Practicing Your Presentation
• Simulate the 
presentation setting
– Practice aloud
– Practice standing up
• Time your 
presentation
• Memorize your 
opening few 
sentences
• Watch yourself in a 
mirror
 CONCLUSION
Communication is a two way process!

In order to have good communication:
• Listen to Understand
• Understand before speaking
• Speak to be understood
• Seek understanding before proceeding
• Repeat
THANK YOU

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