 The way we communicate with people around us says a lot about us, and to a large extent, determining the opportunities that come our way daily. As an entrepreneur, you'll meet a lot of people, communicate with them, and do business with them. However, the extent to which you'll succeed depends on how active your communication is, whether verbal, written, or body language. Communication is one of the most important parts necessary for running a business. At some point, you'll need to communicate with investors, your customers, your team members, or employees, etc. To do an excellent job, however, you need to learn how best to communicate. In this video, I'll share with you 7 communication skills every entrepreneur needs. If you're new here, consider subscribing so that you don't miss out on exciting videos like this. 1. Identify Body Language I'm assuming you've heard about the importance of paying attention to the non-verbal part of communication times without number. The real question, however, is how much attention do you pay to yours? The truth is that not only will people judge you and your business by the things you write and present, but also by your look, even without speaking. They'll judge you by your posture, appearance, handshake, and dozens of other signals that are processed unconsciously. How do I know this? We all do it. For instance, haven't you ever made a person before and said something like, oh, he didn't look professional. I'm not sure I want to do business with you. You see, that's human behavior. We tend to judge people's unspoken actions way before we listen to what they have to say. So, it is essential to learn how to pass across the right message without even saying it. As an entrepreneur, it is important to master your non-verbal language so that you can get your message across in the right way. Command a room when you want to, persuade and market to others efficiently and much more. For instance, looking into others' eyes while communicating indicates confidence. Sitting or standing straight shows that your attentive to the discussion, keeping your hands out of your pocket suggests respect. One UCLA study suggested, as much as 55% of the meaning in face-to-face interactions is conveyed non-verbally. So, not only should you work on analyzing some specific cues like posture and the likes, but also work on practicing awareness of your body language. Mastering body language can allow you to command a room. Listen deeply. As important as this communication skill, listening is. Most of us struggle with it. Sometimes, it's not because we are uninterested in what the other party has to say, but there are a thousand and one distractions around us. For instance, our cell phone. Sometimes, we are either superimposing a meaning on what's being said before we allow others to finish or are too busy preparing the perfect response. We fail to listen deeply enough to figure out what the actual problem might be. The result of not being able to decipher the real problem is that we will be unable to provide the best solution to deal with it. Think of it this way. As an entrepreneur, your work is to figure out one of the many problems of the people around your community and offer the best solution possible. However, if you don't listen deeply enough to figure out the exact problem, how will you come up with the best solution? Active listening, really listening to and trying to understand what another person is communicating to you will help you pick up on current or potential problems earlier on. Meets a gate risk, build relationships, resolve conflicts, lead a team, mediate issues, negotiate with others, etc. In dealing with your customers, you'll need to learn how to listen deeply to their comments and feedback about your product or service. You'll also need to listen and understand what your investors and employees want from you. Studies suggest our daily communication breakdown is as follows. 9% writing, 16% reading, 30% speaking, 45% listening. To help improve your speaking skills, try to focus on the person speaking and then do a verbal summary of what they said afterward to be sure that you're on the same page. 3. Manage expectations. Have you ever heard the business slogan on the promise and over deliver? Well, that's what it means to manage people's expectations. As an entrepreneur, you'll most likely be under pressure because you'll have many people asking you for significant accomplishment within the shortest period. What this means is that you'll have deliverables and timeframes and everyone will be expecting results. So, it is crucial to learn to communicate and provide necessary feedback from time to time, especially when issues arise. Also, take note of this. It's always better to commit to less than raise people's expectations and fail to follow through. 4. Know why you're communicating. Most times, we focus mainly on how to make a presentation or give a speech. We spend our time and direct our energy towards sounding smart so that we can deliver the best speech ever while neglecting the essence of the speech. In the end, even if you end up sounding smarter than the smartest person ever, there'll be no takeout from the entire speech. So, before every communication, whether it is with investors, customers, prospective clients, employees or teammates, etc., you must find and establish what you want people to take away. What actions should they take afterward? What's the call to action of your speech? Ask yourself why you're communicating with the people involved. How do you want them to feel about your brand afterwards? What steps should they take after hearing you talk or reading your email? Answering these questions will help communicate effectively. 5. Learn how to write. An essential part of communication is written words. Much of the communication business is done via writing, whether through emails, in reports, in letters, in blogs and articles, in books, on text messages, on social media posts, or in other relevant formats. You don't have to be a perfect writer, but you must learn to be more direct and concise in reading form. It is also important to learn how to minimize errors so that you have fewer chances of people misinterpreting your words. The truth is that your writing skill can sometimes determine whether people will want to discuss with you or not. So, as much as possible, be clear and professional. 6. Be empathetic. Emotional awareness in communication can't be overemphasized. It is the ability to recognize and understand feelings. If you are wondering why you need to understand people's feelings or opinions, well, it'll help you communicate with your colleagues, customers, or employees better. Even when you disagree with them, you'll still respect them because you understand how they feel about the issue. Empathy helps you consider other people's feelings in yours. Recognize misunderstandings, build trusting relationships, learn to apologize when necessary, etc. 7. Be concise and clear. What it means to be clear and concise is to say what you mean without saying too much, too little, or overcomplicating things. So, whether you're speaking directly to people over the phone, their email, text message, etc., it is essential to be concise in your communication. When you spend too much time talking about an issue, you begin to confuse people, which can be a turn-off for them. You also don't want to sound unsure of yourself or your business, so here's the thing, you don't need to talk so fast but get to the point quickly enough to avoid misunderstanding. So, whether you're writing an email, a report, or even preparing for the most prominent investor pitch of your life, you need to follow the same structure, figure out your goal, your key points, and the way you're going to deliver those points in a sharp and focused way. Focus on communicating the value you're bringing to the table and your unique selling points. Also, build your ability to share it in different contexts confidently. Practice boiling that proposition down to no more than two to three sentences. That is what it means to be clear and concise. Thank you very much for watching our videos. If you like this video, watch more videos on our channel and subscribe. We love you.