 Do you know that Steve Jobs inspired his employees to strive for perfect hardware products? Jack Welch mentored the senior leadership team of GE to NewHeight and that Jeff Bezos is known for articulating the Amazon Atheists clearly to employees in the world? Notice the verbs in these three facts, inspire, mentor and articulate. These three words do not in any way spell being an authoritarian. If you want to be successful in business and life in general, you must be able to communicate with others effectively. In this video, I will show you 12 ways to improve your communication skills instantly. If you are new here, consider subscribing to this channel for more awesome videos. 1. Listen actively, just as you like to be heard. So also, do people want to know that they are being listened to? Hence, rather than just focusing on formulating a counter-response to someone's statement, really listen to what the other person is saying. The person speaking to you should be the most important thing at that moment. Listening is an integral part of communication. And if you are looking to increase your communication skills, you should improve your listening skills as well. 2. Be attentive to body language. Your non-verbal and non-written cues often reveal more than you think. Research has shown that people are more inclined to take their body language more seriously. So, if what you are saying is not the same as the movement of your body, people would instead give thoughts on your body cues than your words. Also, it is essential to note that even when you are not saying a comment, you are continually sending messages with your body. Thus, to improve your communication, you must ensure that you have open body language when interacting with others, face your conversational partner, and pay close attention to your gestures as well as theirs. 3. Avoid using fillers. How often do you include fillers in your statement? Can you make a full sentence without adding any filler to it? Fillers such as um and ah do little to improve your speech and conversations. They not only make it seem like you are not sure of your statements, they may also make people assume that you are lying or making up stories. Thus, it would help if you cut them out to be more persuasive and to fill and appear more confident. One of the ways to limit your usage is to start keeping track of when you say words like um or like. You could also try relaxing and pausing before and as you speak. Those silences seem more awkward to you than they do to others. They are very much better than fillers. 4. Pay attention to your tone. While it is sometimes necessary to be assertive to make your point, you must be sure to not get to the point of aggressiveness. There is a fine line between the assertiveness and aggressiveness. Try not to cross it. Using a combative tone to communicate is not in any way productive because it will not command much respect to you. On the contrary, being aggressive will only make people listen to you less because sincerely nobody likes to be controlled. When you communicate, be confident and direct while maintaining a calm, cooperative tone. 5. Let your sentences be clear. Making clear sentences works hand in hand with accuracy. When you speak, it is wrong to give your listener half-baked information that leaves them hanging. Even if there are still details to follow, always be confident you deliver all of the available necessary information or if there is a need to withhold some pieces of information, do it appropriately. The use of clear and understandable words is vital to ensure no one misunderstands your message. It is futile to add lots of colors and flowers in your terms and get people confused in the process rather than running in circles. It is best to get straight to the point when communicating. Excessive words, descriptions, hyperballs and metaphors won't do much to help your listeners understand your whole message. Keep it simple and straightforward. 6. Use appropriate words. The use of the right words is a must in any mode of communication. Whether it is written or spoken, being able to use the right words goes beyond searching for a word that feeds a sentence. It has to do with knowing your audience, understanding the subject and situation, and using words that can be adequately understood by your listener. Ensure you have first outlined and mastered the points you want to share. Using the right words prevents misunderstanding and helps make sure you send the right message to your audience. 7. Be sure of who you are communicating with. The profile of your listener is necessary for you to determine the pattern of your communication. Knowing who you are communicating with will help you determine the tone, approach, and even examples to make to establish a better connection when speaking. For instance, talking to a group of medical professionals would sound different when you are in front of creative writing students. Also, your pattern of communication with your boss will be different from your younger sibling before communication starts. Take some time to evaluate your listener and their level of reasoning. This will help you get your speech right and create a strong momentum that will hold your listener's attention. 8. Don't talk too much. People with polished communication skill tend to speak less and listen more. However, if they speak, they always pass their message more clearly than the less refined communicator that trails on and on endlessly. How do you do that? Before you say the reason why you are responding to someone or what you are trying to communicate and what you intend to gain with your responses, understand what you intend to achieve from the conversation, as this will help you focus on the main points without talking too much. 9. Make your conversations memorable. A recent study revealed that people generally retain more information when presented with fiction, as opposed to routine situations. To help audience members or listeners to retain information, consider implanting some novel event into the conversation. This might be something funny or something that catches people by surprise. It could either be fantasy or a real story. However, make it as memorable as you can. If it warrants you using pictures, songs, demonstrations, etc., then apply them. 10. Smile and be optimistic. When you often smile and exude a positive attitude, people will want to listen to you as well as respond positively to you, even when you are talking on the phone. Your outlook and attitude has a way of rubbing off on the other person at the other side of the line. When you smile, it will shine through the phone and the other person will know it. The more you pay attention to how you express yourself to others, the better you will get at communicating effectively. A smile and positive attitude in your day-to-day interactions will improve your communication skills instantly. 11. Don't talk over people. How do you feel when you are making a statement and someone spoils your flow by a rude interruption? Well, it isn't very pleasant. When you talk over someone, what you are basically saying is, I don't care what you are saying, what I have to say is more important. And this demonstrates a real lack of respect. On the same note, refrain from finishing people's sentences for them, even though you know what they want to say. Keep shot. By completing someone's statement, you are disempowering the person because you are taking control of the conversation. So if you want to improve your communication, bite your tongue each time you feel the urge to take over someone or complete their statement. 12. Put your devices away. Somehow, most people, especially in this era, don't get this one. But it is quite rude to have your head buried in your phone while someone is talking to you. It makes it seem like what the person is saying is not essential, and you'd instead do other better things with your phone. When you are having a conversation with someone, put down your device and look at the person who is speaking to you. Don't answer calls. Check text or notifications. For the minutes of communication, give your full attention. Stay focused on what the other person is telling you. Your body language, words and emotional tone will let them know that you are taking in what they are saying. Communication is one of the essential skills to learn. It can take you to feats that your skills alone cannot get you to.