Improve Your Communication Skills: How to Build Trust, Be Heard and Communicate with Confidence

Description

Better communication skills will have a direct impact on your career development. Improve Your Communication Skills is your practical guide to effective communication in business. This fully updated 5th edition now features a handy self-assessment tool to help you profile your own preferred communication style, even more practical exercises, useful checklists and top tips, as well as content on influencing others and managing difficult conversations. This book provides vital guidance on improving your conversations, building rapport, giving effective presentations, writing excellent reports and networking successfully. With the help of Improve Your Communication Skills, you will be able to get your message across - every time. The Creating Success series of books... Unlock vital skills, power up your performance and get ahead with the bestselling Creating Success series. Written by experts for new and aspiring managers and leaders, this million-selling collection of accessible and empowering guides will get you up to speed in no time. Packed with clever thinking, smart advice and the kind of winning techniques that really get results, you'll make fast progress, quickly reach your goals and create lasting success in your career. Cover Creating Success Online Courses Creating Success Series Title Page Copyright Table of Contents About this Book 01 What is communication? The transmission model Pattern-matching: The secret of understanding Communication: A new definition 02 What’s your communication style? Communication style questionnaire Understanding your communication profile Four communication styles Understanding others’ styles Body language: Non-verbal communication Adapting our communication style The uses of conversation 03 Seven ways to improve your conversations Clarify your objective Structure your thinking Manage your time Find common ground Move beyond argument Summarize often Use visuals 04 The skills of enquiry Paying attention Treating the speaker as an equal Cultivating ease Encouraging Asking quality questions Rationing information Giving positive feedback 05 The skills of persuasion Character, logic and passion What’s the Big Idea? Arranging your ideas logically Expressing your ideas Remembering your ideas Delivering effectively 06 Tough conversations Six tough conversations What makes conversations tough? How we make tough conversations tougher Three steps towards better tough conversations 07 Making apresentation Preparing for the presentation Managing the material Controlling the audience Looking after yourself Answering questions 08 Putting it in writing The trouble with email From speaking to writing Editing your work 09 Networking: The new conversation To network or not to network? Preparing to network The skills of networking conversations Following up and building your network APPENDIX About this book Chapter 1: What is communication? Chapter 2: What’s your communication style? Chapter 3: Seven ways to improve your conversations Chapter 4: The skills of enquiry Chapter 5: The skills of persuasion Chapter 6: Tough conversations Chapter 7: Making a presentation Chapter 8: Putting it in writing Chapter 9: Networking