Individuals who communicate effectively with their writing at all levels are today’s pacesetters. During the old days of hierarchical business structures, communication was relatively simple: the top person sent a memo the underlings telling them to jump, and the underlings needed only to ask, ‘how high?’ Now for our modern times, communication requires better understanding and finesse. Effective communication today is not writing out commands, but rather being a creator of motivational environments.
One quality to effectively communicate in the written form is the desire to communicate. Desire helps to enlarge your vocabulary on a constant basis; allows you to achieve eloquence, to improve your sentence structure, to overcome any fears and to continually find new and innovative ways that will make written communication easier and accessible.
Another quality is having knowledge of the process. The aspect of sending and receiving is the basics of any good written communication. Language is the primary method with which to convey thoughts and ideas. Language turns the abstract into words that represent those thoughts. Then those words can take on the form of spoken sounds or written symbols. The better the symbols, the better a mental picture that will make communication become more alive and more meaningful. Becoming more skillful at conveying images increases the effectiveness of your message.
Mastering communication is a quality that cannot be exhausted. Words, vocabulary and great grammar skills aren’t the only requisite for effective communication. Many people make the mistake of being grammatically correct, but fail to understand that being grammatically correct does not translate into being effective. One important rule in being effective in the written word is to make the communication clear and understandable. Using words beyond the vocabulary of your intended audience is like blowing up a balloon that has a hole in it; the hot air is blowing all over the place, but not doing a bit of good. Everyday vocabulary, written in a friendly and conversational manner, is more useful and will do quite nicely in a pinch.
Practice is another quality that cannot be over-stressed. Don’t be content with just being good, but rather attempt to become superb. It’s not enough to know how to be an effective communicator with the written word; you must also be a motivator and a creator. The techniques of communication should become a part of your daily routine, so that no matter where you are, having effective communication is as natural as water rolling off a duck’s back. Every person you encounter is another excellent opportunity to practice.
Finally, one quality every effective communicator should have is patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day, Edison had more failures than successes, and Michelangelo didn’t create David with his first piece of marble. So too, having the best effective communication skills, you need to know it takes time.
These qualities on how to have effective written communication skills can be used in every setting with a variety of circumstances. With desire, knowledge of the process, mastering the basic skills, practicing and patience, you can be an inspiring virtuoso to those around you.
Bonus: For more information on becoming an effective communicator join us for an upcoming “Dale Carnegie Course: Effective Communications & Human Relations/Skills for Success” in a town near you!
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