10 communication mistakes you must avoid

7/26/2019 10 Communication Mistakes You Must Avoid

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10 communication mistakes you must avoid

Everyone communicates only few connect, said John Maxwell.

Want to make the right impressions at your workplace !ollow these simple rules to improve your communication

skills.

1. Inappropriate introduction

"ntroducing yourself properly is the first step in making a great first impression.

# common error is starting your introduction with $$ %&ello, Myself 'ancy%. (his is grammatically incorrect.

"nstead a good way to start your introduction would )e $$ %*ood morning+afternoon, " am 'ancy% or %hello, my name is

'ancy%

#nother error people make when asking people their names is %What is your good name%

(his is an "ndian expression, a direct translation from the &indi 'Aapka shubh naam kya hai?'

(his expression should )e avoided. (he simple replacement is %What is your name%

2. Using fillers like umm, uh, you know, like, etc.

!iller words like -um- may seem natural in everyday speech, )ut they do not )elong in formal presentations or in

interviews.

educing the fillers is essential so that listeners can focus solely on their message.

When you use a filler word such as -um,- you are thinking ver)ally.

(he )est way to avoid using filler words is to pause, take a couple seconds to think a)out what you want to say.

(his pause will help you avoid using a filler word. /ause, think, and answer.

3. Avoid speaking too fast

When you speak too fast, you don%t leave nice spaces of silence )etween phrases and sentences, thus making your

listeners work too hard.


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/eople interpret fast talking as a sign of nervousness and a lack of self$confidence.

(here are some useful exercises you can download from the internet to practice and put pause )etween phrases or

at the ends of sentences.

peak clearly. Make sure that you slow down your pace and em)race the pause.

4. ot maintaining eye contact

Eye contact is important in conveying interest, sincerity, confidence and attention.

Eye contact is looking another person in the eyes when you are communicating with them.

"f you are avoiding eye contact, then you appear to )e intentionally looking somewhere other than a person%s eyes

when communicating.

(his can )e interpreted many different ways, depending on culture, for example, disinterest or anxiety. o, one should

maintain eye contact if possi)le and culturally appropriate.

!. "re#uent interruptions

#ssert yourself into interrupting a conversation only when it is really needed.

ou should do this politely, example $$ %Excuse me2 " want to make sure " understand this%.

3onstant interruptions may )e perceived as arrogant or intolerant )ehaviour.

(he )est way to make a re4uired interruption is to look for an opportune time in the conversation, such as when the

speaker is slowing down.

$. ot focusing on the tone of your voice

5ne part of communication we often do not examine is the tone we use when we are communicating with others.

3arefully consider your tone from the perspective of how others hear it $$ a pleasant or confident voice or a tired,

)ored voice

our tone should drive positive energy and not reflect fear and )oredom.


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%. Using &argons

/eople often use 6argon when a simple, clear statement would communicate the message as well.

ome use 6argon in a misguided attempt to impress, unaware that people don%t know what they mean.

'ot all 6argon is )ad. 7ocational use of 6argon with your colleagues is useful.

(he overuse of 6argons may however make you look as an elitist or as someone with a limited voca)ulary una)le to

communicate )eyond a narrow field.

'. Avoid negative phrasing

ou should always try to use positive language and positive reinforcement, even if your message could )e seen as

negative.

/ositive language sounds helpful, encouraging and moves the discussion forward.

Example8

9on%t ay8 %ou never finish work on time%.

9o ay8 %"t seems you are having some difficulty with the timelines. What can " do to help%

(. )olitical correctness in the workplace

Everyone wants to )e in a healthy work environment where everyone feels safe, secure and respected.

ou need to )e careful to avoid discrimination against people of different race, colour, religion or sexuality to mention

6ust a few.

ou never know what can offend so it is advisa)le to )e sensitive and cautious making politically incorrect remarks

while communicating with others.

1*. +ont panic in uncomforta-le situations

(ry not to fall apart if someone asks a 4uestion that you cannot answer.

(ell them that you cannot give an accurate answer right now and that you will follow up with them as soon as

possi)le.


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ou will look more professional if you admit you do not know than if you guess and then have to retract the answer

later if you guessed wrong.

)iyush hatia, corporate communication trainer, "ounder and /0 of 0nglish peaking tells you why it

is important to avoid these common communication mistakes at work.

Effective communication is very essential for the success of an individual.

&owever, most people in our country, including professionals, lack the )asic skills of communication.

&ere, /iyush :hatia, corporate communication trainer, !ounder and 3E5 of :M English peaking lists the ten

common mistakes at work you need to avoid at work in order to make a )etter impression at your workplace.

1. ot maintaining proper eyecontact

When you maintain eye contact with the person you are talking to, you show confidence.

Eye contact with the listerner;s< allows the speaker to understand the mind of the listerner;s


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Most of our communication is through )ody language.

&owever, if you realise, most of us don%t pay much attention to what our )ody is communicating.

ometimes, people who appear to )e confident while speaking, are )etrayed )y their )ody language that reveal their

nervousness. #n effective communicator is one who is a)le to control and communicate in tandem to their )ody

language.

(o do that, we need to )e aware a)out our own gestures, postures, facial expressions and )ody movements. # good

way to start improving your )ody language would )e to video record yourself and watch the same.

Ensure that what you are saying and what your )ody is communicating do not conflict each other

A. peaking in a plain or dull voice

When you speak in the same tone, very soon the listener;s< will get )ored."t is important that you modulate your voice to express the right emotions. Even simple things like pausing )etweenwords and sentences will make a difference.

7oice modulation allows you to stress on certain aspects, communicate the emotion and say something )eyond

words. Moreover, it keeps the audience interested in you.

/ractise )y reading daily used sentences2 pause and stress on important words for impact.

B. 'ot )eing in touch

ilence may not always )e golden, at least not at work.!or instance, when you don%t answer a missed call, forget to reply to an email or fail to inform your manager that you

will not )e coming to office, you end up communicating that you either don%t care or are in difficult situation. Which

may not )e the case.

Ensure that you answer all the missed calls, reply to all emails and keep seniors informed and updated.

C. "mproper grooming

When a stranger enters a room, one look at the person is enough to generate a certain impression a)out him+her.

(his largely depends on what you are wearing and how you conduct yourself.

'o matter how hard it may )e for you admit, one must realise that what you wear indirectly communicates our

financial success, authority, choice, culture and hygiene ha)its.


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ou need not )e wearing the )est #rmani in town, )ut it is important for you to dress the )est so that you feel the )est

and confident from within.

@. 'ot paying attention to the speaker

#n excellent listener also makes an excellent speaker )ecause he paid attention to what the speaker was saying.

'ow, there is a vast different )etween the words %hearing% and %listening%.

While you can %hear% superficially )y merely nodding your head and not a)sor)ing a single word, %listening% means

paying full attention to the speaker and understanding the message.

'ext time, someone talks to you, listen to them $$ it will )e the )est gift you could give him+her.

#lso, when you watch movies with su)titles, try to match the voice with the text. (his will help you develop your

listening skills.

D. 3onstantly )eing interrupted

"deally, when a speaker is speaking, listener;s< should not talk.

"nterrupting is )ad manners and also )reaks the flow of thought of a speaker.

5ne should wait for the speaker to complete what they are saying.

'ext time you feel the need to interrupt someone while they are talking, raise your hand or use a signal to

communicate, then, wait for the speaker to pause and allow you to make your point.

. :adly written emails

While drafting emails, it is very important to use the right language for communication, especially if you arecommunicating to a senior employee.

:efore sending an email, read what you have written at least once to avoid errors and possi)le miscommunication

later.

# neat, tidy, well$formatted email with )ullet points and relevant data communicates that the writer is focussed and

organised.

"deally, emails should always end with an action point.


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Eg. Findly ensure that the printer is in working condition )y 11 am tomorrow.

# few tips for email communication8 e$read emails2 do a spell check2 format properly2 mention su)6ect of email

clearly2 use professional language ;use words like kindly, please, thank you


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10 common English mistakes desis make

)rof alavika agarkar, faculty, usiness /ommunication at 5echool, um-ai points out the common

mistakes Indians make and tells you how you can avoid them.

English today is )oth a commonly used and also the most misused ;misunderstood< language, especially in "ndia.

We may dislike it, we may criticise it )ut we cannot do without it.

"n "ndia we already have many regional idiosyncrasies of English.

#part from these, there are some common mistakes that seem to spread almost uniformly across the country.

>et%s see what these are and what we can do to correct these.

1. #nyway+ #nyways+ any which ways

%#nyway% means %any one way% and so cannot take the plural form with %s% either as %anyways% or %any which ways%.

"n the following example, it is used to put aside a discussion and get on with whatever is in hand.

E.g. #nyway, let%s go ahead and complete the task.

=. Gse of ince and !or

'otice the use of these two in the following sentences8

1. " have )een working in this organisation since last July.

=." have )een working in this organisation for eight months.

inceis used when we are referring to time from a point of time in the past8 Eg8 since last 6uly.

"n sentence =, foris used. (his is )ecause the reference is to duration orperiod of time, that is, %for this period of

time%.

# common mistake is to say8 " have )een waiting here since ten minutes.

(he correct form would )e8 " have )een waiting here for ten minutes.

?. "mprove+ improvise

(here%s a world of difference )etween these two words.

(o improvesomething is %to make of a )etter 4uality%.

(o improvisemeans to to make do with what you have at hand

Gnfortunately, many M:# students seem to use the word %improvise% when they mean %improve%.


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#nd the speaker ends up saying what s+he does not mean.

A. a few+ few and a little+ little

"magine a speaker at a company meeting starting his presentation with the words8 %" have few things to tell you.-

ou wonder to yourself8 -Why have " taken the trou)le of coming to listen to you if you have nothing much to tell us-

'ow, why did you think this way

imply )ecause the word fewwithout the ameans hardly any.

When you say8 7I have a few things to tell you7,it means that you have somethings to tell them.

(he same applies to littleand a little.

E.g. -(here is a littlewater in the glass.-

(his means that there is somewater and possi)ly you mean that it is sufficient for your purpose.

&owever, if you say8 -(here is littlewater in the glass-, you mean that there is hardly anywater in the glass and it is

not sufficient for your purpose.

o, fewor littleare negative and mean hardly any, suggesting a)sence of something, whereas a fewand a

littleare positive and mean at least some, suggesting presence of something.

/aution for A aspirants8 "f you are asked a)out your 4ualities in the interview, do notsay8 -" have few 4ualities-

B. Myself HI

When you introduce yourself, please either say -" am HI- or -My name is HI-.

)lease do not say-Myself HI-.

(his is incorrect and possi)ly a hangover from the childhood composition topic %Myself%.

#void it

C. "ncident vs "ncidence

(he word incidentmeans %an event which is unpleasant or unusual%.

Eg8 !ive people were in6ured in the shooting incident.

Incidence means %event% or %occurrence of% or %the rate at which something happens%.

Eg8 (here is a high incidence of malaria in the slums of Mum)ai.

@. Gse of slang and expletives

trictly avoid the use of slang and expletives89on%t say8 "%m gonnaspeak a)out...... Gse %going to%imilarly, do not say8 -9amn good-5ver the phone, avoid saying -Who%s this- when asking for someone%s identity. "t sounds rude.


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# )etter idea to keep to would )e8 -May " know who is calling- 5r -May " know your name, please-

D. "f and Gnless

(his is something most of us have studied and practiced over and over again in school. et, we )lunder

'ote the following8

1. "f you work hard you will succeed.

Gnless you work hard you will not succeed.

=. "f you do not work hard you will not succeed.

Gnless you work hard you will not succeed.

'ote that in the second pair of sentences %"f% takes the negative %not%, where as %unless% does not take the %not% in the

first part of the sentence.

&ere is another example. 'ote the way the sentence changes8

"f you do not complete the work you will not go home.

Gnless you complete the work you will not go home.

(he common mistakeis to say8 -Gnless you will not completethe work you will not go home.-

. Gse of %more% for comparative degree

(he comparative degree works in three ways8

;i< you add $$er

;ii< you use the word %more% and leave the ad6ective unchanged

;iii< you use a different word.

Eg8old $$ older, )eautiful $$ more )eautiful, good $$ )etter.

(he common mistake is to use-etter withmore.


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(he word-etter suggests the comparative $$ the wordgood is replaced )y-etter so there is no need to add the

wordmore

10. epeat and return

%epeat% means %to do+ say again%

%eturn% means %to come )ack%

What is the common mistake

Most often we hear people saying8 repeat again.

(he word repeatmeans to say again. (here is no need to add the word again.

(his is what is called a %redundancy%, i.e. saying the same thing twice without effect.

(he same rule applies to the word return.

"t is incorrect to say return -ack.

(hese are only ten of the many common mistakes made while speaking English.

#s you )ecome aware of these and change to the correct forms, you may start noticing other errors that need

attention.


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(op 10 :>G'9E in written English

In the second part of a twopart series on how to improve your 0nglish skills, )rof alavika agarkar, faculty,

usiness /ommunication at 5echool points out the common mistakes professionals make while writing

0nglish and tells you how you can avoid them. 8ead thefirst part here9

Just as we make mistakes while speaking English, we commit errors while writing as well.

ome are mistakes of grammar and others are confusion with word use.

1. Assure vs 0nsure

# common mistake in writing8 %We ensure you that we will complete the pro6ect on time.%

"n the a)ove sentence what the writer wants to say is8 %We assure you....%

%#ssure% means %to say with confidence% or %to feel certain%.

%Ensure% means %make safe% or %make certain%.

!or example8 We will ensure that the pro6ect is completed on time.

1. #nyway+ #nyways+ any which ways

%#nyway% means %any one way% and so it cannot take the plural form with %s% either as %anyways% or %any which ways%.

"n the following example it is used to put aside a discussion and get on with whatever is in hand.

Eg #nyway, let%s go ahead and complete the task.

=. Whose vs Who%s

>et me say right away that this mistake+ confusion is unpardona)le.

%Whose% meaning %of someone+ )elonging to someone%, as in8 %" don%t know whose)ook this is.%

Who%s is the contracted form of who iswhich is '5( commonly in use.

?. 3hosen vs 3hoosen

(he three tense forms are choose ;present tense< chose ;past tense< and chosen ;past participleoose vs >ose
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-10-common-english-mistakes/20130401.htmhttp://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-10-common-english-mistakes/20130401.htmhttp://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-10-common-english-mistakes/20130401.htm


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'otice the difference in spelling.

%>ose% means %to misplace something% or %have taken away%, in the sense of %lost%.

%>oose% means %not tight%, %free%.

!or example, ;i< (he )inding of the )ook was loose so the pages came out when " dropped the )ook.

;ii< (he dog was too dangerous to )e let loose.

B. 3riterion vs criteria, /henomenon vs phenomena

3riterion and phenomenon are the singular forms of these words.

3riteria and /henomena are the plural forms.

C. "ncomplete sentences

"n e$mails, a very common error is the incomplete sentence8 -#s you are aware that we are a well$known company.-

"f the word %that% is not used the sentence is complete.

With the word %that% included, the meaning is not complete.

"t would )e )etter to say8 -ou are aware that we are a well$known company.-

ou notice that almost everyone is using this form. (his is )ecoming a cliche.

"t might )e a )etter idea to say8 -ou know us as a well$esta)lished company dealing in $$$$$$.-

uggestion8 #void making your style predicta)le and monotonous.

@. >ong sentences

'otice the following long$winded sentence structures8

1. (his is to )ring to your kind notice that the payment has )een delayed.

=. We wish to inform you that we have completed the pro6ect for this 4uarter.

?. We are in receipt of...........

A. (his is in acknowledgement of your e$mail......

B. "n the event that..........

We fail to realise that these supposedly %official% styles of writing, in fact, re4uire more processing )y the reader and

hamper grasping the main point of the e$mail.

5ne can always use the more direct, yet polite forms, such as8

1. our payment for the month of ...... has )een delayed.


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5r

5ur records show that your payment for May has )een delayed.

=. We have completed the pro6ect for this 4uarter.

?. We have received..........

A. (hank you for your e$mail......+ We have received your e$mail......

B."f+ "n case..........

D. (hanking you

%(hanking you% is a %dangling modifier%.

>et us understand this.

"n an earlier style, letters concluded with8

(hanking you, " remain, ours faithfully, HI

'otice that %" remain, yours faithfully, HI% formed the main sentence which had a proper su)6ect.

%(hanking you% is the modifier in that structure.

"f we transform the sentence we get8 %" thank you, and " remain yours faithfully HI.%

We no longer use the phrase %" remain%. "t has gone into o)livion. o what remains is a %dangling modifier%8 %(hanking

you% with a comma following it

"f one has to thank a)out something, one can say it in a complete sentence and at the appropriate point $$ either at

the )eginning of the email or, if a re4uest is made, then at that point.

(he %(hanking ou% at the end of every email has no meaning and is 6ust a ritual.

ome examples of other %favourite% dangling modifiers8

#nticipating an early response+ reply, >ooking forward to your confirmation, Expecting a positive reply, and so on

ou will now recollect all the others we regularly use, without realising that they are grammatically incorrect.

. our%s faithfully+ truly

(he word ours does not take an apostrophe.

Gsing the apostrophe in yours )efore the %s %is a very common mistake in writing English and must )e corrected.

# similar error is using the apostrophe )efore the %s% of any plural form. !or example, ;i< %(he )oy%s are talking% and ;ii


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10. evert

(he word %revert% means %to get )ack to%.

"t is correct if we say8 %/lease get )ack to us a)out the matter.%

&owever, it is incorrect to say8 %/lease revert )ack to us.%

(o sum up8 ead through what you have written and you will notice some of these mistakes yourself. o, revising is

the key to correct writing.

1? motivational 4uotes for a super$successful =01C

:his ew ;ear invest in a new ;U9

"t%s the first week of a )rand 'ew ear $$ a year full of hope, promises and new )eginnings for each of us.:ut there will )e struggles, road)locks and challenges too that will stand in our way $$ that will leave us confused,

de6ected and may)e even force us to take a step )ack.

&ow then are we going to rise a)ove them all and march towards our happiness and successes.

/resenting words of wisdom from inspiring speeches from personalities across sectors that will lead you to a positive

path in =01C.

1. e a leader

-*reat leaders don%t 6ust develop people like them, they develop everyone.

-"f you want to )e a great leader, you will develop the women $$ as well as the men $$ at your companies and on your

teams.-

"ace-ook / heryl and-erg at :singhua chool of 0conomics and anagement, 6une 2*1!

2. +ream -ig

-9on%t )e afraid to fail.

-9on%t )e afraid to think outside the )ox.

-9on%t )e afraid to dream )ig. :ut remem)er, that dreams without goals are 6ust dreams. #nd they ultimately fuel

disappointments.


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-o have dreams, )ut have goals $$ life goals, yearly goals, monthly goals.-

-9on%t 6ust aspire to make a living2 aspire to make a difference.-

Actorfilmmaker +enive in the moment

->ife is a long, )umpy road, )ut that makes for an exciting ride.

-3hoose a direction and if the road turns $$ turn "f there is a fork in the road $$ take it "t%s ok to map out your future $$

)ut do it in pencil.

-"f you want the amaKing feeling of pride you%re feeling to last far )eyond today $$ let%s make today and every day that

follows a)out more than your own accomplishment.

-Make it a)out the power of we :ecause, if you do, you%ll have a lot more than -things worth having-L you%ll have -a

life worth living.-

inger musician 6on on 6ovi at 8utgers University, ay 2*1!

!. Accept your limitations

-!ear protects us in many ways, )ut what has served me is diving into my own o)liviousness.-

-:eing more confident than " should )e... trying things that you never would have tried.

-our inexperience is an asset in that it will make you think in original, unconventional ways.

-#ccept your lack of knowledge and use it as your asset.-

Actor atalie )ortman at =arvard, ay 2*1!

$. ever let others define you


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-#s you go out in the world, you%ll find that people are always 4uick to define you, to pigeonhole you, to whittle you

down to their preconceived notions $$ which )rings me to my point8 'ever let others define you. 9efine yourselves.-

Actor 0d =elms at the University of ?irginia, ay 2*1!

%. "ind your true calling

-7isualise the road ahead. (hink a)out what excites you, what really gets your engine going.

-Engage in some real soul searching.

-(ake a good, hard look at your strengths and weaknesses.

-# fulfilling professional life can )e found at the intersection of what you love and what you%re good at. #nd when you

think you%ve discovered it, go at it full throttle.-

6ournalist @atie /ouric at University of 5isconsinadison, ay 2*1!

'. e nice

-#dmit what your dreams are.

-9on%t )eat yourself up if you don%t know what you%re gonna do tomorrow. :ut work hard and don%t )e laKy.

-#nd put away your damn phone once in a while.

-#nd )e nice to 6erks )ecause we still don%t know the criteria for getting into heaven yet.-

Actor comedian aya 8udolph at :ulane University, ay 2*1!

(. :ake risks

-9on%t shrink from risk. #nd tune out those critics and cynics.

-&istory rarely yields to one person, )ut think, and never forget, what happens when it does.

-(hat can )e you. (hat should )e you. (hat must )e you.-

Apple /0 :im /ook at eorge 5ashington University, ay 2*1!

1*. e your own competition

-"t ain%t where you start in life that counts, )ut what you do with life that will determine where you end up in life.

-9id you work hard, never stop learning, )elieve in yourself, )elieve in this great country of ours

-9id you dream )ig


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-9id you set high standards, ever rising

-Were you your own role model-

American statesman /olin )owell at 8ice University, ay 2*1!

11. >isten to your heart

-9on%t ever treat your little insanities as if they are a)errations that ought to )e hidden from the rest of the world.

-#cknowledge them and use them to define your own way of living the only life you have.

-#ll the most )eautiful people in the world, the most creative, the ones who led revolutions, who discovered and

invented things, did so )ecause they em)raced their own idiosyncrasies.

-(here%s no such thing as %normal%. (hat%s 6ust another word for lifeless.-

Actor hah 8ukh @han at University of 0din-urgh, cto-er 2*1!

12. >ove and care for your family

-" run a !ortune B00 company and " still call my mother two or three times every day. o all of you can make the time.

-our parents and loved ones are your )iggest advocates and )est advisors.

-9on%t ever take them for granted. (he most important lessons don%t always come from the person standing in front of

you2 it%s the people sitting )ehind you.-

)epsi/o chairman Indra ooyi at II/alcutta, April 2*1!

13. :reat failures as lessons

-Every scar that you have is a reminder not 6ust that you got hurt, )ut that you survived. ;#pplause.< #nd as painful

as they are, those holes we all have in our hearts are what truly connect us to each other.

-(hey are the spaces we can make for other people%s sorrow and pain, as well as their 6oy and their love so that

eventually, instead of feeling empty, our hearts feel even )igger and fuller.

-o it%s okay to feel the sadness and the grief that comes with those losses. :ut instead of letting those feelings

defeat you, let them motivate you. >et them serve as fuel for your 6ourney.-


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10 telephone eti4uette tips you should keep in mind

5hen youre speaking over the phone remem-er to smile, sound up-eat and keep your communication

short.

(he telephone is perhaps one of the most helpful inventions of the eighteenth century.

(hough technology has advanced over the years, making way for e$mails and chats2 for most of us, telephonic

communication continues to )e the most convenient way of making a conversation.

&owever, when you%re speaking over the phone, there are certain )arriers that come in the way which also need to )e

taken into consideration.

>et us look at 10 tips that will help you communicate )etter over the phone8

1. reeting

Just like a face to face conversation, the other party in the telephonic conversation expects you to open the

conversation with a nice greeting.

"t is suggested that you )egin the phone call with an appropriate greeting like *ood morning+#fternoon depending on

which time of the day you are calling.

9o not answer )y using words such as -yeah- or -yes.-

2. :ake permission and -e polite

# polite word or two always helps in )ringing warmth into the conversation.

While it is very important to take permission to speak to the person you have intended to call, one should always

remem)er to use a polite tone.

Gse phrase like -May " please speak with-.

emem)er to )e sensitive to the tone of your voice.

9o not sound overly aggressive or pushy.

"t is important your tone conveys authority and confidence.


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9o not lean )ack in your chair when speaking on the telephone.

(ry to record your own conversations. ou will then hear how your sound to others.

3. Identify self and the organisation

(he most common mistake that people make during a phone is call not identifying oneself.

"t is considered inappropriate and can also lead to miscommunication, always introduce yourself )efore getting into

any conversation2 telephonic or face to face $$ that%s the thum) rule

4. /larity

(he good old @3s of communication will always have an impact on how you converse with people, very important to

remem)er and include the first -3- i.e )eing clear.

9o not use )roken phrases.

#lways use a clear, crisp and simple language.

!. )urpose of the call

:efore making a phone call, )e sure of the purpose of the call.

(hink through exactly what you plan to say and practice )efore you place the call.

Jotting down the items you want to discuss and 4uestions you want answered can help in making a smooth

conversation

$. @now your timeline and keep it short

While speaking on phone, you are not in front of the other party2 hence it is very important to ask if the receiver has

enough time to speak to you.

espect the person%s time and ensure that the conversation gets completed within the given timeline.

%. Avoid fillers and keep it interesting

!iller words $$ like um and uh $$ are never written into a speech, and add nothing when a speaker utters them.


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9uring a telephonic conversation, a filler word sends a signal to the other person which says -"%m still thinking, and "%m

not willing to pass the conversation )ack to you 6ust yet.-

(his only conveys that you are confused and still thinking of what to say next.

'. mile through the phone

Feep a %smile in your voice.%

ound up)eat and enthusiastic a)out the chance to speak with the caller.

#dults pay more attention to the tone of your voice than they do to the words you use.

(. "ind some #uiet place

3ommunicating over the telephone is much more effective when )oth parties can hear each other clearly without

)ackground noise.

/lan to make your call, whether it%s for work or 6ust to catch up with an old friend, at a time in which you are not

re4uired to attend to any other )usiness and ensure that there is no distur)ance around.

:laring noises, such as the television or road traffic can interfere with )oth your listening and communication skills,

making it difficult for a conversation.

1*. ummarise, paraphrase and close

(here are various )enefits of summarising and paraphrasing, it helps you to reaffirm what was discussed during the

phone call.

o if there is any information which needs to )e changed or altered, the other party has an opportunity to add on.

#lways end the call with a pleasantry like $$ -"t was pleasure speaking with you- or -ou have a nice day.-


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, ,)+-8.9. $, *#,,+$, , ,9"""$)""&.10. ,#.$".$', '.7$$". , +$.11.77)+.$$,*)&.

12. $+.$+")7+.$*.13.$, 4$', ""+.5)2,)2))).14. ))$;, ""7&.


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10 communication mistakes you must avoid

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