How to Communicate with Anyone You Meet

If you’re one of the introverts like me, you know how hard it is to send a message across. It’s not often the words. Rather, it’s the feeling of being not able to express freely. Don’t worry because I’m going to share my experience on how to communicate with anyone.

In this post, I’m going to share things that helped me overcome my lack of communication skills. These tips worked for me in both my personal and professional life. It felt like I was missing out so much being the introverted soul I was. Well, I am still an introvert, I just have good communication skills now.

Maintaining Eye Contact

As an introvert, I know how hard it is to talk to someone. Let alone maintaining eye contact. But it’s super important to do it for making a connection. And conversations lose the essence when there’s no connection.

I started by eliminating boundaries between my loved ones and the random people I met. If I could express my thoughts to my loved ones whom I meet almost every day, why should I hold back on a complete stranger whom I may never meet again?

So, I made direct eye contact with whoever I spoke to. It was really hard at first. I felt like running away. But with time, I got the hang of it. And it was only then I realized how important it was to maintain eye contact to learn how to communicate.

How to Communicate with Anyone? Respect Them

Seems too obvious? It was to me as well. But the concept of respect is often different from person to person. And how we respect the person or the audience influences the communication.

Start by having a positive attitude. Think of the people as friends. It’s very important to understand that not everyone is out there to judge you for what you say. And it changed my mentality toward strangers completely.

Whether you’re talking to a colleague at work or presenting in front of an audience, have respect for them. And when you have respect from within, you become aware of your own identity. Only then, you’ll be able to make an impact on the audience with your work and your thoughts.

Focus on Non-Verbal Communication as Well

Did you know that more than half of what you say means nothing if your body language isn’t on point? It was very fascinating to me when I learned that 65% of communication depends on non-verbal gestures.

It goes both ways. You need to mean what you say and your body language should follow. The same goes for your audience. Keep a close eye on them to see whether they understand what you’re saying or not.

It’s especially important for a larger audience. You might need to tailor your communication materials and increase vocabulary to reach a wider audience.

If you have space, move around. Make good use of your hands. Don’t just fold them and stand still. It might seem intimidating at first, but it’s going to help you to learn how to communicate a lot faster.

Focus on Storytelling

Do you like to hear straight facts with no element of entertainment? How would you feel if your friends only talked about the important stuff and never said something funny? It would be a boring conversation, right?

Now, look back on how you communicate with people. Do you get stiff? Do you only focus on the matter at hand and leave? If you do, it’s definitely an obstacle in learning how to communicate.

To make an impact on anyone, you need to tell a story. Everyone loves stories. And everyone loves a good storyteller. So, start with being casual. Don’t be so stiff. Integrate all your facts into your story.

How to Communicate with a Mirror

A mirror can help you a lot when you’re trying to improve your communication skills. At least it did for me. Whenever I got time, I started to talk to myself. And maintain eye contact. Initially, it felt very awkward. But I started to see results very soon!

You can do the same if you don’t feel weird. Just make some time for yourself and stand in front of a mirror. Now, if you have a presentation, you can practice it. If you don’t, just engage in a casual conversation with yourself.

Start with the basic etiquette. For example, when you meet someone, what do you ask? Practice the conversation in front of the mirror rather than inside your head. This way, you get a healthy practice of using your vocabulary.

Make Conversations Rather than Just Listening or Talking

Would you like someone if they didn’t respond at all while you did all the talking? You wouldn’t, right? The same goes for everyone. So, when you’re learning how to communicate properly with anyone, learn to make conversations.

Say your part and let your audience do the same. If it’s a one-on-one conversation, it’s easier to practice this. You can take help from a friend or a family member to polish your conversation skills. Learn to make meaningful conversations!

Don’t Think too Much

This is where a lot of us go wrong. We think too much. Sometimes it’s about what we’re going to say in the future. Or, something we said in the past.

Get out of the habit and learn to be present to learn how to communicate. Don’t overthink anything. Be natural. Be yourself. Gather your thoughts before you speak and have the mindset to understand what the other person is saying.

When you’re done with a conversation, leave it there. Don’t think about what could’ve gone better once you’re done. It might hamper your next interaction with the person.

Final Words

Communication is an essential skill in the 21^st century. It’s crucial that we can get our message across to build a credible personality. And there’s no doubt that it takes practice. While the severity of the practice varies from person to person, the basic tips I shared will help you learn how to communicate effectively.