Here Are 6 Tips for More Effective Communication as an Entrepreneur

Success as an entrepreneur largely depends on your communication skills. In the beginning, you need to communicate effectively with potential investors and even people who might be interested in your product or service. As you grow and begin to hire employees, you need to communicate effectively with these individuals as you delegate tasks.

With poor communication, you may end up feeling like you need to do everything yourself, which will cause you to burn out quickly. With great communication, you will know that things will get down or at least that you will know about it if something goes awry. In the end, great communication is a foundational component of excellent leadership.

Some key tips to keep in mind when it comes to communicating effectively as an entrepreneur include:

1. Speak concisely.

Communication with other people needs to be short and focused. If you include too much extraneous information, you may end up causing confusion or preventing people from following your train of thought. Moreover, people are busy and appreciate someone who can speak concisely instead of wasting time.

Think carefully about the key points and make sure that you hit them. At the same time, let the non-critical information fall by the wayside until someone asks for clarification. Most people do not want lengthy discussions or in-depth explanations, and those who do will ask for them.

Some entrepreneurs have a tendency to explain too much and continue speaking even after the point is made. Take the time to outline what you want to say prior to a conversation to ensure you stay focused on the essentials.

2. Listen actively.

You should think of communication as a two-way street. Too often, entrepreneurs focus on conveying information and not receiving it. Active listening means giving someone your undivided attention when that individual speaks. Doing this can have surprising outcomes — it is actually quite rare, and people will definitely notice.

Research has shown that active listening help drive productivity and job satisfaction in the workplace while improving relationships. This occurs whether the active listening comes from leaders or coworkers. As an entrepreneur, you should set a good example with your own listening. Doing so will reduce miscommunication and improve comprehension.

3. Interpret nonverbal cues.

For a long time, there was an argument that more than half of communication was nonverbal. While this belief has come under scrutiny, the truth is that facial expressions and body language are extremely important in terms of how people communicate.

As you communicate, you need to be attuned to your own facial expressions and postures as they will color the message that you are sending to the people around you. At the same time, you need to pay close attention to the cues that other people give.

If body language does not match the words that someone speaks, this should be a clue to think more critically about the interaction. Interpreting body language correctly can help build trust and prevent time wasted on unnecessary exchanges.

4. Display emotions.

One of the key elements of effective communication is authenticity. This concept has become a buzzword, but that does not mean it is not a critical element. Excellent communicators make an emotional connection to the people around them. These individuals show their own emotions, which in turn encourages other people to be open or honest.

If you are always open about your emotions and people trust you, then they will not second-guess the things that you have to say. On the other hand, if you seem closed off or like you are holding back important information, then people may not trust you completely. When this happens, it is difficult to communicate effectively, and you will need to work to rebuild trust.

5. Manage expectations.

A common saying is to under-promise and over-deliver. This is a key directive for communication as an entrepreneur. When you live by these words, you alleviate pressure and give yourself more flexibility. If you end up with additional time, you can improve relationships by going above and beyond what you promised. However, you will also not disappoint if you run out of time.

In your communication, always frame conversations in terms of timelines, results, and deliverables. Be sure to remain realistic in terms of your time and capabilities. Also, whenever issues arise, it is important to communicate them clearly and quickly. People are understanding, but only when you keep them updated.

6. Have a purpose.

Marketers understand the importance of a call to action. As an entrepreneur, you should also think about the call to action in terms of everyday conversations. Whenever you approach a conversation, think about the why. The driving point behind the conversation is the call to action.

Sometimes, the why is something as simple as creating a positive perception of your brand. Other times, it is convincing a coworker that your point of view is correct. The actual why doesn’t matter. The important thing is to identify the why before you enter the conversation and use that to drive the discussion. When you focus on the why from the very beginning, you ensure that your point gets across and your communication is more effective.