Definition
Verbal communication is the use of spoken language to convey meaning.
Here are some tips to improve verbal communication:
- Avoid equivocal terms (words with two different, but equally acceptable meanings) to avoid misunderstandings.
- For example: "Plane tickets and hotel reservations for a business meeting in Georgia are booked for the state of Georgia in the United States instead of the intended destination of the country of Georgia that borders the Black Sea."
- Use concrete statements to give more clarity.
- For example:
- Here is a vague statement: "The job will take a little longer."
- Compare it to this concrete statement: "The job will take 48 hours to complete."
- For example:
- Avoid using slang language as it gives a wrong impression; It signals to others that you're not professional.
- Rarely use jargon (a profession's specialized vocabulary), so you are inclusive of your audience.
- Use powerful language to display confidence.
- For example:
- A less powerful statement is: "I, uh, think we should, um, use the newer format, maybe."
- A more powerful statement is: "I think we should use the newer format."
- For example:
Ask me to list examples.
Example
Prerequisites