Effective Guidelines for Verbal Communication

A communication using oral or written methods known to be verbal communication or verbal communication is a method that uses oral and written expression. The following are the guidelines for verbal communication:

1. Be Specific What You Want to Say: Before speaking, a person must have a definite idea what he wants to say. So, a person should have mental preparation to convey any message or information. Aimless conversation will result in aimless output. One must avoid those opinions to which he is not familiar.

2.  Consider Your listener or Audience: When a person is sharing any message or information with others, sender must consider the position of the receiver. The knowledge of the receiver, attitude of the receiver and thinking of the receiver must be considered properly by the communicator.

3. Move from Simple to Complex: In communication, Communicator should start with basic concepts or idea and move towards further discussion. This helps the listener to understand the specific problem clearly.

e.g. In teaching accounting, the teacher should first start with Debit-Credit rules rather than doing financial statements.

4. Select Words Carefully: In verbal communication, confusing or contradictory words should not be used. Simple and communicative words should be used considering the background, experience and culture of listener or audience.

e.g. My report will be a little late here.
What does mean by late? Does it mean an hour, a day or a week ? So, such terms or words should be avoided.

5. Clear Expression: A person must speak, state or write anything with clear expression. Failure to pronounce any word properly or writing any spelling may cause failure to verbal communication.

6. Use the Active Voice: The active voice is understood more easily because it is both clear and direct. Using the active voice will help you to speak more consciously. e.g. Say"Mr. A called me" is more suitable rather than "I was called by Mr. A".

7. Be Courteous and Natural: Decency should be maintained by the communicator to create impression in the mind of an audience or listener. Unpleasant attitude must be avoided. Furthermore, sender of communication should be natural rather than using artificial attitude towards listener or audience. A courteous and natural attitudes leads to the most effective communication.

The above guidelines for verbal communication are effective to maintain effective verbal communication. Furthermore, to make effective verbal communication by following above guidelines for verbal communication, all of those must be natural and spontaneously.