Communication is important in any type of relationship. Communication allows you to explain to someone else what you are experiencing or feeling and what your needs are at any given moment.
It’s not uncommon for you to say one thing, but the other person hears something else. Then, misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts follow. When such conflicts arise, you can easily experience problems in your home, and work relationships.
For most people, communicating correctly involves learning some important skills. Whether you’re trying to improve communication with your spouse, kids, coworkers, or clients, learning how to communicate effectively can cement your connections to others. It can also help you build greater trust and respect and improve your teamwork skills, problem-solving abilities, and social and emotional health.
Communication is at the heart of human interaction. It can make or break your relationships. Communicating effectively with your customers can lead to increased sales, repeat business and referrals.
According to the Briston Academy Entrepreneurship program, effective communication combines a set of 4 skills:
Effective communication is a continuous learning process that begins by identifying what you’re currently doing wrong. Here are a few things that could be sabotaging the way you communicate:
Lack of focus: Do you have a tendency to do other things such as checking your phone, checking emails, etc. while having conversations with other people? You can’t communicate effectively when you’re multitasking. To communicate effectively, you need to avoid distractions and stay focused.
Inconsistent body language: If you say one thing but your body is saying another, you’ll lose your listener’s trust. If, for instance, you’re doing a presentation but you’re fidgeting and avoiding eye contact, your potential customer won’t take you seriously. Nonverbal communication is supposed to reinforce what you’re saying, not contradict it. Be careful how you use nonverbal cues such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet.
Ignoring nonverbal cues: Just as your body is capable of communicating, so is your listener’s. If you don’t pay attention to people’s nonverbal cues and listen to their words, your communications will be ineffective. Studies show that 55 percent of our intent is delivered through nonverbal cues. Think facial expressions, gestures, and postures. Pay attention to these cues, too. They say more than words.
Not Listening: The truth is, we all love hearing ourselves talk. However, real communication happens when you listen more than you talk. If you want to communicate effectively, you have to speak less and listen more.
Before we get down to why good communication skills are important in all aspects of your life (personal life and business), let’s take a look at key communication skills.
Useful communication skills that will help you build positive interpersonal relationships include:
Now, let’s jump into the benefits of good communication skills:
Good communication skills will improve your personal relationships. The better your communication skills, the better you will be able to understand other people and be understood in return.
Good communication is vital for personal relationships to thrive. Poor communication can result in a breakdown of partnerships and relationships.
When it comes to family relationships, communication is crucial for the people involved to live in harmony. Without proper communication, you won’t be able to agree on how to work efficiently as a family.
It’s quite normal to feel nervous when speaking to potential clients, especially if you’re cold calling or you’re meeting them for the first time. But, if you’re confident in your communication skills, you'll be able to communicate effectively no matter the situation. You’ll be able to communicate in a more direct manner and get the most out of your interactions with other people.
Clients want to be understood by the businesses they are dealing with. They want to know that they are being listened to and heard. Real estate businesses have to interact with customers a lot. If you need more customers you have to interact a lot with your leads to convert them into clients.
Good communication allows you to build good rapport with your client base. The better the rapport you have with your customers, the more references you'll get.
In the real estate industry, image is everything. You want to make a good first impression with your leads. A positive image makes people trust you more, and if they trust you, they will give you their listings. Your professionalism and attention to detail will reflect positively on you and set you up for success.
Use these communication skills to improve your communication with customers in order to grow and thrive:
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of being a good listener. To show the other person that you’re listening to them, ask questions and paraphrase what they've just said back to them. This shows you’re interested in what they have to say and are paying attention.
This communication technique eliminates any sort of misunderstanding between you and the other person. You will both be on the same page.
This is not the time to multitask. If you do, the other person will feel ignored. So put away your phone, stop answering emails mid-conversation, and focus on the conversation at hand.
Yes, it’s tough to stay away from your cellphone or tablet, but effective communication in a face-to-face setting most certainly depends on it.
Keeping eye contact when you're having a conversation with your leads will convey trustworthiness and respect.
Granted, take care not to stare directly at a person for too long or stare blankly. You should smile with your eyes and react/look elsewhere when appropriate.
This is one area where most real estate agents, especially veterans, tend to lag behind. We are in a world where everything revolves around the internet. Online communication has never been more important.
Commit to working on your online and social media marketing and reach out to your real estate prospects and clients where they are, which is online. We’re talking about having a presence on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Communicating correctly in your real estate business and all aspects of your life is the first step to having a successful real estate career.
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not doing it right just yet. Remember, it takes time to master all of the above tips. All you have to do is keep practicing!
When people are constantly being inundated with cold calls and email marketing, they become less effective modes of communication. One of the best ways I've found to communicate my message to potential clients and gain the trust of those I'm already working with is to provide them with a helpful book on selling or buying real estate.
When I give people a book, I'm communicating to them that I want them to have the most successful sale or buying experience possible. When you give someone a book, you're giving them something of value, and they instantly trust and respect you more than someone who just calls to ask for their business.
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What are some of the communication tactics you employ in your real estate business? Leave a comment below!