HOW TO TEST YOUR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS

By Abdullaziz Aisha

Effective corporate communication skills typically involve speaking, listening, writing and reading. To start testing your skills, take an online test, participate in a workshop or complete self-paced training that assesses your ability to function in a corporate environment. On the job, ask for feedback from your coworkers, managers, customers and suppliers about your ability to convey a business message. By incorporating their input into your communication strategy, you increase your chances for making yourself understood without misunderstandings or causing unintended offense.

Step 1

Plan your message. Take some time to figure out what you want say, write or show. Focus on establishing a purpose for your message. To test your skills, validate your assumptions with a coworker. For example, list the objectives for teaching a coworker how to accomplish a task. Ask her if you have provided enough detail to accomplish the chore. Revise your steps if you provided too little detail. Remove some steps if you offered extraneous information that does not pertain to the task at hand. In general, keep your messages short and simple.

Step 2

Create a clear and concise message. Test your message on selected members of your target audience before sending it out. For example, to announce a change in product support, create a paragraph of text that provides details about the changes. Send an email to selected customers and follow-up with a phone call to test your communication skills. Determine if your message conveyed your intentions appropriately. Revise your message if you don't receive the desired results. To communicate effectively, try to anticipate your audience's reaction and anticipate comments and concerns.

Step 3

Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation. Using free online tools, you can test your ability to provide well-written content. Avoid jargon and use a tone that is appropriate for the situation. Avoid humor unless you are sure that that audience understands your intent. Use visual images to support your text. If you communicate with an international audience, verify that you have not used words or phrases that may unintentionally offend your readers.

Step 4

Choose the right mechanism to send your message. Test your ability to choose the best communication channel by following up with the recipient. For example, avoid sending emotional messages by email. Resist the temptation to leave a long voice mail with multiple steps for completing a complex task.

Step 5

Use active listening. Give your attention to the speaker and avoid unnecessary distractions to ensure you fully understand. Test your understanding by paraphrasing what was said, asking questions and repeating key messages.