Communication is Step 1 on the Road to Success
Communication and it’s importance stretches way beyond just being able to interact with your friends and peers. If you are able to successfully communicate with higher-up officials, coworkers and customers you put yourself in a greater position to climb the ranks of the business world through promotions and new opportunities. Companies today value communication and say time and time again that it is vital to successfully fulfilling your job requirements with efficiency in the business world.
In the Medium blog Why Interpersonal Communication Skills Matter More in Business than Intelligence, Stuart Leung identifies that “The ability to effectively understand, communicate and influence are underrated skills in the workplace. Even for those who do not work directly with clients, interpersonal communication skills are still vitally important.” In other words, being able to fully comprehend and give feedback to workers can benefit both your co-worker and the business as a whole. These skills may go unnoticed from day to day, but their importance is greatly valued by business officials. Managers these days want people who can communicate with a wide range of people since, according to Leung, costumer service is as big now for companies as it ever was. For example, if you’re shopping at Walmart and an employee services you clearly with a great attitude and vibe to him/her, you will feel a lot more satisfied about your shopping experience and may consider returning to Walmart in the near future. If a Walmart manager notices your contributions to the company using your communication skills, he/she may just reward you with a raise or promotion.
Since I am currently unemployed, I tried to practice this communication skill by “selling” an idea. I met up with a few friends each of the past few nights and tried to “sell” them the idea of coming to see UB’s next home football game. Since I’m a member of the team, I was able to service them with helpful information that football players know best. For example, my friend Nate asked me how our next home opponent, Western Michigan, was on defense last year and if they had a successful season. Since I, along with my Tight End position group, watch plenty of film on Western Michigan’s defense I was able to inform Nate with the best insiders and notes we had on their defense. They had both a successful defense and a successful season last year, but did fall off a little bit to start this year. I paired this with the fact that we are a much improved football team to sell the idea of coming to the game to watch a close, exciting and entertaining game in a student-friendly atmosphere. I would say 90% of my friends bought into the idea. Although this may not be a direct-from-business example, it still expresses the idea that informational and friendly customer service with clear communication can go a long way for both you and your workplace.
Citations:
Why Interpersonal Communication Skills Matter More in Business than Intelligence [Web log post]. (2016, June 29). Retrieved September 27, 2017, from https://medium.com/@salesforce/why-interpersonal-communication-skills-matter-more-in-business-than-intelligence-b0d3bbb95d6b
