4 Basic Tips on How to Improve Your Communication Skills

Effective communication can be difficult for many of us. Too eager and you’ll risk trampling over the other person’s thoughts, too passive and you’ll come away from the conversation frustrated that you hadn’t said what you’d intended. These issues can become even more complex as a creative, where we’re often more comfortable with visual, rather than verbal, communication.

But don’t assume that your “art speaks for itself” and that successful creatives don’t need to be bothered with articulating their creative vision. Actually, it’s just the opposite. As the creator, it’s imperative that you learn how to communicate effectively. Remember, you should always be the biggest advocate for your own work and lacking in communication skills only risks misunderstandings—and missed opportunities.

Many creatives can be introverts by nature—for every gregarious studio photographer, there is someone who takes solace in shooting their street photography alone at night—but don’t let this stop you. Pushing past your fears and understanding how you can still be yourself, yet speak effectively about your work, is the first step in using communication to further your career.

How to begin? A good starting place is to write your artist statement—luckily we have a handy guide—as the questions you’ll answer here will help form the foundation of your verbal communication. Once you have that done, let’s go over some useful tips to help you speak about your creative abilities in order to grab your next big collector or client.

Aren't sure how to effectively communicate your creativity? Here are some tips to help you hone your communication skills.

PRACTICE YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH

Many times, it’s easy to assume that people will understand your artistic vision. But, if you are not able to clearly, succinctly, and quickly clarify what you do and why it matters, you cannot expect other people to always get it.

That’s where an elevator pitch comes in. While this concept comes from the business world, there’s no reason why it doesn’t apply to creatives. This short, 30- to 60-second speech is a sales pitch, essentially selling the how and why of what you do. For a creative, think about the potential client, collector, or gallerist you may meet at an event. As you’re networking, you’ll want to have this pitch down. Sell yourself! Get people hooked and give them a reason to want to see more of what you do.

When developing your own elevator pitch, it will be important to understand your nicheand who your target audience is, as well as how your work fits into that niche. Do you use interesting materials or have you developed a cutting-edge technique? That should be in there.

You’ll also want to think about who you are speaking with. Bump into an important curator? They may be interested to know about your work with museums. Meet the head of a marketing department for a large brand? Let them know about the graphic design work you recently did with a like-minded company.

And make sure you finish by closing the deal, whether it be getting a business card or phone number or setting up a time to meet and discuss your work over coffee. Remember, you only have a minute, so don’t try to cram too much in. Just tease the best points and make them want to come back for more.

EXUDE CONFIDENCE

We’re talking about confidence, not arrogance—there’s a fine line, but important distinction. While arrogance can be off-putting, confidence actually draws people in and makes them want to hear more.

And while everyone has a different way of exuding confidence, here are some things to keep in mind so that even if you are feeling uncomfortable, no one will ever know.

Body language – Throw out the idea of the brooding artist hunched in the corner. That stereotype is exactly the opposite of what you’ll need to effectively communicate about your work. You want to be approachable and this means having open body language. That means standing up straight, keeping your arms uncrossed, and even leaning in slightly to let the other person know you are interested in what they are saying.

Eye contact – Along with your limbs, watch your eyes—and put your phone down. Looking down or away indicates insecurity and lack of knowledge about what you are discussing, or worse—a disinterest in the person you are speaking with. A great communicator will look the person, or people, they are speaking to right in the eye, which gives off the impression that you know what you are talking about and are confident in your words. And when it comes to your art, isn’t that what you want?

Filler words – If “umm” or “like” peppers your speech, pay close attention to this section. While you want to be thoughtful with your words, overly long pauses or peppering your conversion with these filler words makes you come off as unprepared. This is why preparing—either mentally or on paper—ahead of time can help. Of course, you don’t want to come off as scripted, but having a basic preparation will allow you to think without pause even if you are nervous.

KNOW WHEN TO LISTEN

Effective communication is like a tennis match, with the ball being lobbed back and forth. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is monopolizing the conversation. Yes, people may be at the opening of your exhibition or approached you about your portfolio, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be heard and be part of the conversation.

Everyone wants to feel important, including fans of your creative work, and by listening to what they have to say, you are forging deeper relationships which could pay dividends down the line. And remember, listening isn’t simply not talking, it’s actually taking in what the other person is saying. Try incorporating what they’ve talked about into your comments and questions, which will show them you have an interest in their perspective as well. Believe us, your top collector will appreciate it when you remember the name of their children or you suggest a book about their favorite sculptor.

EVERYONE IS EQUAL

Everyone can have a bad day, but in general, there’s no excuse not to treat everyone with equal kindness. You never know how the person in front of you can impact your career or who might overhear your conversation. So, it goes without saying that no matter you are speaking with, show respect and use it as an opportunity to improve your communication skills and how you articulate your work.

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SIX BODY LANGUAGE THAT ARE HARD TO MASTER BUT WILL PAY OFF FOR LIFE

Maintain good eye contact

As Ursula the sea witch famously said, “Don't underestimate the importance of body language.”

Some tricks, like remembering to smile, are pretty easy to implement in your everyday life.

However, there are other techniques that, while relatively commonsense, are somewhat trickier to tackle.

Still, they can make a huge difference.

Here are six body language hacks that can be tricky to master, but will definitely pay off forever once you do:

1. Mirror the person you're speaking to

Mirroring - or aligning your body to match the position of whoever you're speaking to - can be a tough skill to master. But doing it shows admiration and agreement, says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder.

It can be hard to do this subtly, without looking like you're mimicking or mocking someone, but this is definitely a good trick to employ if you're really trying to make a good impression.

2. Walk with purpose and energy

Not everyone walks with confidence. Some of us shuffle through life with a slumping, awkward gait.

And it can be tough to change the way we walk. But if you take some steps to improve it, you can help to ensure that people don't make snap judgments about your confidence, attractiveness, and trustworthiness, according to Scientific American.

3. Maintain good eye contact

It's all in the eyes.

People with a shaky gaze often come across as anxious, distracted, or dishonest. And it can be tough to master the skill of maintaining eye contact, since it's a very uncomfortable and unnatural thing for some people. But it's a practice that can help you immensely in life.

Luckily, there are some simple techniques for maintaining better eye contact if you feel your stare isn't cutting it.

In How To Talk To Anyone, author and communication expert Leil Lowndes advises that you should “pretend your eyes are glued to your conversation partner's with sticky, warm taffy.”

Once you master this trick, you'll immediately see an improvement in your face-to-face communications with others.

4. Keep your hands visible

It's hard to know what to do with your hands sometimes, especially if you're a somewhat nervous person.

As a result, you might take to compulsively jamming them into your pockets or crossing your arms. Those are understandable moves, but they also project a somewhat negative image.

As Business Insider previously reported, it's important to keep your hands visible, lest you look like you're hiding something.

Invite people in and allow them to trust you by using more open body language. Avoid positions that make you appear defensive (even if that's how you're feeling).

5. Sit up straight

Your parents were right to constantly bark at you to adjust your terrible posture when you were a moody teen.

“If you lounge back in your chair, recruiters interpret it as a sign of your disinterest in the open position or that you're not taking the interview seriously, neither of which will help you land the job,” Amanda Augustine, a career advice expert for TopResume, previously told Business Insider. “In addition, slumping over in the chair can indicate a lack of confidence.”

Instead, she suggests sitting as if there was a string tied from the top of your head to the ceiling. Sitting up straight is seen as a sign of intelligence, confidence, and credibility, she explains.

Anyone with bad posture can tell you that correcting your slouch is not always easy. But it's definitely worth it in the long run.

6. Work on your handshake

No one wants to receive a “dead fish” handshake. Writing on LinkedIn, Ashish Arora notes that “a weak handshake equals a weak person” in most peoples' minds.

So how do you give a great handshake?

Arora breaks it down for us: “When squeezing your hand you want the grip to be tight enough to feel the bones of the other person’s hand lightly pressing into your skin and then keeping the same amount of pressure while you make two to three moderately strong shakes in the vertical plain. Maintain eye contact and a smile throughout.”

• AINE CAIN BUSINESS INSIDER
• Wednesday 29 November 2017 13:19 GMT
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The Business of Body Language

“Often you would open your hands and show your palms, and that tends to be a trusting gesture. Studies show that when you use your hands naturally as you talk, people like you,” says Melinda Marcus, with whom I’m sharing an early supper.

“You also turn your hands down when you make a point, which creates authority. Watch Bill Gates or Bill Clinton. And, you lean in, which is good, because it shows you are engaged and interested. But one thing I would coach you on is that you tend to hunch over, which creates a feeling that you are not confident. It’s called a turtle when you bring your shoulders up and neck in, like you are trying to hide. Somebody who feels confident holds their head up, shoulders back,” she says.

Marcus sounds like my dad, always telling me to put my shoulders back. She’s right on the money. Body language is something we develop early in life, and if we want to get promoted or get into an elite graduate school, we might want to work on it. I just want a good interview.

Marcus calls herself a decision catalyst, an expert in the science of influence, combining persuasive psychology, body language, and strategic messaging in what she defines as the Marcus Method of Influence. “I show executives how to influence decisions before they lose big opportunities,” she says.

Hospitals hire Marcus to evaluate resident physicians, to weed out ones that interview well but won’t fit the culture. Corporations hire her to consult on how to “open doors and close deals,” attract new customers, and grow loyalty with current ones. She’s done a TED Talk, regularly conducts persuasive communications seminars for corporations and associations, and shows executives how to fast-track building trust in relationships, which leads to sales. She’s helped clients win $60 million dollar contracts and she estimates her consulting clients have grown their revenues by more than $279 million.

“Melinda has helped us grow exponentially,” says Dr. Jeffrey Whitman, president and chief surgeon of the Key-Whitman Eye Center. Whitman never considered TV commercials and marketing until Melinda came along. Now, Whitman is high-profile in Dallas, and a national expert on eye issues. Key-Whitman has grown from one office to six, now employs 150 people, and bills $40 million annually.

Glamour magazine once named Melinda Marcus one of the Ten Outstanding Young Working Women in America. Beginning in the late 1970s, she became a superstar in advertising, winning more than 100 awards, even producing a Super Bowl commercial for Hagar Slacks. She was the first female creative director for the national branding agency, The Richards Group. Eventually she formed her own company, Influence Advisors.

“One of the values of understanding how to read nonverbal signals is that when there is a disconnect between what is said and what is shown, you should always trust what is shown,” Marcus says.

People can fake a smile, but what they can’t fake is a micro-expression that betrays true feelings, she says. “If you see me smiling, but the muscles in the top half of my face are not engaged, it’s not real,” Marcus says. An unconscious micro-expression may last only an instant, but with training, you can see it. Marcus got her training from Joe Navarro, a former Special Agent who trained the FBI and became an international expert in body language.

“We all want to believe that decisions are made on logic,” she says. “But, every study shows that decisions are made on feelings, not facts. Judgments are made on whether I like you or not, whether I trust you, whether I believe you are an authority. Lasting first impressions are made in less than six seconds.”

“Sometimes it’s more about listening than talking,” says Lindsay Wilson, interior designer and executive managing principal at Corgan, the national architecture and design firm that renovated Love Field and designed the new Toyota headquarters and Parkland Hospital. “I’m fascinated by the science behind it, and I’m a skeptical designer. Melinda is one of the most highly rated speakers we’ve ever had. She knows how to put great ideas into action to grab attention and convert indecision into a win, which is an amazing skill.”

Marcus’ book, “Read The Room,” will be published in 2018

BY DON WALL PUBLISHED IN D CEO DECEMBER 2017

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