5 Insightful Social Psychology Tips for a Better Communication Process

When we were born, our knowledge about the world was close to non-existent.

With time, we grew up and started catching things up. We learned our primary language, we quickly adopted lots of beliefs, and we unconsciously shaped our thoughts and lifestyle according to the outside world.

It’s the same process for everyone. And guess what, every person learns different things, adopts different beliefs and convictions, and ultimately becomes the conscious person that finally understands (or at least he believes so) the world he’s living in.

The problem comes when our communication with other individuals becomes difficult. We have our own opinions and beliefs, and they’re intersecting with other people’s opinions which are quite different.

We think “oh, he just doesn’t understand” or “he’s not even listening”. But have you ever wondered why you’re not being listened? You must be doing something wrong!

Here’s the actual problem: people don’t actually know how to communicate. They send the wrong messages and rarely open their minds for new ideas.

In today’s article we’ll discuss few insightful tips that’ll help you improve your communication skills:

1) Establish a Dialogue Frame

More than often, experts use the term “dialogue frame” to express the similarities we have with people around us.

This doesn’t refer to the ideas and beliefs people have. It’s more like “I’m a human being, you’re also a human being, so let’s get along!”

When you try to communicate a message, you want to make the other person feel comfortable. It’s not about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s about discussing certain topics and reaching a middle point.

Whenever you try to communicate, make sure that you let the other person understand that you two aren’t so different.

Make them understand that both of you have no fault for believing something or doing certain things…it’s how you’ve been modeled by the society!

2) Create Rapport

If you want a smooth communication with someone else, you have to create a rapport between you two. A rapport is a feeling that brings you closer to the other person by highlighting the things you two have in common.

Most of the times, we create rapports unconsciously. If we’re conscious, we can do some things that will create a better and faster rapport.

For example, getting into someone else’s mood, using the same language and terms, and modeling the body language are few of the techniques you can use to create a better communication.

3) Tell Stories

Most people are not interested in what YOU have to say, and they’re more inclined to protect their present beliefs and ideas.

Let me tell you a fact: people don’t care about your reasons, so explaining them will more than often lead to nothing.

In order to get their attention and make them curious you should use stories.

By telling a story, you’re not being intrusive and you’re letting them make up their own mind. They will figure it out on their own, so you won’t have to push their ego in order to get to where you want.

4) Focus on the Core Message

If you want to make a point or just have a good communication with someone else, you need to stick to the point!

No matter what discussion you are holding, focusing on the important thing and reaching an end of discussion is essential.

Think about it, isn’t it annoying when someone tells you ten different things and expects ten answers at the same time?

Don’t do the same mistake!

Online Communication

Communicating online is really different, but in the same time, it respects almost the same rules. Let’s take a look at what we’ve discussed earlier and notice the resemblances:

• Establish a dialogue frame: let the person on the other end of the screen understand that you two aren’t that different. Let them know that you’re also a human being and he can see you as one.
• Create rapport: think about who you’re talking to. Do they use some terms you’re familiar with? Are they the same age as you? Do you have the same interests?
• Tell stories: this is a universal persuasion technique which most of the online marketers use in order to convince customers to buy.
• Focus on the core message: this applies even more to the online medium. If you bore the person who’s reading your article/message/e-mail, you will get nowhere. Stick to the point.

Conclusion

Being a good communicator can be tough sometimes. There are all kinds of difficult people in this world, but the more you develop your communication skills, the more success you’ll have when trying to transmit your message.