“I realized that if I want to get married, I better learn English”

This was possibly my third year in college studying computer science.

A girl walked up to me and started speaking in English.

As a small-town boy with very little exposure to English, I was flustered.

I was listening to her and converting what she was saying into my mother tongue then converting it back into English and correcting it for grammar.

By the time I was done, she was gone.

That was when I realized that if I want to get married, I better learn English.

I’ve spent decades working in the field, from management consultants to different sellers across different domains, looking at how they can add value to the customer.

I’ve observed that, very often, when people start speaking, they actually discount their own capabilities.

The quality of their diction and articulation doesn’t articulate their capabilities and their organizations solutions.

So when you think about how I got out of this rut, the moment she walked away, I decided to improve my communication skills.

At that time, I went to the 2 available resources, a lovely book called ‘Word Power Made Easy’ by Norman Lewis and another book called ‘The Adult Approach to Vocabulary Building’ – that is how my journey started.

As I reflect back now, they are 3 pillars that make the difference.

1.Simplicity

Use words that everyone can understand.

Simple, straightforward and accessible language.

2.Brevity

Speak less, mean more.

This is the art of being concise –  it’s about being efficient with your words, ensuring each one carries weight and contributes to your message.

3.Clarity

This isn’t the clarity in your head.

It is the clarity you bring in the other person’s thinking.

This comes down to intentionally improving your vocabulary.

The vocabulary helps you to communicate more in less time, triggering a reaction from your clients such as,

“We are amazed by the quality of how you articulate and understand us”

So when you think about engaging with clients from now on, think about how your quality of communication can be an amplifier for the capabilities of your organization.

You deserve to come across with full fidelity and accelerate your pipeline into profits.

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