Not everyone can be great at engaging with anyone but everyone can learn how to speak effectively with others.

Communicating effectively is an important skill whether you are a consultant or even in your personal life. It is important to be able to express your views and share your thoughts with others in a way they can understand. This can also help you build self-confidence not just in your professional life but also with your friends and family members.

Communication is not only what you say, but how you say it, whether verbally or through your body language. Here is how being a good communicator will help your consulting career thrive.

You will become genuinely interested in your clients

Everyone likes someone who is interested in them. As you engage with your clients or network in your space it’s important to note that it’s not really about you, it’s about them. Learning about what they do and showing interest by asking questions in relation to what they are talking about will make you look trustworthy. You will grow your network since you are focusing on the other person and not what you are interested in. Your clients or the other person will remember you for your thoughtfulness and the enthusiasm you should towards them.

You will be a good listener

Listening seems easy but not everyone does it. You can pretend you are paying attention by nodding your head once in a while and saying ‘yes’ to what someone is saying but are you actually listening? If someone asked you what the person was saying can you be able to explain it? When you intentionally listen to what someone is saying you learn more than you could have imagined if you did all the talking. Always encourage someone to speak to encourage conversation and listen attentively to avoid awkward silences. Sometimes, people only want to be listened to.

You will make your clients feel important

Before you meet your clients for the first time, or even before every other meeting always read up on what the client is interested in. One way you can win your clients is by talking about what they work for – not what they do but why they do it. When you talk to your clients about themselves and the work they do, they will feel important. This builds trust.

The next time you are engaging with new or old clients, try these tips. You can even try them with your friends and family and see how it goes.