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Communication: Dos and Don'ts
Alexa Curtis
January 20, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
Hi Fearless Friend!
What’s new this week on Stay Fearless or Die Trying:
My personal Dos and Don’ts when it comes to communication
Insight from App Founder and Engineer Isher and challenges he’s faced developing apps in this fast growing market
What I’m Reading: Results of last week’s poll!
An interview with a friend from Twitter (X!) about launching his new app.
P.S. Want to attend Be Fearless? We’re almost sold out. Reply to this email with I’M FEARLESS! and I’ll send you a code for 20% off your first Be Fearless ticket. Read up on Be Fearless here.
Communication is Key
Whether you’re new here or have been a long time fan, being able to communicate and connect with so many of you inspires me on the regular. Maybe you’ve heard me speak in person or through a podcast episode, and something about what I had to say made you stick around. I have honed in on my communication skills so they’ve become second nature to me!
If you struggle with communicating, I’ve been there.
Communication DOs and DON’Ts
DO:
Utilize Your Body Language: How annoying is it when you’re trying to talk to someone and they’re facing away from you, looking at something else, or not responding to what you’re saying? It’s important to face the person openly (not with crossed arms!) and indicate with your body by nodding or shaking your head to show you’re engaged.
Maintain (reasonable) Eye Contact: Be careful with this one because I’ve seen people take it too far. Making eye contact shows you’re not shy or afraid, but confident in what you’re communicating. BUT! Too much eye contact can come across as creepy or an attempt to be dominating. If you’re ever at a loss for how much to use, let the other person take the lead and mimic their movements slightly.
Ask Questions: There’s no better way to show interest with someone than by asking questions. Especially when working with potential business connections or clients, you want to make sure you’re understanding AND being understood. Asking clarifying questions, and simply stopping yourself every once in a while and checking with the person that you’re making sense are two helpful ways to communicate effectively.
DON’T:
Overuse Big Words: While it may be imperative for one to conduct oneself knowingly and with the utmost expertise…….zzzz…. exactly! Overusing complex words or sentence structures to try to sound smarter only hurts you. Be confident with what you know.
INTERRUPT! Nobody likes being interrupted. This one sounds straightforward but it can still happen in sneaky ways. That one friend that always finishes your sentences? Interruption isn’t just cutting someone off mid sentence, it’s also taking away the opportunity for someone to speak or think. I’ve also noticed in my personal life I’m always interrupting guys on first dates, so I’ve stopped doing that. Let people finish their sentence and THEN jump in!
Make Assumptions: This is a little less tangible than the others, but it is definitely the most important. Assuming you know anything about someone you’re communicating with, anything that they haven’t told you themselves, is a huge mistake. The waitress you’ve been making polite conversation with? She may run a catering business on the side and could use your expertise. Take every conversation as an opportunity to learn about someone else.
In an interview with app founder and developer Isher, I asked him about his biggest strengths and challenges while starting projects like Pinboards and Hear Me Out. His biggest strength AND challenge? Communication!
“During my project making journey, the biggest challenge is communication. Communication with your team, communication with your customers, and of course communication with yourself. You should never be delusional about any idea, just because it was yours.
This is now my biggest strength. Communication. It doesn't mean I'm perfect at it, I still make mistakes. But I now know how important it is.”
He makes a great point. You should never be convinced that you have the best ideas or products or services, wanting to improve and having an open dialogue with yourself is so important. If you want to hear more about Isher’s journey, see projects he’s built, or get in contact with him, check out his socials below!
Your book results are in!
The winning book? Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. Stay tuned for my thoughts on the first chunk of the book next week. In the meantime, help me out below!
Would you rather get... |
Catching Up With Sara Happ: She Sold the Business!
Quote of the Week!
"Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life."
Take some time this week to stretch those Communicating Muscles and try to make a connection with a stranger.
Stay Fearless or Die Trying,
Alexa
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