Page 86 - Effective Communication Skills Mastery Bible 4 Books in 1 Boxset by Tuhovsky, Ian

say something like, “I understand exactly how you

feel”—no, you don’t!). Ability to validate anyone in

your conversations while being truthful is a great

communication skill, not only useful to deal with

difficult people.

8. You can also use suggestions. For example: “Bob, if

we do XYZ, how do you think it might affect you?”

By saying this, you show people you are interested in

their opinion. Often there’s much tension relieved

when we let people express their thoughts. People
become much more open when they know you are

really listening and paying attention to what they

think. When you get the answer, you should say

something like: “If I understand you correctly, you

think (here use the same words they spoke). I
considered that and here’s how I see it…” At the end,

you need to quickly add, “Does that make sense?”

By doing that you show that you too have been

thinking about alternative solutions and resolving the

conflict, that their idea is one worth considering and
that you are interested in their opinion. It permits the

person to say if they agree or not and opens the

communication process to more constructive

discussion. That’s something always worth trying.

Another important thing is body language. You can’t send a
firm message while your body is sending signals that you are

being passive. Here’s what you need to remember in this

context.