Change the way you think about communication. Instead of thinking of it as “talking to a brick wall”, think of it as “resonance”.
Yesterday, Mr. Lin Tao, the company’s strategic development consultant, gave a training session on “Effective Communication” to all marketing centre employees and company managers. This two-hour “brainstorming” session was fast-paced, full of interesting information, and the audience loved it.
Part 1: The Art of Communication: Moving from doing things without being told to doing things because you want to
General Manager Lin said that good communication at work is not about doing what your boss says, but about doing your job in a way that feels right to you. This point of view was very important to the people taking part and made them think. It made them think about where communication should start, which is the most important part of creating value. It also made them want to change from being passive and accepting things to being active and responsible.
Part Two: The “Empathy” Tactic – The way you speak affects the way you listen
When explaining “empathy” in depth, Mr. Lin Tao shared his unique insights: If you want people to listen to you, you need to learn how to speak first. He showed how empathy can be used as a way to communicate, using real-life examples.
Part Three: “Knowing what’s real from what’s not” —Getting to the bottom of what customers think
“Do you know what the other person really thinks? He taught how to use effective questioning and listening skills to find out more about the customer’s needs and true intentions. This helps to avoid misunderstandings, provide the right service and win the customer’s trust.
Practical exercises and combining theory and practice: SWAP Methodology and Scenario Simulation
The whole training session was really exciting. Mr. Lin Tao shared lots of interesting and thought-provoking stories. He also introduced the SWAP management method, which is very effective and practical. This method provides a clear plan for communication in management. In the role-play session, three groups of partners took to the stage to practise communication skills with Mr. Lin. This “learn-and-apply” approach instantly turned abstract theory into real-life experience, making the participants’ understanding and memory of the “communication considerations” much stronger.
The training finished successfully in a relaxed, efficient and inspiring atmosphere. The people taking part said that the training made them better at their jobs and changed the way they think. It helped them work better with others and understand their customers better.
