10 Communication Skills That Make People Actually Listen

Research consistently ranks poor communication as one of the top three causes of divorce, alongside financial stress and lack of commitment. Yet most people believe they communicate just fine—it’s everyone else who doesn’t listen.

This assumption is the problem. Effective communication skills aren’t about talking more clearly. It’s about understanding the invisible signals you send, the ones you don’t even know you’re broadcasting. Whether you struggle with speaking up in meetings or simply want to connect better with colleagues, developing these skills transforms how people respond to you in the workplace and beyond.

What Are Communication Skills?

Communication skills help you share ideas and feelings with others. Strong communicators use words, body language, and facial expressions to send and receive messages effectively.

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” — George Bernard Shaw

The gap between what you think you communicated and what others actually received is where relationships break down, projects fail, and misunderstandings multiply.

Why Are Communication Skills Important?

Whether verbal, nonverbal, or written, you communicate with people every day. And the quality of that communication shapes your career trajectory, your relationships, and your influence.

In 1952, Scott Cutlip introduced the 7 C’s of communication^{1https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2015/vol1issue13/PartF/1-13-8.pdf}to help people create clearer, more persuasive messages:

• Clarity: Know your purpose before you speak
• Conciseness: Keep it short and on point
• Concreteness: Use facts and vivid imagery
• Correctness: Match your audience’s comprehension level
• Coherence: Make your logic easy to follow
• Completeness: Give people enough information to act
• Courtesy: Stay open, honest, and friendly

Master these principles, and you become someone people trust to deliver information they can use.

Types of Communication Skills

According to research from Drexel University^{2https://drexel.edu/goodwin/professional-studies-blog/overview/2018/July/Five-types-of-communication/}, communication breaks into five distinct channels:

Visual Communication — Images, charts, and diagrams that convey meaning instantly. Our brains process visuals faster than text, which explains why a well-designed slide deck outperforms a wall of bullet points.

Written Communication — Emails, reports, and messages that let you craft your thoughts carefully. According to NACE’s 2025 Job Outlook^{3https://www.naceweb.org/}, over 70% of employers seek strong written communication skills, making this a career-defining ability.

Listening — A study on listening skills^{4https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316277855_A_STUDY_ON_LISTENING_SKILLS_AND_PERSPECTIVE_TO_FIRST_YEAR_STUDENTS_AT_ENGLISH_DEPARTMENT_OF_ACADEMIC_YEAR_20152016}found that approximately 40% of communication time involves listening. Miss this, and you lose nearly half of every conversation.

Verbal Communication — Speaking your message directly, using tone of voice, pitch, and pacing to reinforce your words. Your vocal delivery can completely change how a message lands.

Nonverbal Communication — Your body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and gestures. Research by Darioly and Mast^{5https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07359683.2010.495300}suggests nonverbal cues account for 65-90% of meaning in social interactions—though this varies significantly by context. Learning to read and project positive nonverbal signals gives you a significant advantage in any conversation.

Top 10 Effective Communication Skills

1. Clear Signaling

“Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success.” — Paul J. Meyer

Most people assume their intentions are obvious. They’re not.

Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology^{6https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12703649/}identified something called signal amplification bias—the tendency to believe your communication cues are clearer than they actually are.

You’ve experienced this bias when you’ve heard (or said):

• “It should have been obvious.”
• “This goes without saying.”
• “I shouldn’t have to tell you this.”

These phrases signal a communication breakdown, not a listening problem. In negotiation situations, this bias becomes especially costly—assuming the other party understands your position leads to misunderstandings and failed deals.

The fix: State your intentions directly.

• If you enjoy working with someone, tell them.
• If someone did excellent work on a project, say so specifically.
• If something makes you uncomfortable, name it.
• In negotiations, explicitly state your priorities and constraints.

People can’t read your mind. Stop expecting them to.

2. Highlight Uniqueness

Everyone has a distinct communication style—a particular way of using voice inflection, body posture, or word choice that sets them apart.

Strong communicators lean into their unique traits rather than trying to sound like everyone else. They also notice and acknowledge what makes others distinctive.

Try this:

• Compliment a colleague’s clear presentation style
• Acknowledge someone’s ability to simplify complex topics
• Notice when someone’s energy shifts the mood of a room

Recognizing uniqueness in others builds connection faster than generic praise ever could.

3. Reading Facial Expressions

Humans display seven universal microexpressions that signal emotion: joy, surprise, contempt, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear. Learning to read these facial expressions gives you real-time feedback about how your message lands.

The facial feedback hypothesis^{7https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=psychology_grad}suggests that facial expressions connect to emotional experience—your face doesn’t just reflect how you feel; it may influence your feelings.

A note on the science: A classic study on this topic (holding a pen in your mouth to induce smiling) faced replication challenges across multiple labs. The broader concept of embodied emotion remains studied, but the specific findings are debated.

What’s not debated: paying attention to facial expressions—yours and others’—improves communication accuracy.

4. The Still-Face Effect

Dr. Edward Tronick’s still-face experiment^{8https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3289403/}demonstrated something profound: when caregivers present a neutral, unresponsive face to infants, the babies show distress within two minutes.

This need for responsive facial feedback doesn’t disappear in adulthood. If you maintain a flat, expressionless face during conversations (sometimes called “resting neutral face”), people struggle to connect with you. They can’t tell if you’re engaged, bored, or hostile.

Solutions for more responsive communication:

• Practice listening with empathy and responding verbally
• Help people label their feelings so you can respond appropriately
• Identify the speaker’s main point and react to it

Your face is part of the conversation. Use it.

5. Facial Mimicry

When you focus on someone’s face during conversation, your mirror neuron system^{9https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3510904/}activates. You naturally begin to mirror their expressions—a phenomenon researchers call facial mimicry or the chameleon effect.

This automatic mirroring signals that you’re paying attention and creates rapport without you saying a word.

How to use this: Maintain comfortable eye contact during conversations. Your brain handles the rest. You’ll find yourself naturally reflecting the speaker’s emotional state, which builds trust and shows genuine engagement.

This works especially well in workplace meetings where demonstrating active listening matters for your professional reputation.

6. Use Precise Words

Vague language creates vague understanding. Precise words create clarity.

This matters because of a phenomenon called spontaneous trait transference^{10https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9569648/}: when you describe others, listeners unconsciously associate those traits with you.

Describe a colleague as “brilliant and reliable,” and people perceive you as more brilliant and reliable. Describe someone as “lazy and dishonest,” and those associations stick to you instead.

Words that communicate competence:

• Transparent (instead of “honest”)
• Strategic (instead of “smart”)
• Collaborative (instead of “nice”)
• Resourceful (instead of “good at figuring things out”)

Choose words that paint the picture you want others to see—of your subject and of you.

7. Embodied Cognition

Embodied cognition^{11https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/embodied-cognition}is the theory that your body’s reactions influence your thoughts. See a chair, think about sitting. Smell food, think about eating. Your environment constantly shapes your mental state.

This has direct implications for communication in the workplace and beyond.

One leader noticed her team visibly winced whenever she said phrases like “let’s not be a sinking ship” or “let’s not rip the bandaid off.” Even though she said “not,” the painful metaphors still triggered physical discomfort.

The application: Choose metaphors and imagery that create the emotional response you want. Positive framing (“let’s build momentum”) works better than negative framing (“let’s not fall behind”), even when the meaning is similar.

This principle extends to your physical environment too. Standing while presenting creates different energy than sitting. Walking meetings generate more creative ideas than conference room discussions. Your body position influences both your thinking and how others perceive your message.

8. Structured Feedback

No one likes feeling ignored. Sharing feedback proves you paid attention and creates dialogue rather than monologue.

A 2017 study on feedback types^{12https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709796/}identified three categories:

• Informal Feedback: Quick verbal or nonverbal responses (nodding, “that makes sense”)
• Formal Feedback: Structured assessment with specific observations
• Summative Feedback: Detailed summary with suggestions for improvement

Most daily conversations need only informal feedback—but many people forget to give even that. A simple “I hear you” or head nod transforms a one-way broadcast into a two-way exchange.

Action Step: Find a “feedback buddy” and practice giving structured responses to each other. Role-play a job interview or presentation, then exchange specific observations.

9. Intentional Body Language

Linguist Mario Pei estimated there are over 700,000 forms of physical communication. During typical conversations, a significant portion of social meaning comes through body language rather than words.

Your body reveals what your words might hide:

• Head: Subtle nods signal agreement; head shakes (even while saying yes) signal disagreement. Learn more about head behavior.
• Face: Micro-expressions reveal anger, happiness, sadness, or contempt. Study facial expressions.
• Eyes: Eye direction indicates interest, boredom, or discomfort. Explore eye body language.
• Hands: Open palms signal sincerity; hidden hands can signal threat. Master hand gestures.
• Feet: Feet point toward where someone wants to go. Read about leg body language.

Understanding body language helps you notice if someone is engaged or checked out—and adjust your approach accordingly.

For a complete guide, read The Ultimate Guide to Body Language.

10. Storytelling

Storytelling is the oldest communication technology, and it remains one of the most effective. Stories create mental imagery, sustain attention, and make abstract concepts concrete.

Effective storytelling includes:

• Visual cues (pictures, objects, gestures)
• Rephrasing when someone looks confused
• Nonverbal emphasis through movement and expression

Stories work because they engage multiple communication channels simultaneously—verbal, visual, and emotional. A well-told story about a project failure teaches more than a bullet-pointed list of lessons learned.

Public Speaking Tips

When presenting to groups, storytelling becomes even more powerful. Start with a hook that creates curiosity. Use pauses strategically—silence builds anticipation. Vary your tone of voice to maintain energy. Make eye contact with different sections of your audience. And practice your opening and closing until they feel natural.

Build Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in yourself and others—forms the foundation of effective communication skills.

High-EQ communicators do four things well:

• Self-awareness: They recognize their emotional triggers before reacting
• Self-regulation: They pause before responding to charged situations
• Social awareness: They read the emotional temperature of a room
• Relationship management: They adapt their approach based on others’ needs

Building emotional intelligence starts with paying attention. Notice when your heart rate increases during a conversation. Observe when colleagues seem stressed or disengaged. Practice naming emotions—yours and others’—without judgment.

Empathy is the cornerstone here. When you genuinely try to understand someone’s perspective before responding, you communicate respect even before you speak.

Want to level up your people skills? Check out our resource:

Find Points of Connection

The fastest path to effective communication is finding common ground. Shared experiences, mutual interests, or common challenges create instant rapport.

In workplace settings, connection points might include:

• Shared project goals or challenges
• Similar career paths or backgrounds
• Common frustrations with processes or tools
• Mutual professional interests

Practical techniques:

• Ask about someone’s weekend before diving into business
• Reference shared experiences (“Remember when we dealt with that client issue?”)
• Find the overlap between your goals and theirs
• Acknowledge common challenges before proposing solutions

Connection doesn’t require deep friendship. It requires demonstrating that you see the other person as more than a transaction.

Adapt to the Medium

The best communicators adjust their approach based on the channel they’re using. What works in person fails over email. What succeeds in a presentation bombs in a text message.

Adapting to Different Channels

Face-to-face: Use full nonverbal cues. Read reactions in real-time. Adjust based on feedback.

Video calls: Exaggerate facial expressions slightly (cameras flatten emotion). Look at the camera, not the screen, to simulate eye contact. Minimize distractions in your background and eliminate notifications that pull your attention away.

Email: Front-load your main point. Use formatting (bullets, bold) to aid scanning. Assume your tone will read as slightly colder than intended.

Instant messaging: Keep messages brief. Use emojis sparingly to add warmth. Don’t expect immediate responses.

Team communication: When communicating between teams, over-communicate context. What’s obvious to your team may be foreign to others. Establish shared vocabulary and confirm understanding before moving forward.

Active Listening: The Skill That Multiplies All Others

Active listening isn’t just staying quiet while someone else talks. It’s a deliberate practice that transforms how people experience conversations with you.

Why Active Listening Matters

When you truly listen, you:

• Catch information others miss
• Make speakers feel valued and understood
• Reduce misunderstandings before they escalate
• Build trust faster than any other single skill

Poor listeners miss context, make assumptions, and create extra work correcting preventable errors.

How to Practice Active Listening

Remove distractions: Put your phone away. Close unnecessary tabs. Give the speaker your full attention. Distractions signal that something else matters more than the person in front of you.

Listen to understand, not to respond: Resist the urge to formulate your reply while someone is still speaking. Stay curious about their perspective.

Reflect and clarify: Paraphrase what you heard (“So what you’re saying is…”) to confirm understanding. Ask clarifying questions before offering solutions.

Notice nonverbal cues: Pay attention to tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. These often communicate more than words.

Building active listening as a habit takes practice. Start by choosing one conversation per day where you focus entirely on understanding before responding.

Communication Skills Takeaway

Communication isn’t about talking more or talking louder. It’s about closing the gap between what you intend to say and what others actually receive. These effective communication skills work whether you’re navigating workplace challenges, building relationships, or simply trying to be understood.

Simple ways to start improving today:

1. Test your signal clarity — Ask a trusted colleague if your intentions come across as clearly as you think they do
2. Practice facial responsiveness — Record yourself in a video call and notice your expressions (or lack thereof)
3. Audit your word choices — Notice which words you use to describe others, knowing those traits transfer to you
4. Get a feedback buddy — Practice giving and receiving structured feedback in low-stakes situations
5. Study one body language category — Pick hands, eyes, or posture and observe it for one week

Low-cost ways to keep improving:

• Watch TED talks with the sound off to study body language
• Record voice memos to hear your tone of voice patterns
• Practice conversations with a friend before high-stakes meetings
• Read books on communication from your local library
• Join a Toastmasters group (many offer free guest visits)

If you’re not naturally good at talking to others, know this: communication skills are learned, not innate. Start with one skill from this list. Practice it until it feels natural. Then add another. Small, consistent habits compound into transformation.

The best communicators aren’t born with special abilities. They’ve simply learned to pay attention to signals most people ignore.

Ready to handle difficult conversations? Check out: 9 Conflict Resolution Tips to Win An Argument Like a Jedi