4 Types of Communication -Learn All You Need

You have to be able to communicate with people for your business to succeed. But how do you know if your communication is effective? There are many types of communication, and it’s essential that you understand what they are and which one is best suited for the situation. Today, we will look at four different types of communication, including verbal, nonverbal, visual, and written. Then, we’ll go over their best practices and examples so that you can better understand what type will work best for each scenario. Communication is essential, so let’s talk about it.

Why is communication important?

Humans require human interaction. Sometimes, it is a quick nod in agreement, while other times, it presents data to an audience with hundreds of complex requirements. Communication is essential for developing relationships, sharing ideas, and delegating responsibilities.

One can’t exist without the other — communication naturally provides necessary information when building relationships, communicating thoughts or expressions when speaking in public, or a written form. Communication is always essential to make one’s thoughts understood.

4 Types of Communication

There are four main types of communication – verbal, nonverbal, visual, and written. 

• Verbal is when the speaker speaks to another person verbally, either in person or over a phone call; 
• Nonverbal is when one communicates without words like through body languages such as gestures or facial expressions; 
• Visual is when one speaks with pictures or a symbol like the picture of an apple to represent fruit; 
• Written communication is when someone writes down what they want to say.

Non-verbal communication

Nonverbal communication is when you talk without using words. It can be used intentionally or unintentionally. We use facial expressions to speak too, and sometimes we do it even if it is not good. If you learn more about how you use nonverbal communication, you will be able to make sure that the message that people are getting from you is what you want them to get.

Be aware of your nonverbal communication.

When you are alert, open, and optimistic about your surroundings, or if you feel confused and anxious about information, speak with body language as well. Besides, verbal communication such as asking follow-up questions or extracting the presenter aside to give feedback-frowning might be a helpful way of reading facial expressions to understand better what is happening.

Eye contact

All of us understand the importance of eye contact. Eye contact shows that you are listening, engaged, and honest. Looking a speaker in the eye while delivering unpleasant news makes your message more sincere – which benefits both parties.

Understand the effects of your emotions

By being aware of your body’s responses to different emotions, you can identify where and how you feel the emotion. For example, you may notice that judging anxiety results in an upset stomach or boredom makes you yawn more often.

Having awareness about what is happening within your own body will better understand when someone else isn’t making the best decisions for themselves.

Examples of Nonverbal Communication:

• Crossing your arms is a way to show that you are closed off from the conversation.
• Pointing at someone with your finger can be seen as aggressive or rude. It also might mean that there’s something in front of them worth pointing out. For example, an object on the ground right in front of them.
• A smile is one way to show someone that you are happy to see them or welcoming their presence.
• Laughing and smiling means something different. Laughter can be used as a type of defense mechanism when we’re feeling uncomfortable in an environment–it’s often nervous laughter. In contrast, a genuine smile shows people that you are delighted to see them.
• Looking down while speaking can be seen as a way of avoiding eye contact or being dishonest about what they’re saying.
• Covering your mouth with one hand means uncertainty and insecurity in some cultures, like Thailand, for example. They might feel embarrassed by their words–so covering the mouth would be a way for them to avoid the embarrassment.
• Crossing your arms over your chest shows that you are closed off from what is being said–if this happens often, it might be an indicator of low self-esteem or distrust in themselves and others.

Verbal communication

Verbal communication is one of the most common communication types used during lectures, video conferences, and phone calls. Verbal communication is crucial because it can be efficient. It should be supported with both nonverbal and written communication to reinforce the message and clarify any points that may have been missed while speaking face-to-face or over a phone.

Active listening

Effective verbal communication includes intently listening to and hearing others. Active listening skills are essential when conducting a meeting, presenting, or participating in one-on-one conversations. Doing so will help you become an effective communicator.

Tone of voice

It is frustrating when people are upset or frustrated. It can be tempting to speak in a curt, short, or rude tone. But it would help if you did not do this because it conveys how you view the other person. To have positive relationships with other people in the office, we should all speak in a professional and respectful tone when we’re having a conversation.

Pacing and volume

A good pace is slow enough for the listener to process what they are hearing, but not too quick so that it becomes difficult to understand. Statements should be delivered with a clear emphasis on important words or phrases (such as “never”). Communication should also involve speaking at an appropriate volume, which may be softer for personal conversations.

Examples of Verbal Communication:

• Talking about how you feel can be difficult, but the other person needs to know your feelings. Communication doesn’t work if there is no verbal or nonverbal interaction.
• Speaking clearly and with a confident tone helps get your point across better–it shows that you’re not nervous and are sure of what you’re saying.
• It’s essential to be honest and mindful of what you say when it comes to verbal communication because words have the power to hurt people–just as much or more than physical harm can. Communication should not occur with any threat in mind.
• For a conversation to work well, it’s essential to read the natural body language of the person you’re talking to, whether sitting, standing, smiling, or looking down. Communication is about paying attention to the other person and showing that you care for them to have a working conversation.
• Talking with people who speak different languages can be difficult. The essential part of communication with another language is to pay attention, show patience and be understanding.
• It’s important to communicate openly with people with similar values–even if the conversation might not always go well or you don’t get along at first. Communication should never falter because of a difference in opinion, but instead through open dialogue. Communication goes two ways: being receptive as well as being available to talk.

Written communication

There are many different modes of communication in the world, most of which involve the written word. Writing is commonly used to record information, and because all variations of writing share this function, they have some things in common. Blogs, emails, books, etcetera are a form of written communication with its specific benefits and drawbacks.

Keep good structure

It is important when writing to use paragraphs and line breaks. It is helpful for the reader to understand this information that they can take it in chunks. The first step is to state your argument or thesis, back it up with clear proof, then add the necessary information so that the reader understands it fully. Finally, close off with a conclusion.

When writing, it should be straightforward to understand so that the reader can fully comprehend your message. Communication is meant for people who will not know everything about a topic or subject; therefore, there needs to be as much detail when writing as possible without being overly complicated or confusing–this includes explaining terminology if necessary. Therefore, when you register, make sure to use precise language. Communication is also meant for people who will not understand everything about a topic or subject; therefore, there needs to be as much detail when writing as possible without being overly complicated or confusing–including explaining terminology if necessary.

Be clear about the topic.

It is hard to know how much detail you should include in instructions, but it is better to give too much information than not enough. Be thoughtful about your audience. Think about what they know and what you need to explain in more detail. Communication is meant to be straightforward to understand.

Try not to use jargon that only you know, but instead provide enough context so the reader can get your point without it. Communication should make sense for those reading or hearing it–even if they do not have prior knowledge of certain words or concepts.

Always review what you wrote.

Setting time out to re-read your emails, letters, or notes can help you make no mistakes. For essential communications or ones that will be sent to many people, it might be helpful to have someone else who is reading the letter review it. Communication should be clear and easy to understand. Communication is meant for people who will not know everything about a topic or subject-including explaining terminology if necessary.

Written Communication Techniques:

– Double-space to show that you are pausing

– Catch up on punctuation and spelling mistakes before publishing the article.

– Capitalize the first sentence but not words like “and” or “the.”

– Use italics for thoughts, ideas, quotations, etcetera

– Use bullet points if it’s long and you need to divide the content

– Add a concise conclusion at the end of your blog post or article. This helps readers understand what they’ve just read, reinforces critical points, and provides a strong sense of closure.

Our Guide – The Best Ways to Improve Your Written Communication Skills

Visual communication

When communicating, visuals can be used in many different contexts. One way they are often presented is during presentations. Visuals may include photographs, art, drawings, and sketches. These visual aids are typically meant to accompany verbal and written communication; when used with other types of communication, more specific information might be absorbed or understood by the audience better because people have different learning styles. Communication should be clear and easy to understand-including explaining terminology if necessary.

A visual communication technique for presentations is a slide presentation, which uses visuals in animation or motion with sound effects to emphasize certain parts of the presentation and get people engaged visually and verbally. Communication can also take place through symbols such as flags, icons, or signs. Communication should be clear and easy to understand-including explaining terminology if necessary.

Other types of communication that use visuals are advertising, which utilizes colors, images, bold fonts, and flashy graphics to draw people’s attention; textiles such as fabrics and clothing design; architecture where buildings show messages through their shapes and designs; logos for organizations and companies; and even the pages of a book which can have illustrations.

Ask others what they think about visualization.

Getting the opinion of others may not always be helpful, but when it comes to presenting a visual aid, we suggest sharing your idea for feedback. Sharing visuals makes concepts complicated in complex ways for people who haven’t already figured them out. An outside opinion can help you decide whether or not adding an image will add value or create confusion with your presentation.

Remember with whom you communicate.

Be sure to include visual aides that are easy to understand for your audience. For example, if you are showing a graphic with unfamiliar data, be sure to take time and explain what is happening in the graph and how it relates to what you are discussing. It would be best if you never used sensitive, offensive, violent or graphic images in any form of communication.

At the end, we also recommend you watch this video on “The four types of Communication – Communication is more than words!” By the Jacob Does Stuff channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0UlZmRBT7I

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you a better understanding of the 4 types of communication and that it can be helpful in your next interaction with others. If you want to read more blog posts like this one, check out our website, where we have tons of articles on improving all aspects of your life!