Assertiveness means the ability to express your rights and needs, negative and positive without violating the limits and rights of others. Thus, assertive communication skills are the most important to put forth your ideas in an impressive way. To develop such communication skills, the person also needs to be self-confident.
Apart from this, here are some tips that will help you to communicate in an assertive way.
Assertive listening is the first important thing that you need to possess. This is important because of three reasons. Firstly, it lets the other person realize your viewpoint. Secondly, you should also understand the viewpoint of others. Thirdly, you must make the other person realize that you understood his point clearly and accurately.
Another important tactic of assertive communication skills is to clearly show the other person that you are interested in hearing and understanding what the other person is saying. You can do this by using the following statements during your conversation I would like to know your views on…, Can you tell me something more, Would you tell me about how you perceive the situation?
One of the most important skills that you need as a good communicator is eye contact. As an assertive person, you need to make direct eye contact. This makes it clear that you need to be listened and taken seriously.
You must be aware of the fact that not looking into the other person’s eyes while speaking shows that you are timid, nervous. This weakens you in front of the other person. However, this does not mean that you stare. Just look at others confidently.
Next, your posture reveals a lot about your personality. When you walk into a room, your body language can tell your confidence level and even your mental state. A rigid posture can reflect that you are tensed out or you are in a high emotional state.
So, the right kind of posture is to be in a relaxed and erect position. This defines that you are assertive. And when you sit down, just lean a little bit showing interest and purpose.
Facial expression is the best sign to show what type of a person you are. Your face itself will illustrate whether you are alert, in a relaxed mood, in agreement or tense. So, the best way to show that you possess good communication skills is to wear a neutral look on your face.
Finally, another important element that you need to take care of to develop assertive communication skills is the tone of your voice. Loudness and speed of your speech should be monitored. You should not have a feeble voice but that does not mean that you shout.
Keeping these points in mind, you can develop assertive communication skills which will help you in all walks of life.