How well do you communicate?

What I am about to reveal borders on the mundane – real estate is a people profession, and one of the most important skills a salesperson must have are people skills. This means the ability to establish rapport with different types of people, resolve difficulties and offer practical solutions during challenging negotiations, and asking the right questions of buyer clients to help them determine their purchasing needs.

How well do you communicate? Consider the 20 statements that follow, adapted from a self-assessment questionnaire. How to score the questionnaire has been omitted deliberately because the point is not how high you scored – it’s about raising your awareness on how well you communicate.

Communication Skills Self-Assessment

1	I am open minded and am willing to change my viewpoint based on the valid opinion of others
2	I prepare for all communication and think things through before I speak
3	I always tailor my message to suit the person(s) to whom I am speaking
4	I find it easy to listen to what other people have to say without interrupting
5	I am good at making eye contact with people when I am speaking to them
6	I am not intimidated by situations where I must communicate with difficult people
7	I am confident when I talk to people and speak clearly without mumbling
8	I am good at getting my point across in a clear, concise manner without rambling
9	I find it easy to concentrate on what others are saying and don’t lose my focus
10	I don’t start planning my response while the other person is talking
11	I don’t think that my opinion is the most important in the room
12	I only speak up if I have something valuable to contribute to the conversation and I avoid talking just for the sake of it
13	I make a conscious effort to match my body language to the message I want to convey
14	I am good at reading the body language of others
15	I can keep my cool when talking to other people even if I feel angry about what they say
16	When other people in the group are quiet, I encourage them to contribute
17	I don’t shout and point at people when we have a heated conversation
18	When group discussions get heated, I am good at keeping everyone calm and on the point
19	I feel comfortable holding meetings
20	I am good at summarizing the key points of conversations that I have with people

Reference: HTC Consulting (N.D.). Communication Skills Self-Assessment Inventory.

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