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Introduction to Professional Communication

Upgrade your communication skills and become a more effective communicator in person, by phone and by email. DIscover more about communication principles, communication styles and reading between the lines. Improve your ability to influence others and respond to influence: learn influencing strategies, strategies for presentations, making requests, declining requests, and how to avoid mistakes in communication. By the end of the course, you will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of modes, make connections to your colleagues, and understand how to influence others and respond to influence. But this is not all. I am glad to answer your individual questions. Please feel free to contact me by asking questions in the Discussion Forums. I aim to respond to 95% of questions within 24 hours.

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Teaches communication principles and styles

Develops reading between the lines skills

Enhances influence strategies

Explores strategies for presentations

Teaches making and declining requests skills

Examines mistakes to avoid in communication

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction to Professional Communication with these activities:

Join a Study Group or Online Forum

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Engage with peers to discuss course concepts, share insights, and support each other's learning.

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Identify potential study groups or online forums related to the course topics.
Join a group that aligns with your learning style and schedule.
Participate actively in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to the group's knowledge.

Complete Online Tutorials on Presentation Delivery

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Enhance presentation skills by following guided tutorials that provide practical tips and exercises.

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Search for reputable online tutorials on presentation delivery.
Choose a tutorial that aligns with your learning style and goals.
Follow the tutorial instructions and complete the exercises.
Practice applying the techniques in real-life presentations.

Read 'Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High'

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Gain a deeper understanding of communication techniques for effectively navigating difficult conversations and managing conflict.

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Read the book thoroughly and take notes on key concepts.
Identify specific situations in your personal or professional life where you can apply the techniques.
Practice using the techniques in real-life conversations.

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Practice Active Listening Skills

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Practice applying active listening skills in real-life conversations to enhance understanding and improve communication effectiveness.

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Identify a communication partner and engage in a conversation.
Focus on paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues.
Summarize and paraphrase what the other person says to demonstrate understanding.
Ask clarifying questions to show interest and engagement.

Attend a Workshop on Nonverbal Communication

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Deepen understanding of nonverbal cues and their impact on communication effectiveness.

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Research and identify reputable workshops on nonverbal communication.
Register for a workshop that aligns with your learning goals.
Attend the workshop and actively participate in exercises and discussions.

Develop a Communication Plan for a Specific Project

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Apply communication principles to create a comprehensive plan for effectively communicating with stakeholders throughout a project's lifecycle.

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Identify the project's stakeholders and their communication needs.
Determine the communication channels and frequency for each stakeholder group.
Develop key messages and materials to communicate project updates and deliverables.
Establish a system for monitoring and evaluating the communication plan's effectiveness.

Volunteer as a Communication Mentor or Facilitator

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Enhance communication skills by sharing knowledge and supporting others in their communication development.

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Identify organizations or programs that offer volunteer opportunities in communication.
Apply for a volunteer role that aligns with your skills and interests.
Prepare materials and activities to support the communication development of mentees or participants.
Facilitate communication workshops or provide one-on-one mentoring.

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Professional Communication will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Communication Specialist

Communication Specialists work as part of a Public Relations team or in their own firms and offer communication services to clients. Their work includes strategic communications planning, internal and external communications, public relations, investor relations, social media communications, and crisis communications, among other things. Strong communication skills and a deep understanding of communication principles are important in making the most of opportunities. This course provides a deep dive into communication principles and styles as well as influencing strategies. Anyone looking to enter this career field would benefit from this course because it focuses on becoming a more effective communicator overall as well as in different modes, like in person, by phone, or by email.

See salaries and explore the career path for Communication Specialist

Human Resources Manager

In the field of Human Resources, managers and their teams work to create environments where employees feel supported and engaged. They are charged with recruiting and hiring employees, managing benefits and payroll, and helping resolve conflict within the organization. Additionally, in this role, one influences and responds to employees in order to make change and support the mission of the organization. This course teaches a variety of ways to influence others and respond to influence, which can help enhance the ability to make meaningful and lasting changes within an organization.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers create the strategies and campaigns that promote a product or service. In this course, participants will learn the principles of communication as well as how to influence others. These skills are useful to marketing managers as they often influence the public and collaborators to meet marketing goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Sales Manager

Sales managers lead sales teams and oversee the sales process. The course description mentions that it teaches strategies for making requests and declining requests. These are valuable skills for sales managers as they regularly have to make requests to current and potential customers and must also know how to decline requests from those same groups in a respectful way that maintains the professional relationship.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Public Relations Specialist

Public relations specialists manage the reputation of their clients, employers, and organizations. In this role, one must be able to effectively communicate with a variety of audiences and stakeholders. This course would be useful for someone in this role as it teaches how to influence others and respond to influence as well as how to communicate effectively in a variety of modes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Relations Specialist

Customer Service Representative

Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) are responsible for providing customer service to clients and resolving customer issues. An important aspect of this role is effectively communicating with customers and other stakeholders. This course may be helpful to CSRs as it provides strategies on how to influence others and respond to influence as well as how to communicate effectively in a variety of modes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Service Representative

Event Manager

Event managers plan and execute events for their clients. Communication is key to the success of an event. This course could be helpful to an event manager as it focuses on improving ability to influence others and teaches strategies for presentations, making requests, declining requests, and avoiding mistakes in communication.

See salaries and explore the career path for Event Manager

Project Manager

Project Managers plan, execute, and close projects. An important part of this role is being able to influence others and communicate effectively with stakeholders. This course may be useful for project managers as it teaches how to influence others and respond to influence as well as improve their ability to communicate effectively both in person and in writing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Media Relations Manager

Media Relations Managers work with the media to promote their clients and organizations. They are responsible for pitching stories, managing relationships with journalists, and responding to media inquiries. This course may be a good fit as it teaches the principles of communication, how to influence others, and how to communicate effectively in person and in writing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Media Relations Manager

Investor Relations Manager

Investor Relations Managers work with investors and financial analysts to promote their companies. They are responsible for communicating the company's financial performance, answering investor questions, and building relationships with investors. This course could be helpful for investor relations managers as it provides strategies for making requests, declining requests, and avoiding mistakes in communication.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investor Relations Manager

Talent Acquisition Manager

Talent Acquisition Managers are responsible for recruiting and hiring employees. They work with hiring managers to identify and attract top talent and must be able to communicate effectively with candidates and hiring managers throughout the process. This course would be helpful as it teaches how to influence others, make requests, decline requests, and improve ability to communicate effectively in person and in writing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Talent Acquisition Manager

Journalist

Journalists research, write, and report on news stories for newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets. This course could be useful to journalists as it focuses on improving ability to influence others and teaches strategies for presentations, making requests, declining requests, and avoiding mistakes in communication.

See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist

Corporate Communications Manager

Corporate Communications Managers develop and implement communication strategies for their organizations. This course emphasizes principles of communication as well as how to improve ability to influence others. These skills are essential for corporate communications managers as they are responsible for communicating with a variety of audiences and stakeholders.

See salaries and explore the career path for Corporate Communications Manager

Public Relations Officer

Public Relations Officers manage the reputation of their organizations. They work with the media and other stakeholders to promote their organizations and respond to crises. This course may be useful as it covers principles of communication as well as strategies for presentations, making requests, and declining requests.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Relations Officer

Writer

Writers produce written content for a variety of purposes, such as articles, blog posts, website content, and marketing materials. This course could be helpful for writers as it focuses on improving ability to influence others and teaches strategies for writing in different styles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Writer

Reading list

We've selected ten books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Introduction to Professional Communication.

Clinician’s Guide to Sexuality and Autism

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Complements the course by delving into the principles of effective communication, including verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.

Introduction to Professional Communication

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