Most people in the Advertising Specialty industry spend a good portion of their time communicating with customers, vendors, employees, and others. To be successful in any business, you must be a good communicator.

Some helpful rules of good communication include:

Think - Have a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish from the communication and know what you want to say before you say it.

Body - Remember that oral communication is more than just words. Your tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures can say more than your words.

Know - Keep your listener in mind by considering their needs and interests. Understanding where the listener's head is and empathizing with their viewpoint is key to having them hear your message.

Check - Always follow up to see that your message was understood. Don't assume, just because you spoke, people heard or even listened to what you said....