Seven Tips For Better Communication With Foreign Tech Help

Contrary to popular belief, English is not the only language spoken in this world. And with business and social situations increasingly demanding interaction with international partners, the way Americans communicate with non-English speakers is vitally important. Communication skills expert Renee Grant-Williams offers valuable solutions that will help reduce the frustrations that can stem from inter-global miscommunication.

Language barriers surface not only in the international business community, but can turn up in many unexpected situations. “If it’s 1:30 a.m. and your hard drive crashes just as you’re finishing up the report you worked on all weekend, what you do?” asks Renee Grant-Williams, expert voice coach to business professionals, political candidates and some of the recording industry’s biggest stars. “Technical support may be only a telephone call away, but more and more, chances are you will reach someone in Pakistan who doesn’t speak English any better than you speak Urdu.”

“No matter how Americans feel about outsourcing, it’s likely there will be more of it in the future, not less,” says Grant-Williams, “So everyone will eventually have to learn to communicate with people who do not speak their native language.”

Grant-Williams says to speak slowly and deliberately when speaking to someone whose primary language is not English. She advises that patience and grace will resolve awkward, language-related situations more easily and quickly than impatience.

“A gracious use of silence can help people communicate better,” says Grant-Williams. “Those who are new to English need time to translate. Show respect for their struggle to understand by pausing before and after each important point, giving them ample opportunity to sort out what has been said. Make certain that listeners grasp each meaning before moving on. Don’t merely repeat the same thing over and over again in a progressively louder voice. Volume is not the problem.”

Finally, Grant-Williams says to keep communication simple. “Skip the extra verbiage and stick to short, basic phrases,” she says. “Avoid using slang and ‘five-dollar’ words. Take time to confirm that you have been understood. When the listener seems to be confused, find alternative ways of saying things.”

Conversely, Grant-Williams advises that if it’s difficult to understand what is being said to you, then ask the person to speak more slowly and clearly. Repeat each point to confirm that what has been said has been understood.

Grant-Williams offers more advice in her book, “Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention” published by AMACOM Books, New York. This book is endorsed by Paul Harvey and was selected by “Soundview Executive Book Summaries” as one of the best business books of 2002.

Grant-Williams coaches business executives, sales professionals and celebrities including Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis and Huey Lewis. A professional speaker, she presents communication programs to business organizations and has been quoted by Cosmopolitan, the Associated Press, Business Week, United Press International, Newhouse News, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle. She has appeared on numerous broadcast outlets including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Bravo, Bloomberg, MTV, BBC and NPR. Grant-Williams is a former instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as the former director of the Division of Vocal Music at the University of California, Berkeley.