Professional relationships can bloom or wither based on the quality of conversation. When you’re authentic with clients, prospects and colleagues, you’re laying the groundwork for a fruitful relationship. You can begin to build trust and establish a human connection with the other person. On the flip side, if your conversation seems forced or superficial, the relationship will likely feel the same way.

The good news is that you don’t need a ton of time to strengthen your bond with someone. Even if you only have 10 minutes, you can make the interaction a meaningful one.

Bruna Martinuzzi, who specializes in leadership communication coaching, has outlined some simple ways you can raise the level of every conversation – even the short ones. We share her guidance in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

Get in front of someone. Too often, we spend time in our offices, emailing people instead of talking with them face to face. When possible, try to get those in-person interactions. It’s one way to create authentic human moments, Martinuzzi says.

Accept people as they are. This is a sure way to improve communication, according to Martinuzzi, because it moves us away from seeing ourselves as superior to those around us.

Bring up past positive experiences. If you lead a team, remind your employees of their past successes from time to time. It’s good to hear praise in the moment, but Martinuzzi says hearing it weeks or months later is fuel for the soul.

Introduce the Four-Sentence Rule. Discussions won’t be meaningful if they constantly veer off course or one person commandeers the conversation. Try encouraging your team members to speak in four sentences or less. Martinuzzi says it can be a helpful tool to keep everyone engaging in clear and focused dialogue.

Stay CALM. This stands for Curious Active Listening Mindset. According to Martinuzzi, it emphasizes the importance of active listening and establishing trust. The goal is for all parties involved to be honest with each other and express their true thoughts in the conversation.

Find the commonalities. Meeting with a prospect? Look for common ground to begin an authentic conversation. Martinuzzi says shared interests or experiences can move us away from mundane chitchat about the weather into deeper, more memorable discussions.

Use a conversational tone. Drop the corporate speak and inflated language. Colloquial language is always a better way to connect with others. Stay mindful about certain idioms or terms that may not translate well. For example, non-native clients or coworkers may not understand what “back to square one” or “ballpark number” means. Swap out anything that could be confusing for more recognizable words.

The quality of your conversations matters. Whether you’re meeting with a client or conversing with co-workers, consider the points above to have more authentic interactions.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Bruna Martinuzzi is the founder of Clarion Enterprises, specializing in presentation skills training and leadership communication coaching.