How To Make a Bigger Impact in Business by Mastering Communication Skills

What’s the one skill that can elevate every aspect of your business and personal life? Communication.

It’s not about being a charismatic speaker or crafting perfect emails. It’s also not about eye contact and sounding authoritative. It’s about the ability to think clearly and articulate ideas in a way that resonates with others.

Many believe communication skills are about public speaking, flawless grammar, or persuasive sales techniques. While those are helpful, true communication mastery stems from deep thinking.

When you improve how you think, you naturally improve how you communicate.

For example, imagine you’re Toby Surber at Ad Astra Softwash in Overland Park, KS and want to explain what you do for potential clients. Instead of saying “We offer top-notch exterior cleaning services with excellent customer service.”, you could add more context with:

“We specialize in a gentle yet highly effective cleaning method called soft washing. Unlike traditional pressure washing, our approach uses eco-friendly, biodegradable solutions combined with low-pressure techniques to remove dirt, mold, and algae without damaging your home’s exterior surfaces. This ensures not only a spotless appearance but also prolongs the lifespan of your property.”

Do you see how his explanation is more powerful – and that to have such an explanation, he’s skilled in his field and has done soft-washing many times over many years?

Communication is a Reflection of Thought Quality

If you struggle to express yourself clearly, it’s not just a communication problem—it’s a thinking problem. A strong communicator can break down complex ideas, explain their beliefs with clarity, and engage others in meaningful conversations.

Imagine explaining how a dish like amatriciana is prepared in Italy. A surface-level explanation might list ingredients, but a great communicator would bring in cultural context, personal experience, and the history behind the dish.

The same applies to your business. If you can’t explain why your service is valuable in a way that connects with your audience, you’re not just struggling with marketing—you’re struggling with clarity of thought.

One way to test your ability to think critically is by practicing active listening.

To do this, you show comprehension of the other person’s point of view and address it directly. As an example, imagine someone isn’t satisfied with your work. Instead of saying “I understand”, you need to show the other person you’re listening by addressing their points directly.

Communication is a two-way street.

The Business Impact of Strong Communication

For business owners, effective communication isn’t about selling—it’s about creating trust, educating customers, and leading teams. Here’s how mastering communication can elevate your business:

1. Stronger Customer Relationships – The ability to explain your services in a way that resonates with customers builds trust and increases conversions.
2. Better Team Leadership – Clear communication ensures your employees understand expectations, reducing confusion and mistakes.
3. More Persuasive Marketing – Whether through videos, social media, or website copy, well-articulated messaging helps you stand out in a crowded market.
4. Improved Decision-Making – The ability to consider opposing ideas, reason through different perspectives, and make thoughtful choices leads to better business strategies.

Persuasive marketing is downstream from persuasive ideas and communication, since if you’re unable to express yourself thoughtfully, you can’t expect others to do the work for you. And to express yourself thoughtfully, you first need to learn and do.

We teach others the importance of LDT (Learn, Do, Teach) – which is that to properly teach a topic with clear communication, you must first learn and do something yourself. 

If my friend Nilson Silva of Master Touch wanted to teach others how to build a $16 Million a year business, you should listen since he’s already learned how to do it himself and has done it. Therefore, his level of communication on this topic is easy – since for him it’s not rocket science.

Similarly, clear communication comes from a deep understanding of a topic, and that understanding comes from loads of experience.

How To Develop Better Communication Skills

Now that you understand what great communication looks like, how are ways you can improve your communication?

1. Sharpen Your Thinking – Read widely, engage in deep discussions, and challenge your own beliefs. The clearer you think, the clearer you’ll speak.
2. Practice Explaining Ideas – Teach others what you know, whether it’s about your industry, a passion, or even a simple topic like the difference between cappuccino and regular coffee.
3. Embrace Clarity Over Complexity – Great communicators simplify ideas rather than using jargon to sound impressive.
4. Seek Feedback – Record yourself speaking, write more often, and get feedback from others to refine your messaging.

Most importantly, it’s learning from others and doing tasks at a level where you can then clearly explain how a task is performed. 

The Bottom Line:

Communication isn’t taught in schools. I didn’t speak English until I was 6 years old and even as a graduate from the London School of Economics, I had to learn most of this myself.

It’s a rare life skill that has the highest ROI of any other, since its use encompasses everything you do.

Whether it’s asking someone on a date or selling an agency for $50 Million, communication is the bedrock on which everything is built.

It’s not about using ChatGPT, selling at seminars, or writing some perfect sales pitch. It’s about understanding topics to such an extent that you’ve done something yourself first, and then can teach others how to do the same.