How to Improve Your Communication Skills – Part 2
by Citrix Online

In last week’s e-support tip, we discussed the importance of fine-tuning your communication skills and explored three easy-to-follow tips for building a reputation as a good communicator with professional phone etiquette. This week we offer a few tips on improving your face-to-face communication skills:

• Put on a smile -- When you walk into someone’s office to provide support, put on a smile. You might not feel like smiling knowing this is another fire that needs to be put out, but approaching it with a scowl or mumbling under your breath won’t make it any better. The environment you work in might be extremely stressful, but try to be positive and objective regardless of the circumstances.
  
  
• Make eye contact -- This might seem obvious, but many IT support professionals continue to stare at their flat screens rather than look up when someone stops by to ask a question. Not looking at the person speaking to you is like not acknowledging his or her presence at all. The next time you have someone standing at your office door, be sure to look up. If you absolutely can’t interrupt what you’re doing, at least inform the person that you’ll follow up in a few minutes.
  
  
• Get fresh -- Even if you’re not a smoker, a coffee drinker, or an Atkins dieter, your breath may not be as fresh as it could be. Out of courtesy to others, keep a tin of mints on hand and try to make it a habit to brush your teeth after lunch. You’ll feel refreshed, and those around you will appreciate the effort.

If you engage in face-to-face communication with your end users on a regular basis, following these three tips will help you build a reputation as a professional communicator.

About Citrix Online
Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS), offers the leading Web-based access, support and collaboration software and services. The division offers Citrix GoToMyPC®, the easiest-to-use solution for remote, secure and managed desktop PC access over the Web; and Citrix GoToAssist™, the most secure, reliable and powerful solution for Web-based technical support and customer collaboration. Citrix Online products are used by more than 4,000 companies worldwide, including Cisco Systems, Siemens, Intuit, Cablevision and Microsoft Business Solutions. The division is based in Santa Barbara, California, and is on the Web at www.gotomypc.com, www.gotoassist.com and www.citrix.com.