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Whether engaging with members, leading a planning meeting or guiding someone through professional development, you likely have left an important conversation thinking about how it could have gone better or how you could have said something differently. You replay the conversation over and over in your head, sometimes at 3 a.m.! Try this next time for better communication:

1. Do the work before the work. People don’t wake up one day and successfully run a marathon. It takes planning, practice and preparation. Communication is similar. It’s important to think about the conversations you’ll have, whether in person or online. Which ones are crucial, where you have a deep interest in the outcome? What objections do you anticipate hearing, if any? Which conversations have you had that you might be able to revisit?

For example, if you are preparing to lead an educational seminar, think about the “what if” scenarios ahead of time and how you might respond.

2. Reverse the situation. If you are ever wondering what to say or share, online or in person, switch the situation and imagine if someone were saying the same thing to you. How would you react? Of course, not everyone reacts the same way, but it’s a good place to start.

For example, say you’re leading a meeting and you keep monopolizing the conversation. Flip that around and consider how you’d feel as a listener.

3. Don’t rush. Did you know that if you plant asparagus it takes quite a while to sprout, but once it does, you can harvest it for years? Similarly, building trust takes time. You can’t rush a relationship, but once you have a strong one, it can provide results for a long time. This is true when networking with a colleague, a member or a potential partner. Once trust is there, amazing things can happen.

So, use the fact that curiosity is the fuel for conversation and ask honest questions to gain context and understanding. That will lead to empathy and trust. These conversations will lead to relationships, and those relationships will lead to opportunities.

Author Beth Granger is a consultant, speaker and Exactly What to Say certified guide who works with individuals, business leaders and organizations to take them from confused to confident when networking, building their business, and having more effective critical conversations. She can be found at bethgranger.com and linkedin.com/in/bethgranger.