Are you an effective communicator?

According to BPO training expert Nasha Fitter who chatted with Get Ahead readers in an hour-long session on February 15: You must have a strong command over the English language. Next is the ability to enunciate while speaking. Then comes interpersonal skills (listening, questioning, intonating). And last, being able to present oneself in front of an audience.

She also offered a success mantra for public speakers: Enjoy yourself while talking to other people.

For those who missed the chat, here is the transcript:

Part II: Are you an effective communicator?

Nasha: Hi everyone, this is Nasha. Thanks for joining the Chat today. I am here to answer questions relating to communication, corporate etiquette and the BPO industry. Please try and ask me specific questions, as that will help me give you more effective answers.

vikas: HI nasha .. i basically want to know whats the difference btw BPO and KPO .. and how to go abt making a career in this feild ?

Nasha: KPO stands for Knowledge Process Outsourcing and usually entails work that requires a more detailed skill set. For instance, a legal KPO would require those who have law degrees.

abra: IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR ENG. LIT. GRADUATE IN KPO

Nasha: Of course. Many KPOs do work for publishing houses abroad, and they would value your degree.

• KPOs: Big buck, more benefits?

tanmay: hi Natasha, thanks for sharing your valuable time with us. which is the best way to improve communication and get rid of Indian accent? Could you please suggest me any courses or institution that I can approach (specially at Gujarat) to improve my communication?

Nasha: No need to try and get rid of your accent! Just work on being a more clear speaker so anyone around the world can understand you better. I would suggest focusing especially on producing more 'air' when making the P, K, T sounds. I don't know of any institutions in Gujarat, but there are books on pronunciation that may help. Most come with CDs.

yateendra: Hi,Nashai m yateendra from rajasthan want to know abt working profile of a BPO Techexe

Nasha: A working profile for a BPO Tech executive is, for one, having sufficient knowledge in technology and then having good oral communication and customer service skills.

nasha: Assuming I am someone with very poor communication skills and specifically the English Language skills are very weak. What is the approach and the path you would recommend to such aspirants to enhance their knowledge of English Language ?

Nasha: Hi, it looks like you have taken my user name! In any case, I would suggest buying a basic grammar book, reading business magazines and watching English news shows.

• Must-dos to improve your communication skills

sanjay15061973: hi nashawish to know that is BPO only call center as generally understood in india.pls tell the opportunities for people slihtly higher age and experiene

Nasha: Then look at KPOs. I don't know what degree you hold, but you can target a KPO that focuses on what you do. For example, if you hold a degree in Finance or an MBA, you can look for a Financial/ Equity Research based KPO.

Rahul P: Hi Nasha.Can you please tell me what are the different positions that can be available in a BPO/call centre?

Nasha: At the agent level, you can work as a customer support/ sales executive at a call centre. Otherwise, non-voice jobs entail data entry, writing e-mails, etc. As you get promoted, you can work as a Team Leader, then manager, then head of a process. There are many positions with BPOs. You can also work in HR, Finance, Operations, etc, depending on your degree and work experience.

anhad: hi could you please let me know what is the future in BPO

Nasha: I think the industry is growing and the future is bright!

Karthik: Hi... good afternnon. what the essential qualities to become a effective communicator?....

Nasha: One is having a strong command over the English language. Next is the ability to enunciate while speaking. Then comes interpersonal skills (listening, questioning, intonating). And last, being able to present oneself in front of an audience.

• Want to be a manager?

mverma: hello, i have a question. many teenager join BPO & call center with-out completed their study ? What is your comment on them ? R they on right track ?

Nasha: I think working in a BPO teaches young people important skills in communication that will help them no matter what career they choose in future. Also, most schools and colleges today still do not impart these necessary skills, so working in a BPO is 'free' training in some ways. But I do believe that young people need to complete their studies as well and so it is important that work does not affect school to a large degree.

asraf: hi nasha i want to know thatwill you pls let me know the simple process to improve comunication skill, thanx

Nasha: If you want to start just doing a little, I always tell people to simply read more. You will be surprised after a few months at how much your language skills have improved. It is important while you read that you look up words you don't know in a dictionary. Keep a list of these words and keep quizzing yourself. Also, pay attention to how sentences are formed. If you want to take this a step further, start recording yourself when you speak and see if you are forming sentences in a similar way. Language development is a long process and takes great effort.

• Want to speak good English?

abhaymishra: Will it be possible that we can remove reasonal language influence.

Nasha: First, I think that speaking regional languages is fine and that you can still be a good English speaker and speak your regional tongue. The important thing is to remove some of the harsher sounds that come with regional languages, so you can be understood globally. This can be done with work and practice.

sksaraff: hi im satish, i have appeared for interviews with 2-3 companies but they all heve asked me to join a training institute

Nasha: Take their advice and figure out what you need to do to improve yourself. Did you ask them why? It's important if you don't get a job to ask your interviewer why, so you can improve those skills. Perhaps joining a training institute will be a good idea to help you with your communication skills. You will then be able to identify what areas you specifically need to work on.

Jitu: I hv heard lots of tips on communication & English & I am trying my level best but whenever I am in crowd due to the fear its doesn't come out so how I can remove my fear??? Pls. tell me the success mantra too?

Nasha: Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone, even the best speakers, get nervous with crowds. The point is to take each experience positively. After each gathering, ask yourself what you could have done better. If you didn't like the way you answered a specific question someone asked you, make a note of it and don't make the same mistake again. Perfecting conversational skills in crowds is an ongoing process. A success mantra I can give you is: Enjoy yourself while speaking to others.

nitin: Do u take individuals for english fluency training programs. If yes .Pls tell us where ur office is situated

Nasha: If you are in Mumbai, you can visit our Web site for class listings.

Willy: Hi Nasha, I want to know, what it would take to be a trainer in Customer Soft Skills (effective customer service) I have 18 months experience in a Call centre.If you can suggest any courses.

Nasha: Other than having exceptional language skills, I believe a good trainer needs to have charisma and the type of personality that can captivate a room filled with people for eight hours a day. Also, your knowledge of the subject is important. For some training companies, 18 months of experience may be enough, for some it may not.

sai123: Nasha! I think it is very tough to do inbound and out bound sales for a long period in once life.Can u tell me move from one point to another point by being in a certain BPO

Nasha: It is tough and also good to always look at ways to progress in your career. But if you do sales for sometime and are good, you can get promoted to a Team Leader and then get into a managerial position.

Look at ways to improve your own skill sets. For example, are you good at motivating a team? Are you good at handling clients? Work on improving skills that will allow you to move up the corporate chain and not stay stagnant in one position.

• 7 ways to jumpstart your career in 2006

sapangoyal: will you tell me how to imporve my pronunciation

Nasha: The easiest start is to focus on some of your harsher consonant sounds. Make sure air comes of your mouth for the P, K and T sounds. Also, work on elongating your vowel sounds. This will also help you improve your pace of speech.

mohit3103: Hi nasha,this is mohit from delhi,I have been to a BPO interview where i was asked a question and that was "what future you envisage in your career". What can be the best response if we wish to deliver it for both , short as well as long term.

Nasha: Be honest! What future do you envision? It's important that you first convey that you are sincere about working in the company in the present and give them examples of why you chose that particular company. If your future goals are to become a manager, for instance, let them know that.

Part II: Are you an effective communicator?

DON'T MISS!