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Every day, you can expect to experience joys, frustrations and rewards as you interact with people of varying communication styles.

You are making critical decisions on a subconscious level every day.

For example, who you decide to enter into a business relationship with, or who you like to work with are often based on your perceptions of other people and how well they relate to you.

Even though their perception of you may or may not be accurate, it is their reality, thus, this is something that needs to be considered when interacting with others for the first time, to ensure you make a lasting impression that will be positive for both parties.

Here´s one great thing to know. The better you become at discovering other´s preferred communication style, the more effective you will be in communicating with all types of people.

Just as important as it is to know what type of communication YOU prefer, it is equally important to understand and adapt to the communication preferences of OTHERS. By adapting your communication style, you will not only get your message across, it will also be well received.

You will likely be perceived as someone with whom doing business will be a pleasure. And this is what we all want. To enjoy our business relationships.

Each of us has a unique combination of communication styles which form our own behavioral fingerprint. When you fully understand what motivates you to do the things you do, you will modify your own behavior more easily when necessary.

Anytime I coach a business professional who is struggling with communication, whether with her co-workers or team, I´ll encourage her to take personal responsibility. It is a basic human tendency to "place blame" or feel the "other person" should adapt to us.

However, a true leader and powerful communicator will take ownership of the challenge and discover ways to negotiate through the conflict or misunderstanding to order to work together more effectively.

There are a number of factors that contribute to a person´s overall behavioral style including an individual´s propensity toward one of the following factors. Here are four contributing factors to get you started. These factors determine how a person best receives and processes information.

Each of us have a "preferred" way of communicating. Below is a general guide to let you know what each type of person is looking for when he / she is communicating with you.

• Visual - This person wants to see what it is you are talking about, whether in actual physical form or through a well-constructed analogy that allows him / her to "virtually" picture things.

• Auditory - This person will listen intently to hear what it is you are trying to convey to him / her.

• Kinesthetic - This person prefers to utilize a "hands on" approach to learning or grabs hold of something tangible.

• Digital - This person responds best when there is a "step-by-step system" where he/she can analyze the process before making a decision.

The better you are at identifying the approach a person prefers, the more you can assure yourself long-term success by adapting your words and style to the way he / she most readily receives information.

Choosing your words appropriately is critical in all business relationships. (Not to mention what it can do to your personal relationships!) Certain words can sink a deal, while other words will inspire someone to do business with you, or enter into a relationship with you.

Coaches Tip: Surprisingly, "words" constitute a mere 7% of the communication process. While using the right words is critical, you will also need to pay attention to matching the voice cues, body language and rate / tone of speech of the person with whom you are communicating.

Powerful communicators are people who create the best environment for OTHERS while stepping out of their own comfort zone. This is the first step in inspiring others toward action.

To alleviate some of the challenges that may come as you step out of your own comfort zone, imagine yourself learning another language and visiting another country. Picture the differences in the culture you see around you, listen to the speech patterns, and take note of the mannerisms used by the people around you. This is the same process you must take with someone who has a different communication style than you.

Communicating effectively is all about opening the doorway to positive relationships. Adapting your style is not about being "phony." It is merely about accommodating another´s person´s preference in order to allow the conversation to continue.

As your relationship progresses, the other person will get to know you better.

People will accept others who are different from themselves, as long as they trust the other person in the relationship. But if you turn someone off within the first few minutes of your introduction, you will have lost him / her forever; all because of an underlying mistrust that will have developed within seconds of communicating with them "out of style."

If you would like to learn some of the key words and phrases commonly used by each of the four main communication styles, send me an email, and I´ll make sure you receive this valuable list.

Utilizing the action steps contained in the bonus "Action Sheet Article" combined with the right tools to assist you will help you begin to develop more meaningful connections with people 20-30% faster.

Start to break down the barriers to effective communication by putting these proven methods to use today and you´ll strengthen your foundation for long-term success!