Most of us spend a good part of our day communicating with people. We may be talking to our kids, spouse or co-workers, or we may be talking to a classroom full of not-so-eager students. The way we communicate touches every aspect of our lives. In fact, we spend so much time communicating, we rarely take a step back to evaluate our communication skills.

Here is a list of 7 communication elements that everyone can use for self-assessment.

1. Your knowledge

To be an effective speaker, you must have experience in the field in which you are speaking. An effective speaker will not try to "snow" everyone into thinking he/she is knowledgeable by using unfamiliar concepts or words no one understands. Effective speakers work very hard at delivering the content of their message in a manner their listeners can understand.

2. Listen

Listening is just as important as talking. Listen to what your audience is saying before you launch into your presentation. The epitome of rudeness is cutting people off in mid sentence because you assume "you are smarter than they are, and you already know what they are going to ask." You will gain many more fans by listening and treating people with respect.

3. Eye Contact

How often have you been listening to a group speaker or even talked to a co-worker, and they would not make eye contact? They look down, they look over or through you, but they will not look you in the eye. An effective speaker knows the power of eye contact.

4. Smile

When you are talking to a group, the first few moments of your presentation will set the stage as to how your audience feels about you. If you have a sour face or a frown, your audience will take an immediate dislike to you. A smile is very engaging and will draw your audience into your presentation. There are times when a full-out smile is not appropriate, but a menacing frown will derail the goals of any message.

5. Be yourself

There are very few of us who can get up in front of a group and not be self-conscious. That is human nature. Unfortunately, some people try to get over this by putting on a persona that is not their true self. Instead of putting up a false front, accept the fact that everyone is self-conscious when speaking to a group, and that practice is the only thing that will make it better. The more time you spend in front of people being yourself, the more comfortable you will feel.

6. Preparation

Preparation is a key component to effective speaking. The majority of people need to take time to prepare and practice what they will say. If you take some time to practice in front of a mirror, or video tape your presentation and then watch it, you will have the opportunity to prefect your delivery and proactively eliminate or mitigate any nervous habits you may have to prevent embarrassment later.

7. Learn from others

Are there people you have listened to and have found to be an effective speaker? How did you feel while you were listening to them? How do you feel about them and their message now? Take some time to think about how they applied the areas of communication listed above.

Effective communication skills are critical to the success of your business and personal life. You will realize a huge payback in all areas of your life by spending the time and energy perfecting your communication skills.