An excellent book. Highly recommended for any professional from early career to seasoned operator. So many valuables tips and advice points in this book. Also applicable to personal communication style. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This is the seventh edition of Alan’s book so it is obviously highly rated. I worked with Alan many years ago so I am well aware of his passion for communication skills. This edition brings things up to date after the pandemic. Communication has changed so the skills also need to adapt. For a new manager or an experienced one, this is a great reminder of the core skills needed to communicate well. I would have liked to have seen examples of ‘mind maps and rich pictures’ particularly as they are introduced as ‘visual’ methods of developing ideas. Great book, easy to read and not lengthy.

Clear, practical, and packed with useful advice 🗣️✨. How to Improve Your Communication Skills is the perfect guide for boosting confidence and effectiveness in everyday interactions. Alan Barker provides easy-to-follow strategies to help you express yourself with clarity and impact. I appreciated the simple tips that can be applied both professionally and personally. Ideal for anyone wanting to enhance their communication.

Thank you NetGalley and Kogan Page for this eCopy to review

From the moment I picked up How to Improve Your Communication Skills, I knew it would be a valuable resource. Alan Barker delivers a practical, insightful guide to mastering communication in both professional and personal settings.

The book covers essential topics such as building rapport, handling difficult conversations, giving effective presentations, and writing with clarity. Barker provides self-assessment tools, exercises, and checklists to help you refine your communication style and develop confidence. His approach is clear, engaging, and packed with actionable advice.

How to Improve Your Communication Skills is a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their ability to connect, persuade, and express themselves effectively. Whether you're navigating workplace interactions or simply aiming to improve everyday conversations, this book offers invaluable strategies.

As a business process analyst recently diagnosed with ADHD, communication has become a major focus of my personal and professional development. I tend to over-explain in emails and meetings, assuming stakeholders need every detail to understand my recommendations. It's a habit rooted in perfectionism, people-pleasing, and conflict avoidance—traits many neurodivergent professionals will recognize.

This book spoke directly to that experience.

I didn’t expect How to Improve Your Communication Skills to be so relevant, but it’s been genuinely transformative. I picked it up to work on public speaking, and by coincidence, I reached the section on PowerPoint presentations just days before I was scheduled to facilitate a session. The advice was immediately practical and helped ease a lot of my nerves.

What I appreciated most is how the book doesn’t ask you to "be less you." Instead, it offers real tools—like Monroe’s Motivated Sequence and conversational frameworks—that help you communicate more clearly, strategically, and confidently, especially in high-stress moments like giving feedback or setting boundaries.

It’s not fluff. It’s not corporate jargon. It’s emotionally intelligent, real-world advice from someone who understands what effective communication actually feels like.

If communication is on your development plan—or if you’ve ever felt like you had to say everything just to be taken seriously—this book will help you feel seen and give you tools to grow.

Recommended for:
Professionals with ADHD, people navigating workplace communication challenges, or anyone who wants to feel more confident speaking up without overcompensating.

This is a quick read which offers an abundance of practical tips as the title suggests, and the theory and explanations are minimal and necessary.
Particularly aimed as an introductory book to communication skills.
Had this been more elaborate on certain topics, it could have appealed more to wider audiences.
Nevertheless, well-structured, presented and informative book.