Fundamental

What’s business communications? Communication is a cycle of sending and receiving message.

There are 4 elements of communication between individuals:

  • Sender
  • Medium: Phone call, text email, social media, etc.
  • Message
  • Receiver

Business communication types:

  • Written
  • Verbal
  • External
  • Internal

Barriers to communication:

  • Cultural Differences
    • Cultural differences may include language barriers, jargon or slang, accents, or even a difference in life experience and background
  • Attention
    • A lack of attention from the sender or receiver of message can distort the message and diminish its clarity
  • Attitudes
    • A person’s attitude about a given situation, individual, or idea may affect their ability to communicate without bias
  • Proficiency Level
    • If two or more individuals have different levels of understanding on a specific topic they may have difficulty understanding each other’s limitations

Benefits of effective communication:

  • Better products
  • Higher customer satisfaction
  • Higher productivity
  • Improved employee satisfaction
  • Positive outcomes on project goals
  • Teamwork increases effective problem solving
  • Desirable employment skill

Detriments of ineffective communication:

  • Bad decisions
  • Damaged working relationships
  • Delays and missed opportunities
  • Inefficiency or wasted resources

Effective communication framework:

Characteristics of successful business communication

  • Targets the correct audience
    • External Audiences
      • Customers, partners or individuals outside of organization
      • Via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pintere, etc.
    • Internal Audiences
      • High Level
        • Prepare ahead of time
        • Review writing
        • Keep it brief
        • Focus on goals
      • Same Level
        • Match communication style
        • Consider cultural differences
      • Low Level
        • Give detailed explanations
        • Mind proficiency differences
      • Any Level
        • Always remain respectful, courteous and sincere
        • In each of scenarios ask yourself
          • What are their needs?
          • What do they need to know?
          • What decisions or actions do you need them to take?
        • Be sure to use terms they understand
    • Targeting your audience
      • Primary Audience
        • People for whom the message is intended
      • Secondary Audience
        • People provide support, or are affected by communication
      • Need to know
        • Individual or group need to be kept informed
  • Has a well-defined purpose
    • Inform
    • Call to Action
    • Make Decisions
    • Generate Ideas
    • Make Requests
  • Conveys a clear message
    • Concise and Comprehensive
    • Specific
    • Avoids Jargon and Homonyms
    • Indicates Priorities and deadlines
    • Sets the Context
  • Transmitted via the most appropriate medium
    • What’s a Communication Medium?
      • A communication medium is the tool used to deliver a message to its recipient
      • Common Mediums used to communicate in business environments
        • Meetings (face-to-face or virtual)
        • Phone calls
        • Text messages
        • Email
        • Social media
        • …
    • Medium selection can affect
      • The meaning
      • The effectiveness
    • Considerations in selecting a medium
      • The audience
      • The purpose
      • The message
      • Verification
    • Best medium for communication
      • Phone call
        • When attempting to build rapport with a new customer, it is the best to deliver information over the phone or in a virtual meeting space.
      • Email
        • Email is adequate for standard reports, you may want to follow-up with a call or a meeting the with manager.
      • Virtual Meeting
        • It’s often too difficult for a remote team to meet in person. Therefore, a virtual presentation is a great communication option because it still requires high interaction for idea exchange and agreement on roles and responsibilities for the project.
      • Text or Chat
        • Texting allows for a quick response. Typically, we text when we have a high level of familiarity with the recipient, like a co-worker.
      • Face-to-face
        • A voice or face-to-face discussion is called for customer dissatisfaction scenarios. This will help you to better understand the issue. Just be sure to empathize with the customer and let them know their concerns are being heard and understood.
  • Understood and acted upon
    • L.E.A.P.S is a widely used model for active listening, it can be used in any kind of communication like verbal, written.
    • Listen or read with an open mind, understand the words, and interpret their meaning. Consider the position of the sender and how they communicate.
    • Consistency
      • Listen
        • Have an open mind
        • Understand the words
        • Interpret meaning
        • Consider the sender
      • Emphasize
        • Understand the other person’s viewpoint by imagining yourself in their situation
      • Ask questions!
        • Achieve clarity, detail, deeper understanding and new ideas
        • Starts questions with What, Why, How or Describe
      • Paraphrase
        • Express the message in your own words
        • Does your interpretation match what the sender intended?
      • Summarize
        • Summarize what has been said; develop a brief, but simple summary statement
        • Include appropriate action items and deadlines

Communication Technology

What technologies are available to help you to communicate in business environments? Whether you are running a small business or an international enterprise, effective communication is essential to success. Many technologies are available to help us connect with our employees, partners and customers. As you have learned, the type of technologies you choose depends on the situations and communication needs.

  • Instant Messaging (IM)
  • Social Media
  • Internet Voice/Video Call
  • Screen Sharing
  • Document Sharing

References