Business communication


Business communication is the sharing of information between people within and outside the organization that is performed for the commercial benefit of the organization. It can also be defined as relaying of information within a business by its people.

Overview

Business communication (or simply "communication," in a business context) encompasses topics such as marketing, brand management, customer relations, consumer behavior, advertising, public relations, corporate communication, community engagement, reputation management, interpersonal communication, employee engagement, and event management. It is closely related to the fields of professional communication and technical communication.

Media channels for business communication include the Internet, print media, radio, television, ambient media, and word of mouth.

Business communication can also be said to be the way employees, management and administration communicate in order to reach to their organizational goals.

Business communication is a common topic included in the curricula of Undergraduate and Master's degree programs at many colleges and universities.

There are several methods of business communication, including:

·Suggestion box: It is primarily used for upward communication, because some people may hesitate to communicate with management directly, so they opt to give suggestions by drafting one and putting it in the suggestion box.

Effective business communication

A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily understood by the receiving party. Effective communication by business managers facilitates information sharing between company employees and can substantially contribute to its commercial success.[1]

For business communication to be effective these qualities are essential :

  1. Establish clear hierarchy
  2. Use visual communication
  3. Conflict Management
  4. Consider Cultural Issues
  5. Good Written communication

Face-to-face

Face-to-face communication helps to establish a personal connection and will help sell the product or service to the customer.[2] These interactions can portray a whole different message than written communication as tone, pitch, and body language is observed.[3] Information is easier to access and delivered immediately with interactions rather than waiting for an email or phone call. Conflicts are also easily resolved this way, as verbal and non-verbal cues are observed and acted upon. Communicating professionally is very important as one is representing the company. Speak clearly and ask questions to understand the needs and wants, let the recipient respond as one resolves the issue. Decisions are made more confidently during a face-to-face interaction as the recipient asks questions to understand and move forward with their decision.

Email

When using email to communicate in the business world, it is important to be careful with the choice of words. Miscommunication is very frequent as the reader doesn’t know what non-verbal cues one is giving off, such as the pitch, tone, or expressions. Before beginning an email, make sure the email address one is using is appropriate and professional as well as the message one is going to send. Again, make sure the information is clear and should not be lethargic and to the point so the recipient isn’t confused. Make sure one includes their signature, title, and other contact information at the end..

Telephone

When making a business call, make it clear who is on the line and where one is from as well as one's message when on the phone. Smile and have a positive attitude as the recipient will be able to read the caller and that will affect how they react. When leaving a message, make sure one is clear and brief. One should state their name and who they are and the purpose for contacting them. If replying to a voicemail, try to respond as soon as possible and take into consideration the time of day. Don't call too early or too late, as it is important to respect other's time. Also be mindful of where one is and the noise level as well as the people one is around when trying to reach someone by phone.[4]

When making a sales call, hope for the person one are trying to connect to does not answer the phone. Leave up to five enticing messages and one's target audience will be ready to speak when one either gets a call back or one calls and reaches the person. The enticing message prepares the person to speak to the representative. It may be that the person is not interested based on what one had said in each voice message. Always be polite and accept that one may have many more to call. If the individual is reached, one might ask if there might be someone better suited for the advertised program.

If one is calling and leaving voice messages, include time of availability for callbacks. There is nothing worse than a callback coming to one when one is not available. Use the telephone as a great communication tool. Be polite and always put oneself in the other person's position. For more tips on making business calls and leaving enticing messages see Harlan J Brown's book on Telephone Participation.

Listening

When listening to another employee or customer speak it is very important to be an avid listener. Here are some obstacles that you might have to overcome:

A good way to overcome these factors is by using LOTS Better Communication method. This method includes four steps in order to produce good listening skills and the ability to respond with an educated statement. The four steps to this method are:

  1. Listen
  2. Observe
  3. Think
  4. Speak

Doing all of these things while showing good eye contact and body posture will assure the speaker that he/she is getting full attention from the listeners.

Choice of Means and Mode of Communication - Choosing the right means and mode of communication plays a vital role in the effectiveness of the message being communicated and such a choice depends on various factors such as:

Organization Size and Policy - If the organisation is small, probably more communication will be oral, than in larger organizations where it may be in writing. The policy for communication also would play a major role in influencing one's choice of mode of communication.

Cost Factor - The main point to be considered here would be to evaluate whether the cost involved in sending the message would be commensurate with the results expected.

Nature of Message - Whether the message is confidential in nature, urgent or important etc. and whether a matter would require hand delivery or be set by registered post etc. also influences the choice of mode and means of communication.

Distance Involved - Whether the message to be sent is also another vital factor which could influence the choice of means and modes of communication. For example, if a letter is to be sent to a partner in a joint venture in Japan and it is urgent, you would not think of sending someone to personally deliver it.

Resources - The resources available to both the sender and receiver would also influence your choice. You can only send a fax if the other person/organization has a fax machine. Therefore we can see that the choice of a particular mode and means of communication will depend on a case to case basis and is influenced by various factors.

Choosing Communication Media

When choosing a media of communication, it is important to consider who are the respective audience and the objective of the message itself. Rich media are more interactive than lean media and provide the opportunity for two-way communication: the receiver can ask questions and express opinions easily in person.[5] To help such decision, one may roughly refer to the continuum shown below.

From Richer to Leaner[6]

1.Face-to-Face Meeting
2.In-Person Oral Presentation
3.Online Meeting
4.Videoconferencing
5.Teleconferencing
6.Phone Call
7.Voice Message
8.Video
9.Blog
10.Report
11.Brochure
12.Newsletter
13.Flier
14.Email

15. Memo

Subliminal method of communication

Subliminal perception refers to the individual ability to perceive and respond to stimuli that are below the threshold or level of consciousness, which proved to influence thoughts, feelings or actions altogether or separately. There are four distinct methods of communicating subliminally. These are visual stimuli in movies, accelerated speech, embedded images in a print advertisement, and suggestiveness which is not normally seen at first glance.Focussing on Subliminal Communication through visual stimuli, Marketing people have adopted this method even incorporating it films and television shows.Subliminal method of communication first made its debut in a 1957 advertisement, during which a brief message flashed, telling viewers to eat popcorn and drink Coca-Cola. Since that time, subliminal communication has occupied a controversial role in the advertising landscape, with some people claiming it's omnipresent, while others emphasize it's not real. As of publication, there is still an ongoing scientific debate about whether subliminal advertising works. Subliminal messaging is a form of advertising in which a subtle message is inserted into a standard ad. This subtle message affects the consumer's behavior, but the consumer does not know she's seen the message. For example, a marketer might incorporate a single frame telling consumers to drink tea in a movie. In print media, advertisers might put hidden images or coded messages into ad text.

Arguments for Effectiveness

A 2009 study at the University College of London found that people were especially likely to be affected by negative subliminal communication . For example, a cosmetic advertisement conveying to a consumer that she is ugly might be more effective. Subliminal ads "prime" the brain to seek out stimuli that match the message in the advertisement, according to a 1992 study published in "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin." This can affect behavior, particularly when a message addresses an individual's insecurities or behavioral tendencies and when a consumer is in a context that allows her to act on the ad's message.

Business Writing Process

[7]

The challenge of the communication process is for the sender and receiver to gain a mutual understanding about the meaning of the message. A writer can put his or her words on paper, but the reader may not react to the words as the writer intended. Most writers are much more effective, successful, and productive if they spend time thinking about the communication situation before beginning to write. Successful writers approach writing as a three- step process that involves planning before starting to write, drafting with the audience (the reader) in mind, and revising the document to determine if it meets the audience’s needs and if it represents the organization well.

STEP1: Planning

You should spend more time planning and revising your document than you spend writing. Dr. Ken Davis suggests effective writers spend as much as 40 percent of writing time on planning the document.

STEP2: Drafting

Once you have planned the purpose of your message, considered how your audience might react to the message, gathered your information, decided on an order for your information, and selected your medium for delivery, you are ready to compose your document. About 20 percent of your writing time should be spent drafting the document.

Do not be concerned with perfection as you draft your message. Write in a conversational tone, without using slang; write as you would speak in a workplace environment. One guideline that helps in the drafting stage is to write as though you are presenting the information to a friend. Rather than thinking of the audience as just “someone out there,” think of the audience as a specific person with whom you are building or maintaining a relationship. Thinking of a friend helps you choose effective words and tone, helps you be clear, and helps you include information helpful to the reader.

STEP3: Revising

Revising is more than checking your spelling and punctuation. Revising requires you to check every part of your message to see if it is clear, concise, and correct and will take approximately 40 percent of your writing time. You want to look at every word to see if you selected the most appropriate one, at every sentence to see whether the structure is the best it can be, and at every paragraph to see whether it includes a well-developed argument. Finally review the document design to look for an attractive, professional appearance that meets your employer’s and your reader’s expectations.

Organizations

References

  1. ↑ (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/effective-communication.html)
  2. ↑ (http://www.healio.com/orthotics-prosthetics/human-resources/news/print/o-and-p-business-news/%7Bab5bdfed-6cea-47d6-b2bb-9b57d79c406a%7D/face-to-face-communication-the-trust-that-helps-build-a-business)
  3. ↑ (http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/human-resources/2012/08/face-to-face-communication-can-help.html?page=all)
  4. ↑ (http://www.www.telephoneparticipation.com)
  5. ↑ Newman, Amy, and Scott Ober. Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online. 8th ed. Mason: South-Western, 2013. 18. Print.
  6. ↑ Newman, Amy, and Scott Ober. Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online, 8e. 8th ed. Mason: South-Western, 2013. 18. Print.
  7. ↑ Easton, Anna; Heidewald, Jeanette; Morrone, Michael; Neher, Darryl; Steiner-Williams, Judy. Strategic Business Writing (2nd ed.). Trustees of Indiana University. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-253-01611-9.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-08-12. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
  9. ↑ IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
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