Effective communication is very important to run a business successfully. Good communication can endear you among your clients, increase your brand image among your seniors, and cause you to be expected among those work under you. It can also help you in taking your business to the next level and earn you high profits. On the other hand, poor communication can limit the efficiency of your company. It may result in missing vital business deadlines, duplicity in work processes, and most importantly can suffer employee morale. According to a study conducted by Global English reveals, "97% of employees surveyed believe that poor communication as a result of inadequate business language skills can create misunderstanding".
Often, there is a lot of disconnect in the communication process, which can prove very costly to a business. It may be verbal misinterpretations, lack of interaction, lost emails and unclear texts or poorly-worded messages. Effective communication – both internal and external, increase organization's effectiveness, enabling smooth operations and helps in reducing business contingencies. Communication is generally of two types – Digital and Interpersonal. Here are some useful tips to improve these two, that can benefit your organization and keep the things sailing smoothly.
Digital Communication: Most of the business communication is usually done using digital medium, like email. Writing email or text messages is easy when we are done with a friend. The target audience in business are corporate stakeholders, so it's always better to be formal. Even a minor mistake in your written communication could negatively affect your credibility. It can result in loss of reputation and business as well. Below are the basic points you should follow while drafting a business proposal, email or other business letters:
- Always treat emails like the real mails, not just the digital letters. While drafting an email, use powerful words, develop a natural voice, work toward your aim and present a clear deadline.
- Craft the email carefully. Go back, check and edit for more clarity. Polish each and every sentence to keep the communication straight, positive and effective.
- Do not put any wrong or unclear information. Check your facts before sending the mail. Any wrong information makes you look like you have not done your homework.
- Do not use any Emoticons, Colloquialisms and Slang, it may result in loss of translation and the person reading your mail may not understand what you are talking about. Keep it simple and to the point.
- Choose the best subject line for your message. The subject line is the first introduction to the content of the message to the recipients'. Also, it helps in keeping your message out of spam box.
- And, the most important is to archive all your business communication. Create folders to save all the old emails. It will help you in finding any communication easily in the future.
Interpersonal Communication: It is a face-to-face communication and evolves exchanging information and the meaning via verbal and non-verbal messages. Sometimes, an email or a text just is not sufficient. Digital communication does not involve any direct communication. Nobody sees you how your writing, but when you meet someone face-to-face, many things matter, such as your tone, body language and eye contact. Your message should be clear, concise and direct to the point. Add below mentioned tips in your interpersonal communication to make it meaningful:
- Be confident while meeting your clients or superiors and do not feel shy in person-to-person meetings. Maintain a proper eye contact to make a good impression.
- Listen carefully and give your complete attention to the conversation. Understand what the opposite person is saying and then give your own thoughts.
- Focus on your speech. Think before you speak and do not get confused with your own words. Doing this, will dilute the purpose of face-to-face meeting.
- Keep the communication professional, and avoid making it too personal. It's good to befriend with people you are working, but do not make it too friendly.
- Never counter the opinion of your client, even if you disagree. It may offend them. Listen to them attentively, then keep your view and explain why you disagree with them. But, ensure to maintain a polite tone.
- Ask questions to clear all your doubts and concerns. It will also help in holding the conversation and will generate new ideas that would be helpful in business.
These were the few suggestions, you can implement in your communication strategy and make it effective. Following these, will not only improve your business performance, but also personal improvements you make in your own life. It will also help boost your self-esteem and decision making and also make you stand out of the crowd. Effective communication is always about understanding the other individual, not about forcing your opinions on others and winning an argument.