Whether your business operates with a hybrid, in-person, or fully virtual model; communication is one of the most important skills a business professional can emphasize. In this article, we will examine 5 tips that you should consider training your employees in if you want your business communication to be as effective as it can possibly be.
1. Speak to your audience
The term “business communication” is broad and encompasses all interactions within a company. This ranges from interactions between entry-level employees, interactions between managers and employees, interactions between managers, interactions with clients, and everything in between. Each of these types of interactions necessitates different ways of speaking and tones. For example: if you are a medical supply company and are communicating with a new client, employees must be trained to avoid using technical jargon in order to keep your client from becoming confused or offended that they aren’t being spoken at their level. However, it is perfectly appropriate to use technical jargon if the employee is involved in business communication with a colleague concerning a particular product about which they may have questions or concerns.
2. Follow the proper channels of communication
In all companies, there are “chains of command” and policies for how information should be conveyed. Employees who skirt these rules may create unnecessary friction with the rest of the team. Employees should be trained to always utilize the proper channels, regardless of what message they wish to send. To illustrate the point, consider an example of an employee who wishes to lodge a complaint against another employee. Within the company policies, it’s likely defined that these complaints should go through human resources and not directly to your supervisor’s supervisor. All situations are different, of course, but your employees must be trained to consider these company policies and communication channels heavily.
3. Be clear and concise in your business communication
Employees must be trained to avoid being overly wordy or to speak in a confusing manner when interacting with others in the company. Clarity and conciseness will help to eliminate any confusion and assumptions that may develop throughout a conversation and will help succinctly convey the message intended.
4. Listen first and always be courteous
There’s no doubt about it: work can be stressful. It can be easy to blow up on a colleague or superior after a series of annoying things happen to a person. However, employees must be trained to be patient, otherwise, they could end up without a job, or in a worse position than they were before. With business communication, employees should always strive to listen closely to the other party’s message and understand their concerns, as well as their own. Once they have heard their colleagues’ thoughts, they should be trained to be courteous and kind in their response. Being rude and aggressive should not be tolerated.
5. Give feedback
On the other side of the coin, make sure employees are trained to give appropriate feedback. If the presentation a coworker gave was confusing, other team members can help point out different areas that he or she can improve for a better product. Feedback is vitally important to an effective business communication strategy.
Use the Right Communication Tool.
As more and more employees work from home or remote locations away from the office, technology plays an important part in business communications. Using multiple tools for communications such as chat, email, cloud documents, calls, and social media creates information silos. Many conversations are related.
They may start with an email, continue with a chat and end up with a to do. A SaaS-based productivity tool like Clariti can be of immense help to your employees since it supports all commonly used communication forms in one app. There is no time wasted switching apps. Besides, Clariti automatically connects all related items in TopicFolders making it very easy to see the big picture. TopicFolders increase productivity as they eliminate the need to search for information.
