Business Communication: Skills and Strategies
Exhibiting strong business communication skills is one of the keys to developing sound business relationships that are based on mutual trust and respect. Although the marketplace values productivity, sales, and efficiency, nothing is lost or wasted when organizations invest time and resources in building clear and open lines of communication. Placing a priority on developing these necessary skills and strategies, often included in university business communication certificates, will help individuals become better communicators and lead to more open and healthy workplace cultures.
The Importance of Strong Business Communication Strategies and Skills
Successful businesses depend on strong communication skills and strategies. No matter what type, style, or content of the communication, organizations realize improved success rates when they expect good communication practices.
Maintaining good relationships between executives and employees, businesses and customers, and businesses and business partners depends largely on open, reliable, and consistent communication. Interactions and relationships between and among employees are also affected by the strength of communication paths.
What Are the Main Types of Communication?
In any kind of relationship, whether professional or personal, at least one or two of the four types of communication are in play. They are:
Verbal
From casual conversations to important marketing presentations, organizations depend on verbal communication to make and maintain connections and relay information quickly. Elements of verbal communication that may affect how the information is received include pitch and tone of voice as well as word choice.
Nonverbal
Facial expressions, body posture, gestures, the presence or lack of physical touch, and eye contact are all forms of nonverbal communication, often called “body language.” A message can be sent by a smile or frown, slumped shoulders or puffed chest, or a hand on a shoulder versus a handshake. Eyes cast down or a little wink will tell entirely different stories to the observer even if a word is never spoken. Whether or not arms are crossed may provide insight into the person’s frame of mind and willingness to engage.
Written
Memos, letters, reports, and emails are the most common forms of business communication, with text messaging on its way to prominence. Colleagues, suppliers, and customers often request a record of decisions and deals since it is more permanent than a conversation or handshake. Working remotely has put additional emphasis on digital written communication, as it may no longer be possible to simply walk across the hall to meet a colleague face-to-face.
Visual
When verbal descriptions are ineffective, pictures and videos—as well as the less formal emojis and GIFs—often get the message across with greater clarity. Additionally, when complex numeric calculations and data are important for communicating business progress, charts and graphs give the observer a visual interpretation that is often much easier to understand.
Important Business Communication Skills
Honing and perfecting business communication skills is an ongoing process. With every new encounter, speakers, writers, listeners, readers, and observers can become more effective and more at ease with these five key communication skills:
Learn to Listen
Good communicators are mindful of both verbal and nonverbal messages, ask pertinent questions to clarify information, and rephrase what is said to reinforce understanding. One of the most important payoffs for actively listening is that people who feel that they are heard and that their voices count are more likely to listen to others.
Learn to Observe
The nonverbal cues a speaker sees may provide more information about their listeners than what they hear. Watching for eye contact, nervous movements, and a more open or closed posture can inform an individual about how someone feels.
Be Responsive
Communication is the most successful and productive when it is a two-way street. A strong communicator will respond to a message with a prompt answer, an acknowledgment of the question, a request for clarification if needed, or a timeframe for sending a complete response.
Stay on Message
At the heart of communication is the goal of producing and distributing clear, concise, and accurate information. Communicators that succeed with business writing or speaking are those who can sift out what is unnecessary or off-topic and get to the heart of the matter efficiently and effectively. They are well-prepared, authoritative, and enthusiastic about getting the message across.
Encourage Feedback
Both sides of every interaction should encourage feedback. Being open to suggestions and changes may prove to be the most effective way to keep a conversation going. For example, when announcing a new vacation or work-from-home policy, questions will always arise for clarification, and employees may offer suggestions that would improve the rollout schedule. A confident communicator will anticipate the unexpected and be prepared to address concerns as they arise.
Important Business Communication Strategies
Identifying and building strong business communication skills are critical when the goal is getting the message out. Equally important is making a strategic plan to prepare for delivering the most effective messages and knowing what to do to keep the lines of communication open and flowing. Here are some essential business communication strategies:
Prioritize Communication
In a world in which productivity and financial success are considered the ultimate goals of a business, taking time to improve one’s communication skills is not usually a priority. However, an organization that values and promotes communication carves out time to keep employees, customers, and investors aware of policies, goals, and possible changes. Effective leaders see the value of scheduling opportunities for people to share ideas, make suggestions, and get better acquainted with others.
Develop and Nurture Trust
In every type of communication, an underlying goal should be to earn and maintain trust. Although full disclosure of all company business is neither wise nor efficient, any communication delivered by any individual, team, department, or company should carry a badge of transparency. Developing and nurturing trust allows an audience to remain confident that information coming from a business is accurate and complete.
Keep Emotions and Facts Separate
At times, the topic of the presentation, conversation, or memo may be unexpected. It may also be about a subject that is controversial, involving different opinions. At times, a simple lack of chemistry can derail productive, professional interactions. When emotions run high in communication threads or conversations, it is important to identify the facts and logic and acknowledge the presence of personal opinions and ways of thinking. It is equally important to allow time and space for those differences to be addressed outside of the business conversation.
Know Your Audiences
Knowing one’s audience is more than acknowledging the demographic of customers or surveying employees and shareholders for their opinion about company matters and policies. Communicators must learn as much as possible about their listeners, developing empathy for and finding what is important to them. This is a time-consuming process that requires a commitment to listening and observing.
Communicate with Integrity and Authority
Communicating in business requires a good deal of business skill and preparation, including a strategic plan for both delivering and receiving messages. If you are interested in developing effective and ethical business communication skills, consider earning a Business Ethics & Writing Certificate from Suffolk University’s Center for Continuing & Professional Education. Learn how to become a transformative decision-maker and leader, equipped with the skills necessary to make and communicate sound decisions.
Recommended Readings:
Why Is Ethical Business Communication Important?
Ethical Dilemmas in Business and How to Address Them
Sources:
Connected Speech Pathology, “How to Improve Communication Skills: 11 Tips for 2022”
Forbes, “10 Tips For Effective Communication In The Workplace”
Indeed, “4 Types of Communication and How To Improve Them”
Indeed, “10 Communication Skills for Your Life and Career Success”
Novoresume, “Top 11 Communication Skills (For Your Life & Career)”
Startup Nation, “7 Tips to Improve Your Business Communication Skills”
Valamis, “4 Types of Communication: Verbal, Non-verbal, Written, Visual”
Valamis, “How to Improve Communication Skills: Tips & Best Practices”