How to improve your skills in Business Communications and why it is important
How to improve your skills in Business Communications and why it is important
Have you been running your business without effective communication skills? If yes, then you may have serious efficiency problems that will always leak money away from your company or business.
It’s highly essential to note that communication plays a vital role in all aspects of business and here are some of the reasons why effective communication should be the heart of your skill set as an entrepreneur, and how you should improve it.
What Is Business Communication?
Business communications the process of sharing information between employees within and outside a company. Effective business communication is how employees and management interact with each other to reach organizational goals and be more aligned with the core company values. Its main purpose is to improve organizational practices, eliminate silos, keep employees informed and reduce errors.
11 Reasons Why Effective Business Communication is so Powerful
- Improves employee engagement
- Eliminates email overload
- Eliminates communication silos
- Increases employee productivity
- Improves inter-departmental communications
- Improves communication with remote workers
- Reduces employee turnover
- Improves knowledge sharing efforts
- Increases employee advocacy
- Improves customer satisfaction and retention
- Builds a better company culture
WAYS to improve communication in business.
You know that good communication skills are essential to do well in business, as well as get to the top in your career. Communications skills can endear you to critical persons, among your peers, and raise your value among your superiors. I can also make you to be highly admired and respected among those who are subordinate to you. So, how can you develop this skill so that you can fully explore your true potential? Here are some helpful tips for improving your business communication skills.
- Work on your listening and attention skills.
In business and life, communication requires more than merely talking, or being present while someone talks. When others are speaking, are you listening? We often confuse ‘listening’ with ‘being quiet’ but just because you aren’t talking while others are talking doesn’t mean you’re listening. Learn to turn off your internal dialogue and truly tune into what the other person is saying. It often helps to repeat what you’ve heard so that you know you’re paying attention and they know it too.
- Collaborate, Don’t Dictate
Lectures, monologues, and ramblings don’t belong in business communications. If you find you’re speaking more than a few moments (except when giving a presentation or leading a demonstration), stop. Simplify what you’re trying to say as much as possible. Allow others to offer their input on the issue. Communication is about to give and take, not dictating how things are going to be or how you think they should be.
- Pay Attention to How You Spend Your Leisure Time
You probably didn’t expect this to be on the list. Do the TV shows you watch, the things you read, and your hobbies have anything to do with business communications? Well, the answer is twofold. First, they have the potential to expose you to new perspectives and important current events that help you grow your business vocabulary and intelligence, depending on the contents of those things your mind feeds on. Odds are that the people who watch reality TV shows daily aren’t going to be as capable of carrying a business-oriented conversation as well as those who spend their free time reading business journals and networking with successful mentors. Second, you will glean tremendously useful ideas and insights from more intellectual pursuits than from watching or reading less helpful material during your off time.
How to improve your skills in Business Communications and why it is important
- Invest in the Right Communication and Collaboration Tools
If you’re depending on email and social media for your communications, you’re probably receiving a lot of useless and redundant information and perhaps missing out on the most important conversations. A collaborative tool like Vmoso is the ideal way to streamline communications, collaborate on important projects, and build meaningful business relationships.
- Don’t Wait Too Long to Bring Up Sensitive Issues
Allowing a situation to build and fester is a recipe for a breakdown in communications. It’s much easier, effective, and more professional to address an issue as soon as it pops up, while it’s still in its infancy than to wait until it grows into a big, ugly, angry monster. Most of the time, a quick, direct discussion can resolve any interpersonal or professional issues without negatively affecting the relationship.
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- Learn to Have and Use a Good People Memoir in Business communication
Dedicating time and energy toward remembering important bits and pieces of your coworkers’ lives can pay off big time.
- Listen
As an employer, you should always actively listen to what your workers have to say even if you don’t agree to it. When you show that you’re listening, you can make your employees feel respected and prioritized. You can demonstrate that you’re listening to your workers’ sentiments by writing down notes or asking questions.
How to improve your skills in Business Communications and why it is important
- Create a communication-friendly workplace
It’s your responsibility as a business owner to create a communication-friendly workspace. That way, you’ll have a clear and constant flow of communication in your organization. First, set the example to your employees by asking questions, challenging ideas, and communicating your feelings. Second, encourage social interactions by building relationships with your team. Third, always keep your door open by reminding your workers that you’re there whenever they need you.
- Encourage a face-to-face communication
Although it can be much easier and faster to communicate on email or the phone, nothing can effectively replace the importance of face-to-face conversation. If you get to observe body language or changes in voice, you can have a better sense of how the other person thinks and feels. If you’re operating your own business, you can arrange a meeting regularly with your employees to meet them in person.
- Use the right communication tools
Apart from having face-to-face communication, it’s also important to use a variety of tools to improve communication in your company. You can stay in constant contact with your employees by setting up an official chat tool such as HipChat and Slack. By this, you’re allowing them to bond and throw inside jokes while they’re working in their respective desks. Additionally, a chat tool allows your workers to connect and get real-time responses. This will surely save time and boost productivity in the company.
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