Business Communication Skills

Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter. - Gilbert Amelio

If you are working in a company, you might have certainly understood how important business communication skills are. Business communication skills play a very significant role in helping employees communicate with each other in an efficient manner. In business communication, there usually are two major types of communication; internal and external. In internal communication, there is a transfer of knowledge between two or more entities between the company. On the other hand; in external communication, the knowledge transfer is carried out between the company employees and outside entities. Both these types of communication are crucial for the smooth running of any business concern. Let us get to know more about the aspects of business interpersonal skills and organizational skills in the workplace.

Constituents of Business Communication Skills

Public Speaking: As the name suggests, public speaking is when you speak in front of several people, be it in a small process meeting or a big conference. This skill is the most important for executives at higher positions. You should develop your skills regarding how your going to present the information in a structured manner.

Email and Report Writing Skills: Writing skills are extremely essential for all employees of the organization, irrespective of the position. Writing emails, reports and schedules are daily tasks carried out in a company in its everyday running. When using written means of communication in business; remember to keep it short, formal and precise.

Negotiation Skills: Negotiation skills are generally used by people who are working in marketing and communication processes of the company. These skills are required during telecommunication, written communication, or face to face communication. Negotiation techniques are also considered one of the most necessary business problem solving skills.

Follow Up Skills: Many working professionals follow an incomplete method of communication. They transfer knowledge from their side, but do not make sure if the receiver has got the response and understood what is necessary. Follow up of information is what every executive has to do for making the communication cycle complete.

Telephone Skills: Another significant aspect of business communication skills is how do we sound when on the telephone. Communication via telephone is quite common in today's corporate world, and to pass on the message clearly, you need to develop good telephone skills. These oral communication skills need to be improved especially by those working in the customer service sector.

Voice Tone and Body Language: During face to face workplace communication, you should have a pleasant and humble tone. Do not speak in a tone which would give an authoritative and rude touch to the speech. Along with your tone, you should also be in a good and confident posture. Practice business listening skills by giving others a chance to speak out, and understand what they got to say.

These are just a few random concepts included in business communication skills. Owing to the significance of business communication skills, many companies have started to arrange for employee training sessions. Along with these techniques at the workplace, you also should develop trust among employees for honest and clear communication. When it comes to effective communication, careful listening is one of the most vital essentials. Remember that clear communication always leads to anticipated results.

Meeting Themes

A meeting theme should be such that it makes the business meeting much more effective and result oriented. Meeting themes should be so interesting that they set the right mood for the attendees and also help them understand the business meeting agenda. Below are some tips on how to come up with the perfect and the most appropriate business meeting themes, followed by a list of meeting themes to choose from. Read more on office party themes.

Tips on Selecting Meeting Themes

• The first thing that you should do is to come up with a meeting agenda and then accordingly choose meeting themes that will help in making this agenda more clear to the attendees.
• The next thing that you should do is to come up with meeting themes, which you think your employees will like.
• Another way to come with meeting themes is to relate them with any upcoming day/festival/event, such as valentine's day or Christmas or academy awards.
• The meeting theme selected should be short and memorable. Also, it should be fun, so that the employees do not feel bored.
• The meeting theme should not offend any body's sensibilities in any way, i.e. it should not be sexist or racist in any way. Read more on meeting facilitation: tips and techniques for facilitating a meeting.

Tips on Incorporating the Theme into the Meeting

• After you have zeroed in on a particular meeting theme, the first thing that you should do is to look out for ways in which you can relate both the theme as well as the meeting's agenda. For example, you can ask the speakers to prepare their speeches in relation to the theme.
• Come up with a logo for meeting which is inspired by the theme. Then use this logo on the mugs, screen savers, pens, t-shirts and all other promotional things and literature for the meeting.
• While choosing prizes, gifts, certificates to be given away during the meeting, make sure that they revolve around the meeting themes in some way.
• During the meeting, to lighten the atmosphere, include some songs or short plays or role-plays, that depict the meeting theme.
• Decorations and refreshments that you finally decide for the meeting, should be planned, keeping the meeting themes in mind too. Read more on party food.

Corporate Meeting Theme Ideas

• One of the meeting themes which is extremely popular these days, especially for crucial business meetings, is "Relaxation". Such meetings are usually planned outside office, where people can simply relax and discuss important issues. With this theme, beverages such as green tea and healthy foods such as fruit salads are served.
• If it is a sales meeting that is being planned, then the theme should be such that it fills the meeting with energy. Having a party atmosphere where balloons are used for decoration and lip smacking foods such as chicken wings or cutlets are served along with energy drinks, will be ideal for sales meetings.
• Having an Olympics theme is another idea which can be used for sales meetings, especially if you want to motivate your sales people for bringing in more business. For decoration, flags of different countries should be put around the meeting room. Only sports or energy drinks along with some snacks should be served. If the sales people have to be given incentives or gifts for meeting targets, medals should be given along with these. Make three categories of medals, namely gold, silver and bronze, just like in sports, and have your achievers stand on three storeyed podium, for fun.
• Another of the meeting themes that you can apply for a meeting on teamwork, is clock theme. Just like the different parts of a clock work together to tell the right time, similarly people in the organization should work together to achieve organizational goals. For this, walls of the meeting room should be decorated with different wall clocks. During presentations and speeches, clock terminology should be made use of. The employees can even be gifted individual clocks at the end of the meeting as a reminder of the importance of working in teams.

Effective Communication Skills in Business

Business communication can be written and oral. But, as we have all learnt in grade school, the type of communication has to be formal. However, grapevine is a very common style of alternate communication, as well. Here are a few tips that one can follow to maintain effective communication skills in business. While these tips for business communication may be commonly known, seldom do people follow them effectively for communication skills in business.

Effective Communication Skills in Business: Tip 1
In business, every thing has to be legitimate, it's a fact. Hence it is very important to maintain written proof of all communication and correspondence. Like, in case you are planning on ordering a few sample pieces of a certain commodity, you need to make sure that you send in a written request for it. Yes, often in business, simply oral requests work wonders, however, the written word acts as an empirical proof. As such, even though the deal was cracked in person orally, it is required for you to send in a formal written confirmation of it as well. Read more on effective communication tips.

Effective Communication Skills in Business: Tip 2
Listening is very important in business. One needs to know the difference in hearing and listening. You need to listen, pay attention and retain each word and expression that the opposite person may express. Do not be biased while listening. This gravely hinders the communication. Be attentive and observant. This can be advantageous when you need to remind a person of the interest he had shown earlier or something similar that may work for your benefit. Be a good listener to be listened to. If you give attention to another's word, they will respect you for it, hold you in high esteem, and listen to what you have to say with a positive mind. Read more on effective office communication.

Effective Communication Skills in Business: Tip 3
When you are trying to show positive response, don't fret over being direct. It is better to let the person know that you agree before they think that you don't. However, don't react till you are completely sure of your answer. If you are undecided about agreeing to certain terms and conditions, then you can avoid giving a response until you are sure. Not only will this help you make better and more informed decisions, but will also let the other person know that you cannot make impulsive decisions. In the business world, vulnerability can be a major reason for downfall, however, competition being aware of vulnerability, is a bigger reason. So, make sure you react when you are sure, do not let trivialities allow you to change your mind. Read more on importance of communication skills.

Effective Communication Skills in Business: Tip 4
When engaging in written communication with a certain party, stick to unambiguous and definite language. Keep the same policy for oral communication too. Avoid using ambiguous terms and make sure that you are definite in what you are saying. Also, make sure that you use easy language. Business communication thrives on good communication and not good vocabulary. Avoid the use of boombastic words and stick to simple and everyday terms. This way you don't intimidate the recipient into having a negative feedback about you, plus you make him feel comfortable. This will make you more endearing to him. Check out these effective communication skills: the art of communication.

Effective Communication Skills in Business: Tip 5
Use the industry grapevine to your advantage. Every industry has a grapevine. This grapevine is the source for confidential and timely information. You can plant a few of your "own" people in the grapevine. This can help you stay updated with the latest news and gossip in the industry. More so, you can keep an eye out for possible business, market conditions and several other details that one cannot control otherwise. Another way to use the grapevine to your advantage is to spread the word that you wish to spread. If you wish to let the market believe that you are going for a massive expansion, spread the word through the grapevine. Trust me, it is often faster and much more profitable. Another way of having a controlling hand on the grapevine is that in case someone is bothering to spread negative rumors about your business, you can know about it before it spreads too far and wide. You can take preventive and controlling measures in time this way. Read more on effective communication strategies.

Well, I am sure that not many sites have mentioned these as effective communication skills in business, but these are the cheat code that can help you to be more perfect than others. All are aware about the standards, "Be formal", "All telephone conversations should be confirmed via email", etc. These 5 simple to follow tips will help you gain control over the effectiveness of your business communication. This is where I sign off! All the best!

Planning Corporate Communication

In a decentralized, customer driven company, a good leader spends more time communicating than doing anything else. He must communicate with the employees to keep them all working towards the same goals and he must communicate with his customers to keep them abreast of the company’s new activities and services. - Jan Carlzon

The organizational communication breaks into two parts.

1. Internal Communication
2. External Communication (Corporate Communication)

Both communications are however critical but as far as sale or market expansion is concerned; we need to take external communication seriously.

Olms identified distinct images of corporate world.

Corporate Personality
Corporate Identity
Corporate Image

Corporate personality is soul, spirit and culture of the organization. This is an intangible form. Corporate Identity is tangible form of corporate personality. Microsoft’s Office or OS makes Microsoft’s Identity. That is because of success of product, project or service.
Corporate Inage is what people actually perceive of corporate personality or identity.

External communication or corporate communication techniques include:

1. Public Relations (PR)
2. Advertising
3. Personal Selling
4. Sales Promotion

PR

PR is the communication of a product, brand or business by placing information about it in the media without paying for the time or media space directly. To improve on corporate identity, good organization pays attention to their PR activities.

"PR is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and public" says Institute of Public Relations.

PR includes relations with community, employees, customers, suppliers, stakeholders, distributors and other interested parties.

PR improves identity through exhibitions, events, publicity, media relations, sponsorships and marketing agencies.

Public Relations Often seen as more "credible" - since the message seems to be coming from a third party (e.g. magazine, newspaper). This is cheap way of reaching many customers - if the publicity is achieved through the right media.

The big hitch in adopting this practice is the risk of losing control in this medium. You cannot always control what other people write or say about your product.

Advertising

One Ad is worth more to a paper than forty editorials. – Will Rogers

Any paid form of non-personal communication of ideas or products in the "prime media": i.e. television, newspapers, magazines, billboard posters, radio, cinema etc. Advertising is intended to persuade and to inform. Advertising is something that brings customer to shop to buy your item. Corporate advertising builds awareness into public. It makes company friendlier to all public.

During advertising practice, just be clear about target audience, media, agency, message and cost effectiveness approach.

I agree that advertising is good in creating brand awareness. This is an effective medium to reach a wide audience. In advertising, you have power over the who, what, where, when, and how of your message. You can employ the power of a carefully crafted message, strategically placed at a particular time of your choosing in one or more carefully selected media to maximize the impact of what you have to say. With repetition of brand and product positioning through advertising helps you to build customer trust.

The hitch to advertising is the audience’s potential for mistrust of anything that smacks of "advertising". For many, "advertising" can be tantamount with "misleading".
Further advertising is impersonal medium. You cannot answer all a customer's questions at a time. This can take customer to shop but not make them buy. It is not good at getting customers to make a final purchasing decision.

Personal Selling

"If there is no wind, row!"

Personal Selling is an Oral communication with potential buyers of a product with the intention of making a sale. Door to door selling or personal selling makes area or region aware of your identity. They might have just seen advertisement and get delighted when get to see your product personally.

The personal selling may focus initially on developing a relationship with the potential buyer, but will always ultimately end with an attempt to "close the sale".

Personal selling somehow affects to rational consumer behavior and decision making process. If positively approached to people, personal selling can creative strong positive image in mind of consumers.

Personal selling requires you to determine buyer behavior, sales force size – structure and support, sales staff training and motivation, remuneration, evaluation and control of sales staff activities.

Personal Selling is highly interactive. A lots of communication between the buyer and seller occurs in this medium than any other practice. This is quite practical and suggested while communicating complex / detailed product information and features is needed. This will definitely build relationships.

Cost is one of the hitches while adopting Personal selling. Employing a sales force has many hidden costs in addition to wages including great training cost. In large audience or big market, this is not suitable.

Sales Promotion

"If you want milk, don't sit in the middle of the pasture and wait for the cow to back up to you."

This is a pull technique. This type of communication makes people to know you.

Effective schemes, low prices, heavy discounts, sale, free gift items, bumper prizes and everything of promotion make easy for you to reach to your customers.

SP is good short-term strategic tool. You can stimulate quick increases in sales by targeting promotional incentives on particular products.

Sales promotion again requires your attention to creative approach, target audience, selection of media and agency and cost effectiveness. Sometimes too much promotion may damage the brand image. So be careful!

According to Thomas Edison there are three great essentials to achieving anything worthwhile.

1. Hard work,
2. Stick-to-it-iveness, and
3. Common sense!

Well this applies to your promotions too!