Business Communication Basics Custom Search  James 1: 19 My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.
How Effective is Your Business Communication? But do you also realize that the very words in which you use and speak in your business communication
I have been providing goal setting for private industry and individuals for over 10 years now, you can read my story (about me) here. Everybody is different in how they communicate; both in style and in syntax, in their interpersonal communication, and in business communication, which includes effective business writing as well.
There are certain effective communication strategies that you need to understand and implement for optimal effectiveness in your communication style. Some of these may be self explanatory to you and I believe these are essential not only for your professional business communication life but in your personal, interpersonal communication style as well.
Understand and Know Your Audience
This may sound elementary but knowing and understanding your audience is just as important as communicating the message itself. And depending upon how well you understand and know your audience, and can convey that knowledge in your communication message so it is easily understood-will determine to a greater extent whether you know how to succeed in your business communication, or whether your message will be viewed as just failures in your attempt. And don't forget, honesty is always the best policy. It doesn’t matter whether you are communicating by giving a presentation as part of your career goals , in presenting to fellow colleagues, staff members and Board of Directors regarding quarterly earnings, giving an oral presentation for a college class in your college planning , or presenting to potential new clients in your work at home business about a new product and/or service to a group of potential investors you are developing to market. You have to understand your audience and you should have a general understanding of your audience's demographics, socio-economic and educational status. Knowing this vital information and conveying that you understand this from where they are at, is effective communication. Your communication message will resonate well to your audience if you keep these points in mind when you are communicating to them.
Understand Why are you Communicating
Again, this is an important concept that many people will overlook as not important. You should know why you are communicating. The end result of your communication message is the single most important part for business communication-and I might add-for effective business communication at that! How you deliver in communicating your message is just as important as how your communication is received by the audience. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes for a moment-and ask yourself these questions: • What was/were the most important points of the business communication message? • How does the business communication message itself impact me? • How do I benefit or not from the business communication message? • What is the underlying message or theme that I want the audience to take away from the business communication message? As human beings, it’s very hard to be in control of our emotions 24/7 , circumstances and events beyond our control will impact and effect how we react to things and people around us-this is just part of life. You cannot allow ill-feelings, and hatred run the show. You must utilize positive thinking , a positive attitude and have the self discipline , in not allowing negative influences impact your communication. You should refrain at all from communicating a message to your team or to other stakeholders when you are in an angry state of mind, this will only undue and undermine your communication efforts, because your communication message will not be received openly by the audience in which it was intended. This will only cause internal and or external strife from within.
Talk TO Your Audience not AT Them when Communicating
This is a very important point-your audience are all adults whether they are fellow employees in your firm, fellow classmates in college, fellow board members, or potential clients, investors or stakeholders-people want to be valued and resent it when their intelligence is being questioned or when they are being talked to as a person of lower socio-economic status. However many people will ignore this classic rule in effective business communication by talking AT your audience instead of talking TO your audience-there is a vast difference not only in communicating the message but more importantly how your business communication message is received. When you talk at someone-it is insulting to them because the perception being received by the audience is that you are treating the audience of your communication message (although not intentionally), as beneath your level of intellect. It can come across as you are on a higher intellect or socio-economic level than they are. Even if this is the case in reality-you must ALWAYS talk to your audience-not AT them when you are communicating. Your audience wants to feel accepted, valued and they want to think that you understand their situation or their plight in life when you are communicating to them. It’s not so important that you agree with them but to demonstrate that you do understand their situation and concern. Talking to your audience on this level-empowers trust and acceptance on their part which translates into more of a willingness on your audience’s part to more positively want to engage you and your communication message in a more powerful and constructive way.
Measure 10 Times Cut Once!
The majority of communicating these days is done by electronic means such as email communication. Because of this technology, it is so vitally important to proof read ALL email communication that you are about to send. Business writing as you know is very subjective and can be interpreted in various ways with varying differences in meaning in how your communication is received. When you send an email communication to your spouse, family member or girl-friend, it can have an entirely different meaning in how your email communication is received when sending email communication at work in your business. Before you click and hit the send button-make sure the email communication conveys the intended meaning. Would you be offended by any of the communication language? Think about this and reflect upon all your email communication before you hit the send button. You’ll be glad you did-as it’s a bit too late to reflect after you’ve hit the send button!
Remember: ”The only Unfulfilled Goals in Your Life are the Ones you Never Attempt”
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