A Complete Guide For Effective Business Communication – A Course from Eduonix

Editor's Notes

• #8: Communications must also be complete. If you only manage to convey half of the vital information, you may as well not have communicated any at all. Effective business communications contain the whole message. Consider business communication to be an all or nothing endeavor. If you don’t manage to communicate all the salient details, you have delivered a message that will only confuse or obscure the point. You’ll have to start from scratch in a new communication. In order to avoid this, make sure that your communications always address the who, what, when, where, why, and how of an issue. Contextualize your information with these basic things—even if you assume your listener should know. It may be tempting to send a quick one-line email that says “Hey everyone, don’t forget the meeting today!” but it’s better to include all the relevant information, by saying “ Hey everyone! Don’t forget that everyone from the Sales Department has a meeting about the Technology conference in April today at 2pm in Conference Room B. We will be discussing proposals for the booth, so please bring everything you’ve been working on so far. Thanks!” The details ensure that everyone is informed and prepared. Never assume people will or should know what you’re talking about. Everyone is busy and your message may not be a priority, so it must be complete. Make sure to allow for questions as well. Every once in a while a message simply will be missing something despite your best efforts. That’s ok. Just make sure to encourage questions and answer them fully.
• #9: Next, business communication should be coherent. Communication must flow logically or your audience won’t be able to follow your train of thought. After all, if a message doesn’t make sense, clarity and cohesion are lost, despite your best efforts. A coherent message simply makes sense and is easy to follow in a logical, step-by-step way. To do this, make sure all points are relevant and connected to the core message. This will allow you to keep to what is important, while ensuring that everyone else understands. In spoken communication, a checklist or a plan can keep you on point. In a presentation setting, this is what Powerpoints are for, but even a simple piece of paper with the main points jotted down in a logical order can help. In written communication, it’s easier to create a coherent message. Just make sure to reread the message before sending it. You’d be surprised at how many errors and miscommunications can be avoided by the simple expedient of reading a message before putting it before another person.
• #10: Also, be concise. Time is money in business. No one has time for a rambling meeting or a ten-page email. Unless you are concise, your core message is lost, because you’ve simply lost your audience’s attention. Get straight to the point without including anything secondary to the core message. Avoid filler language as well. If you can say something in one sentence or two, always say it in one. The faster you get to the point the more your point will stick with the reader or listener. Effective communication triggers efficient action in business communication—and effective communication must therefore be efficient itself.
• #11: Next, be concrete. It may be tempting to hedge a message or keep information vague, but this only serves to confuse the intent. Make every message concrete. A message comes alive through tangible information and necessary detail. Anchor your message in the relevant details in order to center your message. This means that examples are a must in business communication. It serves no purpose to say that some customer service calls are rude. Instead show two calls—one that is rude and one that is polite, so that the message is concrete and the audience understands. Being concise is still important however. You need to maintain a laser-like focus when making your message concrete. A few examples are good. Thirty are overkill—and your purpose is hidden in extra information beyond what they needed to understand. Don’t sacrifice conciseness in making communication concrete. Balance is key.
• #12: Be courteous. Remember—two cornerstones of business communication boil down to courtesy, so never neglect this C. The message is lost without courtesy, no matter how clearly and concisely you say something rude. At all times, be polite, diplomatic and tactful. Courteousness ensures that emotions do not get in the way of conveying the key message. You don’t hurt feelings or anger your audience. you simply say what must be said in a way that is polite. Anything can be said courteously—even criticism—so don’t ever neglect it, whether you are writing a memo or presenting in front of a group. Courtesy makes sure your meaning lands on receptive ears.
• #13: Finally, business communication must be correct. Incorrect information is never effective. Most of the time incorrect information is simply due to a lack of editing, which is why it is so vital to the success of any venture. Always edit for typos, grammatical errors, and incorrect facts or data. If this requires a little extra research, it’s always worth the time. Sometimes, of course, errors slip by or will be learned after the fact. In these cases, it’s ok. Just make sure to correct yourself immediately. Remember, though, this is usually a new communication, so don’t forget the rest of the 7 C’s, even in a correction. If you follow these 7 C’s you will always give your message the best chance of understanding and receptiveness, no matter the medium or meaning. That doesn’t mean that everything you say at work will be well received, but it does give you the best possible chance for success.