In business, how you communicate is just as important as what you communicate—and the method you use can go a long way in increasing the effectiveness of your professional communication.
Communication is one of the most important parts of growing a business. In order to grow and scale a business, you need to be able to effectively communicate with your team, your customers, and your community.
But not all communication is created equal. There are plenty of different methods of communication in business—and if you want your business to thrive, you need to be able to effectively communicate through each of those methods (and know where and when to leverage each).
Having an effective communication style has always been an important part of running a successful business. But it’s been especially important this past year when, due to COVID-19, many of the ways we’re used to communicating (like in-person meetings or conversations) haven’t been an option—and business owners have had to rely on other forms of communication (like Zoom) to connect with their team and customers.
The more methods of communication you can master in your business, the more successful you and your team will be in connecting and communicating with each other, clients, and customers—even when a curveball like COVID-19 makes communication more difficult.
So the question is, what methods of communications are available for your business—and how can you leverage each for maximum impact in 2022 and beyond?
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You can’t talk communication without…well, talking.
Verbal communication is one of the most commonly used forms of communication in business—and it makes sense. Talking (whether that’s in face-to-face interaction; a “face-to-face” interaction, like a video chat; or a phone call) is one of the most natural and comfortable forms of communication for many people—and can feel more personal, collaborative, and engaging than other methods of business communication.
Some of the different types of verbal communication you may use in your business include:
One of the main benefits of verbal communication is that, again, it’s a method of communication that a lot of people are familiar and comfortable with. And because so many people are comfortable both expressing themselves verbally and listening to other people’s verbal expressions, it can make for easier communication.
It can also be easier to get your message across accurately through verbal communication. When you’re speaking to someone, they can hear your tone of voice, which can help them better interpret your message.
That same interpretation isn’t available in written forms of communication, like an email, text, or Slack message—which can increase the chance that people might miss the context or intention of what you’re saying.
Verbal communication is the ideal method of communication for a variety of situations in business, including:
Sometimes, it’s best to say what you need to say in your business—and other times, it’s better to write what you need to say.
Written communication is just as common as verbal communication in business—particularly when you’re dealing with team members, colleagues, customers or clients that are in a different location (which, during COVID-19, rings true for almost every business).
Some of the different types of written communication you may use in your business include:
Written communication has a host of benefits in a business setting. Writing things down can help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your message is clear, complete, and thorough—which, for many people, can prove challenging during verbal communication.
Using written communication in your business also creates a record of your exchanges; for example, if you’re having a conversation with a client and you say you’ll deliver the project in 30 days—but they later claim you said 14 days—there’s no real way to gain clarity on the conversation.
On the other hand, if you set the project deadline in an email, you would have a written record of your agreed-upon deadline—and could easily reference that written record if there was a dispute over timelines with the client.
Written communication can also, in many situations, be easier than verbal communication. For example, let’s say you need to share a quick data point with your marketing manager. You can send that data point pretty much instantly through an email or digital message—while it would typically require a lot more time and energy to track down your marketing manager (whether in your office, on the phone, or via Zoom) and relay that information verbally.
Written communication can be an extremely effective form of communication in a variety of business situations, including:
What you say is important. But the truth is, the majority of communication is nonverbal—and everything from your facial expressions to your body language and the gestures you make while speaking can actually send a stronger message than what you’re actually saying.
For example, let’s say you’re talking to one of your employees and say, “You’re doing a great job handling the XYZ project.” While you might say they’re doing a great job, if your brow is furrowed, you’re frowning and your arms are crossed, your nonverbal communication is sending a different message—and, chances are, that employee is going to question how well you think they’re actually doing.
Some nonverbal cues that tend to communicate strongly (regardless of what verbal words they’re paired with) include:
The point is, that your nonverbal communication is speaking just as loudly as your words. So if you want to foster effective communication in your business, it’s important to stay aware of what kind of message those nonverbal cues are sending.
If you want to foster effective communication in your business, it’s important to understand all three methods of communication—and how and when to use each.
But how do you do that? Here are a few tips to more effectively leverage all three methods of communication in your business:
Effective communication is an integral part of running a successful business. And now that you know the different methods of communication (and how they might play out in your business) you have everything you need to foster better, more effective communication at work—and watch your business thrive as a result.
Written by Deanna deBara, Freelance Contributor
Posted on December 21, 2020
