One of the most important assets any company can have is effective business communication. Prioritizing clear and effective communication in business is a proven way to increase your bottom line and ensure a distinguished future for your company.
What is Business Communication?
Business communication is the process of aligning expectations, sharing information, and fostering understanding between internal and external parties. In short, it’s how effective companies maintain an effective team and consistently satisfy client needs.
Every business should prioritize communication in their core values. Not only does it lead to more productive and beneficial relationships, but it helps the bottom line. Research indicates companies that focus on clear communication outperform their competitors by orders of magnitude. It’s a proven way to differentiate your firm or agency and enhance the customer experience.
Yet many businesses overlook it or take it for granted. It’s tempting to assume your business communication is clear and effective. But according to the research, well over half of internal communications professionals aren’t even measuring their efforts or success in this realm.
Key Tips for Better Business Communication
Here at Building Careers, one of our core values is open, constant, and timely communication. Our team relies on key communications principles and strategies to stand out among our competitors in the commercial real estate niche.
But regardless of the industry you serve, we believe the following tips will help you achieve measurable success internally and externally.
1. Constant Feedback
The feedback loop is vitally important to improvement. Even negative feedback can be helpful when taken to heart and applied to future situations. Being open to feedback shows others you are interested in being the best you can be.
In our searches, we routinely request feedback from our clients and our candidates. This constant stream of input allows us to make real-time adjustments for better performance and the best use of everyone’s time. Likewise, we provide regular feedback as we are constantly thinking about the interests of those we serve. Even if there are no updates, checking in with candidates and clients to let them know that allows us to build trust and put everyone at ease that they know what to expect from the process.
2. Clarity
There’s a an old saying that, if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it. In your business communication with clients, keep it short and sweet. Provide clear answers to their questions. With employees, don’t send mixed messages. Make sure everyone knows what the priorities are.
3. Over Communication
The average professional overestimates their success in communicating. To be understood, you must over communicate just to make par.
In one remarkable study, people were asked to tap out popular songs while others listened and tried to make out what songs were being tapped. Those tapping estimated that about half of the songs were successfully communicated to the listeners. But in reality, only 2.5% were. State the obvious. Then repeat. Don’t assume you are understood.
4. Open and Honest
Transparency should be a given. Yet there is a surprising amount of misdirection and cloaking that take place in business discussions and communications. In fact, around 80% of workplace problems can be traced back to a lack of open and honest communication.
At no point should you mislead members of your team or clients. Proactively ask open-ended questions about potential problems or concerns and always respond genuinely. If you don’t immediately know the answer, be up front about it and then do the proper research to deliver the information requested.
5. Communication Culture
Clear and effective business communication doesn’t happen by accident. Make it a part of your company’s DNA by enshrining it in your core company values.
Emphasize to your team how important it is that they participate in open, constant, and timely communication – both internally and with clients. Let your clients know they can expect the highest communication standards from your team. This will keep you accountable and motivated.
Reward and encourage clear communication, and in the long run, it will reward you and your business.
Below we are proud to have been a part of a CREW Program Recording called Winning Communication. Please click here for the link to the program recording.
If you would like to learn more about Building Careers, contact us or email Carly Glova directly!