It should almost go without saying that if you want to get your business message across to clients, customers and the world, you need to use a number of methods of communication. This is also true when it comes to communicating with employees and partners. In most businesses today, even to be hired, a prospective employee needs to show that they are able to effectively communicate using more than just one method, says the Small Business Chron website. Fortunately, there are a number of ways and methods that businesses have chosen for their daily communications.
Virtual Meetings:
An excellent way to communicate with everyone involved in your business at the same time is through a virtual meeting, according to Small Biz Trends. One of the best ways to pull something like this together is through the use of web conferencing. This is simply holding a meeting over the Internet. There are a number of different programs and system that can allow this to happen very easily and inexpensively. Better still, most employees can simply log on right from their office or cubicle, without the need for additional software.
It’s also a good idea to make sure that these virtual meetings get recorded. They can then be posted to your company intranet for interested employees to view later. This also makes them available to be used as possible training material and can help with employee engagement. Virtual meetings can prove to be an important means for sharing vital information and may even allow employees to contribute to the meeting at a later date by adding additional comments.
Electronic Mail:
Of course, everyone knows about email. This is perhaps the most commonly used form of business communication in the world right now. The problem is that very few businesses seem to know how to use email effectively, according to the Huffington Post. Most businesses actually overuse their email communications, to the point where nothing that is said ends up being important or noteworthy. That is a problem, because it ends up causing a certain level of disengagement rather than having employees become more connected with the company and with each other.
There is also the matter of spam. This is something that causes a lot of problems; many employees say they spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with spam each day. Not only does it clog up email inboxes; it also introduces the potential for nasty things like worms and viruses. If you are not careful, it could even lead to your own data and information being compromised in a phishing scheme. Sometimes critical emails end up being misdirected or simply getting trapped in spam folders that end up working all too well. The way around all of this is to figure out ways to reduce your reliance on email and consider sending only those messages that you feel are important.
Social Media:
Another effective form of daily business communication is social media. Granted, you might not have really considered reaching your own employees through outlets like Twitter and Facebook, but if they congregate on these sites, why not? Post communications and messages directly on a company sponsored post or page and see what type of response is received. Of course, your specific type of business might influence the use of this form of communications.. Studies show that younger people end up using these sites lot more than older employees.
Large Meetings:
Businesses do still communicate through large meetings. This actually carry symbolic value, so they are best used for making really important announcements or for special occasions, according to Communication Toolbox. It does work very well for those times that you need to communicate important messages to a large group of people at the same time, or if you are looking to create a sense of belonging.
You can also use this type of business communication if you are trying to present a new company vision or strategy. Or to inform employees about a reorganization, or to share new values. Large meetings can even be combined with a number of smaller group sessions that can be used for dialog and to solicit some real and genuine feedback. This strategy could also be used for those times when you might be looking to take the business in a new direction.
Bottom Line:
The real purpose of business communications is to deliver your message and then have those in the company take action, based on that message. It is really about influencing and inspiring people. This is the reason why you should never focus on a single method. Instead, try different mediums and use them in different ways. Practice combining different methods in order to obtain your desired effect. There is no one size – or medium – fits all.
Image credit: CC by Nina Matthews
