Communication has played a vital role in our daily lives and businesses. One common characteristic of highly successful companies over time has been their ability to communicate their value effectively with both customers and stakeholders (effective communication).
As an entrepreneur, operating a highly successful and profitable business is largely dependent on your ability to communicate effectively your values among different groups of audiences.
With the current evolution of technology effective communication has become both an advantage and a challenge for many businesses. Building a high-growth business is largely dependent on optimizing and adhering to the right communication strategies to ensure effective communication with your target audience.
Strategies for Effective Business Communication
In other to communicate properly as a business, there are certain steps to consider, they include;
Consider your audience
The first step to consider when communicating as a business is to carefully select your audience. An understanding of the person(s) with which you are communicating will go a long way in shaping how effective you communicate. Ask questions like;
- Who is my audience?
- What is important to them?
- What are they least likely to care about?
Your communication pattern/message will depend on your target audience. A message for your customers will be quite different from that of your employees or investors.
Purpose of communication
The next important criterion to take into consideration is the purpose of your communication. Whether you are writing or having a verbal conversation, it is important you clearly state the purpose of that communication. Ask questions like;
- What do I want my audience to think or learn from my communication?
- What impression do I want to convey?
Select Communication Channel
Having known your audience and purpose of communication, it is time to select the channel of communication. Your content will determine the medium.
Selecting an effective medium for communication requires you to ask this question;
- Will my audience be able to fully understand my message through this medium?
Factoring these strategies into your communication, whether a sales copy, an internal memo, a business proposal, or even an investor report will foster a more clear and effective communication reflecting in better understanding and increasing business growth.
Aside from the above factors, effective business communication is also hinged on certain features.
Features of an Effective Communication
Captivating
A very important feature in every business communication is its ability to capture the attention of the audience.
People have become increasingly busy and to get their attention, your message whether written or verbal has to compete with the tonnes of information in their space. To do this, you have to pique their interest with an interesting topic or introduction that will add value to them.
Concise
Aside from a captivating intro, strive to always convene your message using as few words as possible. You don’t want your audience to suffer from information overload, avoid verbose words and be as brief as possible.
Clear
Another characteristic to consider for effective communication is clarity. Don’t ever leave your audience wondering, what did I just read or hear? Take a focused tack with your communication effort, and always make your intentions and objectives known.
Conversational
Contrary to the usual belief, business communications do not have to be wrapped up in complex words and unnecessary business jargons, depending on your type of communication, try to make it conversational, see the audience on the receiving end as a real person and try to have a real conversation with that person.
Exploring these strategies and implementing these features in your business communication can position your business for high growth and profit maximization.
