Contrary to what a lot of businesses think, communication is more than just a daily protocol. It is the bridge that takes your ideas, visions, thoughts and plans across to your employees, partners, clients and investors. It is the key to creating and nurturing an ecosystem that is essential for your team, business or organization to thrive in a complex and competitive world. If you agree, and are interested in upping the level of your business communication, here are 7 expert tips that will help you.
1. Know your audience
When it comes to communication in business, one format doesn’t fit all. Make it a point to study the background of your audience before you set out to communicate. Are you dealing with a first time client or someone who’s familiar with your products or services? Are you writing to an individual within your organization or an entire team? Is the recipient of your communication a profitable entity or a struggling one? Understanding who you’re communicating with, will enable you to create your communication in a way that’s relevant and riveting. Audience profiling in communication is one of the many valuable learnings that you’ll gain when working with top entrepreneur coaches.
2. Stay simple and focused
It’s a fast and hectic world out there. The point is, with people being continually preoccupied with tasks, responsibilities, goals and numbers, it’s easier to lose their attention than to hold it. One way to circumvent the risk of distraction or disinterest is to be engaging from the word go. Keeping your communication or conversation skills focused and simple, will prove instrumental in delivering more impact with less effort.
3. Be empathetic
The best way to get someone’s attention is to let them know you're truly tuned in to their needs or problems, challenges or difficulties. Choose your words and your tone in a way that expresses your sincerity and openness to collaborate and help, rather than intrude and impose. This approach will also help you make your communication interactive, which in turn will enrich you with the valuable thoughts and insights of your audience.
4. Don’t hesitate to bring up difficult issues
Employees as well as clients appreciate and respect individuals who do not shy away from addressing tough issues. It's a trait that tells the world, you not only have confidence in your abilities and insights but also have the courage to back your convictions with the right measures. So, if there’s an elephant in the room, make sure to bring it into view without hesitation.
5. Use your people memory
This rule applies when you’re communicating with audiences who’re familiar to you. For example, you may know that a certain individual is particularly interested in maintaining a health regimen; in this case, enquiring about his or her regimen would be a great way to motivate the person to give you his or her undivided attention. Use facts and things you know at a personal level wherever you see the opportunity, as this will ensure a smoother path for your communication.
6. Present a solution not just a problem
There’s no dearth of problems in today’s competitive world. Therefore, if you really want your communication to strike a chord, make sure that you don’t just throw problems at your audience but also point them toward possible solutions. This problem-solution approach will also enable you to have greater control over the communication loop as opposed to simply presenting problems or challenges and then leaving it to your audience to respond to the situation.
7. Inform and educate
Consider every chance to communicate with the world around you as an opportunity to consolidate the trust that you have painstakingly built. A good way to leverage your communication in this regard is to include information within the main framework of your content that you think is of value to the audience or recipient. “By the way Steve, there’s a new Sales Enhancement tool out there that I think you should check. It will make life a whole lot easier!” A personal statement amidst a business communique gets your recipient to drop their guard and connect better with you.
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Business communication is not merely about creating an agenda and then passing it on to someone. It's about making the reader or listener feel that you’re open and willing to work collaboratively towards a common goal. Polaris One is a premier business coaching services establishment that can help you enhance your business communication skills, from purpose to fundamentals to final delivery though well-strategized one-on-one coaching sessions. The practical approach to coaching at Polaris One is based on 35+ years of proven business coaching experience of its founder Robert Arzt. Visit polarisone.com to book an appointment that will change the way you communicate with the world. And of course, the way the world responds back to you!
