More and more, business today considers communication a valued tool. Technology has brought us email and the ability to communicate instantly with others from around the world. Good skills can help your business career.
Most importantly you want your message, no matter in what form it is delivered, to be concise and clear. Don’t flower your message with pretty words or long descriptions. Be exact. For instance, don’t use, “The Smith Company order needs to be shipped.” Instead, “The Smith Company order must be shipped by 8 a.m. on Monday.” The first example leaves the shipping time open to interpretation, the second is clear as to when the order should go out. Always make sure your meaning is clear. Ask for feedback from the receiver of the message to be sure that they understand. Miscommunication can cost your company thousands of dollars, or more! Do not use slang or profanity. Profanity is just bad business (and bad manners). Slang words may have different meanings to different people and can cause embarrassment and confusion.
Don’t use “fancy” language. Simple words are easier to comprehend. If you have a wide grasp on the English language, good for you! You don’t need to show it off. Use simply, easy to understand wording.
Stay away from jargon. That is to say, words that may mean something to those in a certain job field but mean nothing to the rest of us. Legal and medical terms are good examples. Not many outside those fields understand them. Again, use simple concise wording that anyone can understand.
When speaking of writing to someone, consider whether to use a formal or casual tone. In a meeting with a client, for example, it is probably best to use a formal tone. When working with a small group of coworkers, say on a committee, it may be fine to use a more casual style. In written communications, informal is usually okay with memos or emails whereas a report would require more formal wording.
When communicating in person, be aware of your body language. Often what you don’t verbally say is as important, if not more-so, than the spoken word. Body language gives off silent clues as to the speaker’s true feelings behind his or her words.
Good communication skills are vital to you, as an employee as well to your company. Practicing them can make your job, and the jobs of those who you communicate with, much easier.
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