What is communication?

Communication is neither the transmission of a message nor the message itself. It is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the receiver.

Communication needs to be effective in business.

Communication is the essence of management.

The basic functions of management cannot be performed well without effective communication.

Business communication involves constant flow of information.

Feedback is integral part of business communication.

Organizations these days are very large and involve large number of people.

There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization.

Greater the number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization.

Communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization.

Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided.

There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between organization and society at large.

It is essential for success and growth of an organization.

Communication gaps should not occur in any organization.

Business Communication is goal oriented.

The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people within and outside the organization.

Business Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms.

In early times, business communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc.

But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication.

Effective business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization.

1. Email

Email (or e-mail) communication can be defined as the exchange of short informational messages between at least two people over a computer network.

These messages containing plain text, images or document attachments are delivered through email web-based services like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo.
2. Telephone

the transmission of speech over a distance either by electric signals propagated along conductors or by radio signals; a type of telecommunication.

Telephone communication permits conversations to be carried on between people separated by almost any distance.

3. Social networking sites

A social network is an online community comprised of individuals or organizations that are tied together by common interests.

Internet-based social networking occurs through a variety of website platforms that allow users with similar interests to share content and interact online.

Some popular social networking sites include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and many others.

By creating social networks that follow your business, or the interests of your business, you can build relationships with current and future customers.

By posting content to these groups you can provide information to a large number of followers quickly and inexpensively.

4. SMS and texting

SMS (Short Message Service) is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet, and mobile device systems.

It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text messages.

SMS messaging, and texting in general, is a powerful way to communicate.

SMS messaging and texting provide one-to-one communication.

5.    Video conferencing

Video conferencing provides a way to have face-to-face meetings without the expense of travel.

It provides a more personal way to communicate both externally with customers and partners and internally with team members or employees who may work outside the office.

Video conferencing technologies transmit and receive images and voice in real-time so that you can have a “face-to-face meeting.”

Internet

The internet is an essential marketing and communication tool for every business.

It allows you to communicate with potential customers, create leads, and establish your business.

You should register with internet search engines and crowdsourced business review sites to build your online presence and allow people to find your business quickly.

You can advertise on these sites to get more visibility on the page.

Utilizing your ability to register on search engines and crowd-source business review sites is an essential marking tool to communicate with potential customers and creating leads.

How you use the internet in your business is up to you.

Perhaps you are not ready to sell your products online, but you are interested in developing a website that lets people know what you do.

At the other extreme, you may want to use the internet as your main sales channel.

Just remember, the basics are still on the ground: you need products and services that people want; you need to attract people to your internet site so that they have the option of purchasing these products and services from you; you need to convince them to buy; you need a place to store your products; and you need a way to get them to the purchaser.