Two Forms of Business Communication

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  Business communications connect members of an organization, outside customers and entities and other individuals, businesses and organizations. Written and verbal forms of business communications permeate the niche ways in which information can be transmitted.

Email

• Email is the modern version of written communications. Though email should follow the same rules as any other form of written communications, it has the added advantage of being an instantaneous way to communicate. In a business environment email can facilitate the widespread distribution of information to parties that reside both internally and externally. Email used for employee communications ensures that recipients are quickly receiving and reading information. Email monitoring functions, inherent to most email programs, allows a sender to know who opened an email that was sent. Email serves as a way to quickly send information to people regardless of their geographical location. The continual advancement and widespread adoption of laptops and smart phones supports the use of email.

In-Person Meetings

• On the opposite end of the communications spectrum from electronic communications are in-person meetings. Meetings allow for those presenting the information to interact with attendees in a real-time format. Meetings conveying and dealing with large amounts of information should incorporate written or visual forms of communication in addition to speech. This means that handouts and video presentations should be used to augment the speeches and verbal presentation. To support the effectiveness of communicating information, those making presentations should use language that is easily understood, and speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear.

Combination Methods

• Email and meetings, though distinct forms of business communications, can be used in conjunction with other forms of information relay. For example, adding slide show presentations and audio files to email messages can enhance an email that is heavy on details. In the same manner, meetings can use handouts, brochures and video presentations to assist with communication objectives.