Business, Global, Student Reporter

An Overview on Business Communication

Avatar photoHeon Jeong Yi

The aims of business communication

Business communication is an organized personal process of activities that comprehensively includes all functions, from producing and selling goods, while exchanging verbal, written, and non-verbal messages within the organization to meet the organizational interests and the needs of society.

  • To Provide information

Providing work-related information to supervisors, fellow employees, and other department officials is the most important purpose of business communication. For example, when an employee working in the marketing department has the necessary supplies for the company’s work, they can request the employee in charge of purchasing to receive the goods.

  • Persuasion

The second important purpose of business communication is to persuade the other person. It is often done mainly to negotiate between projects or to achieve mutual objectives between departments. To convince well, it is necessary to explain the exact content so that the other party can understand it. A flexible mind that considers the other person is also needed. Particularly, it is advantageous to have effective conversation skills to derive optimal results.

  • Collaboration

Third, the important goal of business communication is cooperation and collaboration among businesspeople. Through smooth and continuous business communication, effective business cooperation can achieve with people who work together externally and internally. Smooth communication between departments and in business relations is directly related to business performance.
For example, when selling a product in a specific area, if the marketing department is in charge of market research and product promotion plans, and the sales team is in order of selling the actual product, collaboration through business dialogue can determine the decline of product sales.

The Communication Process

Barriers to communication

How communication barriers can be overcome

Accuracy and clarity of the message: The language used in the content to be simple and practical, and it should be avoided using ambiguous expressions and the use of overly professional words.

Noise removal: It is important to find the cause of the noise and remove the source. Noise can be one of the important issues that prevent communication.

Active Listening: The listener always needs an accurate understanding of the message and a listening attitude. Depending on the situation, the listener needs to make sure that clearly understands the sender’s intention through the question, and it is important to listen carefully, not just hear.

Body language and emotional expression: The communicator should not reveal personal emotions in the message delivery process. The purpose should be to maintain an objective and neutral mind while conveying information. When delivering a message directly to the listener, the delivery power can improve by using appropriate body language.

Information selection: The content and amount of information to be delivered vary depending on the organization’s location or the importance of the task in charge. It is necessary to divide accurate information lines so that messages should only deliver to superiors, not deliver to subordinates. If they should share with everyone, special care needs to prevent omission.

Positive feedback: It is best not to give negative feedback, but if you need to provide negative feedback as required, you should provide feedback by opening up directions better by identifying the exact problem and presenting the necessary solutions.

Select the appropriate media: The administrator must select a suitable communication medium. Simple messages, such as face-to-face conversations and meetings, should be delivered verbally. To provide complex messages, you should be encouraged to use written communication. Important announcements may be notified in advance using written communication means such as memos and notifications.

Appropriate channels: Choosing a medium suitable for the situation is very important. Everyone should communicate through an efficient and systematic medium without confusion by accurately distinguishing between Internet messages, cases where written communication is necessary, leaving notes, and cases where work should proceed through actual document preparation.

Communication Models within an organization

  • Thayer’s organizational Communication Model

Thayer’s business communication model shows how individual communication functions within an organization. In other words, the message or behaviour sent by the manager can influence by four factors: psychological, social, and technical. According to this model, employees can be greatly influenced by the organizational atmosphere of managers in the position of superiors.

  • Circular Model of Communication

The circular business communication model is a model in which two-way communication in which recipients and callers continuously share and interpret messages is important. Managers can apply active communication methods, such as accepting opinions from employees and acknowledging their roles in the decision-making process.

The benefits and limitations of communication medium

Telephone Communication

Benefit

Communicating over the phone enables immediate interaction with each other in business and is not limited by location. It is simple to use, and easy to communicate quickly. It is also a useful means of communication for related employees to take orders over the phone and handle their work even if the person involved is far away.

Limitation

Since facial expressions or emotions do not reveal, the ability to accurately cope with actual situations or to understand and communicate feelings is insufficient.

Email Communication

Benefit

Email is very useful in sending messages with important documents or attachments such as paintings, music, and presentations. Even if it doesn’t cost anything to send them, there’s the convenience of being able to send any number of them whenever you want. In addition, through e-mail, you can quickly deliver what you need to customers or business partners who are far away. And immediately check and handle business-related tasks. In addition, work-related content sent to each other can be automatically stored in a storage box, so it can use easily to leave important documents.

Limitation

Email does not include non-verbal communication and can cause misunderstanding because it may misinterpret the message because it cannot convey emotions. In addition, if the recipient does not immediately check the Email and reply, important and urgent messages will be left unattended, which can be a big blow to the business.

Social Media

Benefit

Social media provides effective and important feedback on corporate products and services through immediate market reactions. Companies attract market attention through product promotion, advertising, and the use of various content, leading to actual consumption.

Limitation

However, because of the nature of social media which changes from time to time, there is a risk of a shift to negative publicity when negative reactions and comments to various channels are not properly monitored. In other words, it can hurt the image of a company.

Face-to-Face Communication

The most important thing that is necessary for effective face-to-face communication is to listen to the other person well. It is essential to listen carefully to what the other person is trying to say, respond to the words, and give appropriate answers to each other, so that they can be considerate and understanding of each other. In addition, using proper body language to express the important of emotions or messages you want to express, focusing on conversations through eye contact with the other person, respecting the other person, using tone for accurate and appropriate discussions, and word selection are also important factors in face-to-face communication.

Written Communication

Formal writing communication

In business, formal writing contains some traditional professional expressions and contents. It is mainly used in formal work to write serious styles based on facts and materials. For business proposals, official reports, and official data of business and products to customers, official writing forms are used to reveal the company’s expertise and specifications through many data surveys and meticulous preparation processes.

Informal writing communication

In business, informal writing takes the form of writing that reveals more casual styles and free emotional expressions, such as the sentence itself not using too many professional terms and not being formal. These articles are often used as tools for informal communication, mainly in Email, blogs, and newsletters shared only by employees. In this kind of writing, you can communicate with each other using free expressions, including abbreviations and slang that you only know within the company.

How modern communication technologies help business communication

  • It is remote

Now that the number of telecommuting and remote workers has increased by more than half of all employees, communication with them is considered one of the most important advantages of workplace communication technology. These days, Pandemic situations are especially critical to establish a platform for smooth communication between telecommuters and remote workers, so even if they are not in the place, they can have meetings and exchange opinions with necessary content anytime during business hours.

  • Improving customer relation

Another strength of technology use in business is that the intimate relationship between customers. Through the development of various apps, including SNS such as Instagram and Facebook, you can actively communicate with customers, build the foundation for relationships, and naturally promote corporate products.

Above all, it is possible to maximize corporate profits. Aggressive marketing accurately identifies customers’ needs by quickly catching the changing market trends.

  • Environmentally friendly

It is eco-friendly and very beneficial to the environment. Except for absolute use on business or documents, office papers can reduce printing and wastepaper use by sending necessary messages to each other through electronic memos or chat networks and checking and modifying documents on the computer. According to a survey report, in the United States, garbage, which accounts for 90% of offices, is printed copies, which can reduce the waste.

Common threats to the security of business data held on computer

  • Phishing

Phishing attacks mainly commit crimes in which hackers steal and use personal information by sending attachments or links to users via email and SNS allowing them to open the file or log in to a website or account. In general, hackers pretend to be well-known and trusted people, such as bosses or bankers at work, and contact familiar but slightly manipulated email addresses.

  • Malware

Malicious codes are activated by employees or experts who use smartphones, desktops, and laptops to work or click on malicious links or attachments. Particularly, when malicious software such as Spyware and viral LAN Cableware is activated, it is important, and sensitivity can cause serious problems such as withdrawing information from data or suspending the use of the system itself.

  • Cloud Zacking

Cloud zacking refers to the intrusion of a company or another person unrelated to the company into the company’s main cloud. In many cases, extreme tasks such as eavesdropping on the communication window between employees and companies to control the entire cloud often expand. It mainly spreads false instructions, fake memos, etc., in communication between employees and companies, and employees can hurt the company by following those instructions or downloading malicious files. Furthermore, caution is needed as there is a possibility of large losses, such as transferring company funds to other fraudulent accounts.

How to protect business data against security threats

  • Back up

Periodic backups of sensitive data and information is an important guideline for file and data safety. Backups to portable devices, such as USBs and external drives is much safer and easier to recover lost information. Backups are efficient over weekends, quarterly, and annual periods, and it is also important to check and check whether data recovery is possible from backups regularly.

  • Put a policy to guide the staff.

By preparing cybersecurity policies, the staff can use Internet sites, data, email, computers, and related devices. To familiarize themselves with important matters necessary when performing work and prevent accidents.

  • Secure the devices and network

Security software should install to prevent infection, and firewall installation between computers and the Internet. Periodic automatic software updates should be required. Spam filters should be set up to prevent theft of malicious and confidential information to reduce the amount of mail and avoid unnecessary mail.

  • Train the staff to be safe online

Periodically, education on cyber threats can use by employees to raise awareness of cyber threats. The staff also can learn and utilize how to protect themselves from cyber threats safely. Training should be conducted on what to do when facing cyber threats, identify and prevent threats and maintain correct passwords and passwords.

References

By Heon Jeong Yi

She is a student of Concordia International University student.

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