What comes to mind when you think of effective communication?
If empathy, confidence, great listening skills, and clarity all make the list, you might already be well on your way to master effective business communication — and you haven’t even started your journey yet!
As more and more employees are choosing to work remotely and flexibly, understanding what makes for exceptional business communication has become a crucial part of result-driven business management, as it makes for a one-way ticket to improved customer satisfaction, lower employee turnover, and higher employee productivity and job satisfaction.
Sounds like the perfect recipe for success, doesn’t it?
In this article, we’ll walk you through the entire business communication process, highlighting all the different types of business communication and giving you all the tips you need to master every single one of them, from in-person presentations to long internal emails.
P.S. If you like what you see throughout the article and want to dive deeper into the world of effective leadership, why not enroll at Big Impact University to learn more about these skills and achieve all your communication goals?
You still have time to book your spot, so get to the end of our tips to learn more about how communication skills can help you make a difference and generate more wealth!
What Is Business Communication?
At its core, business communications are all about sharing information between people within the company (employees and management) and the people outside of it (customers, clients, and all stakeholders).
It doesn’t come as a surprise that the scope of business communication is quite broad: You’ll be sharing precious information as you’re passing on an executive decision, presenting the goal of a new marketing campaign, giving feedback to a new employee, or selling a new product to a loyal client.
The purpose of implementing better external and internal communication procedures is to reduce errors and improve all executive processes, boosting customer loyalty, satisfaction, and yes, even revenue!
The Differences Between Internal & External Communication In Business
From written communication to presentation skills, the thoughtful manager or executive has to get familiar with all the different types of business communication you’ll encounter in the workplace, so if you’re looking to become a better leader for your team and a better partner for your clients, you’ll have to master both external and internal communications.
So, what are the main differences between the two?
Internal Business Communication
Internal business communication refers to all the information sharing that happens within the company, whether it’s upward communication (from a subordinate to a higher-up in the organizational hierarchy), downward communication (from managers to executives and other subordinates), or technical communication (cross-departmental or lateral communication between coworkers).
A company that values employee engagement will promote frequent cross-departmental meetings and make sure to ask for opinions and feedback from all employees across the organization’s hierarchy.
Companies that don’t value internal business communications, on the other hand, will have infrequent and quite chaotic in-person meetings and lack organization when it comes to communicating between departments, teams, and even same-team coworkers — not having a business messaging app is usually a red flag!
Implementing effective upward communication methods holds many benefits for business growth: Being able to share ideas and complaints with your superiors makes for the best feedback you could ever receive, as managers are rarely well-informed on the day-to-day challenges their teams are experiencing. Whether it’s an informal meeting or a comprehensive email involving the entire team, having employees share the problems they are facing, the complaints they are receiving, and the biggest successes of the past month will help managers inform their business plans going forward!
Downward communication is also just as important: Communicating your goals clearly and across all teams will ensure each employee knows what the focus should be and what the entire company is working toward, boosting engagement and job satisfaction as well as improving performance.
External Business Communication
External business communication, on the other hand, refers to all the information sharing coming from within the company and directed towards external stakeholders, like customers and clients.
The external business communication process involves marketing campaigns, customer service protocols, and all other written and verbal interactions with stakeholders, such as external vendors.
External communications are generally more developed and streamlined within all companies, at least on an organizational level, as they are directly responsible for customer satisfaction, lead acquisition, and business growth.
How can the public know who you are and what sets you apart from competitors without investing in marketing and customer service, after all?
A company that fully understands the importance of great external communication will create roadmaps to achieve new business communication goals every quarter, whether it’s an uptick in customer feedback or better client and vendor engagement.
It will have a solid marketing department and communications team to take care of all marketing materials, from social media management to email marketing, as well as a forward-thinking customer relations department to acquire and retain customers.
Methods for Effective Business Communication And Tips To Be More Persuasive
Whether it’s internal or external, downward or upward, business communication will either be written (emails, instant messaging applications, social media posts) or verbal (in-person meetings, video calls, pre-recorded webinars, face-to-face presentations).
Most companies will use a combination of the two or one type primarily depending on their business structure and company culture.
For example, a company that has started to encourage remote working as a result of the pandemic will have to focus its business communication goals on improving virtual communication channels and written communication.
The benefits are clear as day: As long as there’s an effective virtual communication process in place, remote employees can double their productivity and feel just as engaged when working remotely as they would spending their day in the office.
And what about traditional workplaces with rigid hierarchies and multiple departments, all spread across different floors and focusing on very different tasks?
Well, in that case, mastering non-verbal communication across departments (upward, downward, and lateral communication) will be the key to success: Instant messaging, comprehensive and clear emails, feedback forms, and online presentations can be the glue that keeps the whole company together, no matter how busy or how physically disconnected each department and team might be.
So now, let’s take a look at the most popular and effective business communication methods out there, so you can understand what makes them tick and implement more persuasive processes into your business strategy:
Zoom Meetings
With remote working on the rise all around the world, mastering web-based communication has become much more than just a helpful skill in the hands of the company’s younger team members — knowing how to use the latest technology to communicate with your coworkers, superiors, and external stakeholders is absolutely essential!
So, what makes for an efficient and effective Zoom meeting?
Our first tip for better virtual meetings is quite simple: Leave all shyness at the door and take advantage of what video conferencing is all about!
This means turning on your camera and encouraging other employees to do the same, so that you can recreate the setting of in-person meetings as close as you can and get all its communication benefits, such as reading body language and establishing closer connections.
Remember that the more your meeting resembles an in-person presentation, the more you’ll be able to persuade your interlocutor from a long distance, so make sure to master virtual screen-sharing before you book your next important meeting with investors or clients!
And, on a final note, remember to keep it professional despite the casual setting: Changing your Zoom background to the company logo or any other marketing material will make your offer that much more appealing to stakeholders.
Webinars
Webinars are an underrated, yet exceptionally effective way of communicating with a large audience when on a time crunch, whether you’re pitching new ideas or products to a client or simply giving instructions to a new team member.
If you’re trying to sell, recording a webinar is much more efficient than one-on-one meetings as it allows you to convert multiple leads at once, all while helping you build authority in your field.
Now, it goes without saying that those who have signed up to listen to your virtual seminar are interested in what you have to say, so the best tip we can give you is to make sure your sales pitch has been curated and rehearsed to perfection: Figure out your audience’s pain points, the language they use, and present your offer as the go-to solution to the problems they’re facing or as the cheat sheet for the goals they want to achieve.
Face-to-face Meetings
How many times have you come across the joke “this meeting should have been an email”?
While there are many instances in which meetings do end up being a waste of time that lowers employee productivity, the power of delivering your ideas in a face-to-face setting is second to none.
You can use body language tricks to make your arguments more persuasive (such as looking your audience in the eye and confidently standing up straight) as well as get a good reading of what your interlocutors are feeling and thinking, so you can go ahead and address their doubts on the fly.
Both external and internal meetings need plenty of preparation and rehearsing beforehand, so you can make sure to show up as your most confident self, but if you want to command trust without even uttering the first word, why not dress to impress?
Think a little harder about your outfit choice and pick an ensemble that combines professionalism with a touch of uniqueness — they won’t forget you or your words!
Emails
Before Zoom, webinars, and messaging apps like Slack, there was only the humble email, and its importance for locking in leads and communicating with your team is not waning anytime soon.
If you want to craft more persuasive emails to convert leads, book more opportunities, or even just get your opinions heard in the workplace, clarity and focus are key: Avoid writing long blocks of text and take advantage of formatting options to create shorter and more dynamic paragraphs.
Keep your language professional and straight-to-the-point, keeping the audience’s needs and expectations in mind at all times, as you want to present solutions to their problems with each point you make!
On-stage Presentations
Delivering a presentation requires confidence and preparation, so whether you’re being featured as a keynote speaker at a big conference or running your own speaking event, you’ll want to make sure you got the body language down to a science.
The basics of onstage speaking are quite similar to in-person meetings, with the main difference being audience engagement: The time for questions is limited, so your main goal is to engage your listeners at the very beginning of the speech, using plenty of emphasis and eye-to-eye connection to keep them on their toes.
Presenting on-stage is the best way to showcase your authority and grow your business, so don’t be afraid to get creative with the format — the audience wants to learn just as much as they want to be entertained!
Social Media
Social media marketing is believed to be the future of marketing by many, so you should learn how to convey your core message through posts, stories, and videos on the platforms your industry uses the most.
That doesn’t mean you have to become an influencer or a social media wiz, of course: Just start by figuring out your signature tone of voice to create a signature talk and attract the type of clients you want to work with.
Engagement is key when it comes to social media, so mastering the art of written communication is essential to create an authentic connection between you and your audience!
Advantages And Problems Solved By Effective Communication
Effective business communication can solve many of the most common problems encountered in the workplace or when running an independent business.
Here are some of the biggest advantages of effective communication at work:
Converts More Leads into Customers
Ever heard the popular sales mantra “if you confuse you lose”?
Lack of clarity and information overload can make your prospects lose interest in your offer, so being clear and answering all the questions they might have before they even get to ask them will help you convert more leads into customers without changing anything in your offer!
An effective sales pitch will be straight to the point and extremely comprehensive, so make sure to draft different versions of it to find the perfect one.
Makes Your Team More Productive
Efficient business communication will make your team more productive by allowing you to avoid all misunderstandings, getting rid of all the time-wasting clerical errors that hold employee productivity back.
Clarity and constant engagement between coworkers improve teamwork skills and, in turn, bring about higher quality work!
Retains Your Customers
Only half of the job is done once you’ve converted your leads — the rest will be keeping them happy and satisfied with your relationship for the long term.
Knowing how to confidently answer their questions and address their worries with every conversation will help you retain your customers and clients, boosting customer satisfaction for better word-of-mouth leads and long-lasting business relations!
Lowers Staff Turnover
Poor communication is one of the biggest causes of employee dissatisfaction and high turnover rates.
When teams lack a clear direction and are left with confusing instructions, it is not just the company’s success that is at stake: All employees want to feel part of something bigger and work toward the same goal, so they need effective business communication to stay motivated and give their very best.
You can lower expensive employee turnover by strengthening your downward and lateral communication processes.
How To Improve Your Business Communication Process Fast
So, how can you kickstart your journey to better business communication and hit all your internal and external communication goals fast?
Here’s a three-word solution to all your communication blues: Big Impact University.
This incredible community was born out of the desire to address the communication issues that impact leaders the most, from lack of quality leads to lack of motivation and creativity to take their work to the next level.
Big Impact University’s creators Mark and Shannon, husband and wife and business partners with a passion for unlocking the secrets of public speaking and thoughtful leadership, have experienced the power of inspiring communication first hand, sharing the stage with some of the world’s most influential speakers.
And guess what? They want to share these secrets with women leaders looking to make the biggest impact on their industry and inspire others with their words, whether they’re internal communications professionals or simply forward-thinking leaders looking to improve their skills, confidence, plus leads and revenue in return!
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll get by joining the one-stop community for mastering all types of business communication and beyond:
Speak Your Path to Cash
The “Speak Your Path to Cash” system has empowered over 3000 women leaders from all around the world to get their voices heard and generate millions running their own business — all through the power of public and online speaking.
In this course, you’ll learn how to create your own online stage by finding a profitable niche that resonates with you, helping you find your tribe and land your ideal client without any stress.
As part of this foolproof system, you’ll also get all our best tips on how to carry out results-driven market research, finding your ideal client’s pain points with targeted questions so you can attract high-paying clients with an offer that’s just too good to refuse!
Finally, you’ll get to learn all about pricing, leverage, and packages, so you can kickstart your business with confidence and move on to refining your speaking skills, from finding your go-to signature talk to booking more gigs to amplify your authority in your chosen field.
This comprehensive program will let you in on the fast track to financial and professional success, teaching you all you need to know about business communications and effective business management — enroll today if you don’t want to miss your chance!
Online Speaking Made Simple
This high-touch, intensive monthly membership program is the perfect tool for established professionals who want to take their business and influence to the next level.
“Online Speaking Made Simple” is designed to get you to generate more customers and leads through the power of external communication, teaching you how to speak to your prospects confidently and convincingly through persuasive messaging.
After enrolling, you’ll learn how to book online gigs and use the most popular platforms for online speaking, so you can start creating your go-to speaker assets and finally automate your business for hands-off wealth generation!
You’ll learn how to master virtual summits, Zoom speaking, Clubhouse, guest podcasting, and all other online speaking platforms by tapping into your message and understanding what your audience needs.
On top of communicating with Mark and Shannon for extra support, you’ll get exclusive access to our videos and checklists, as well as to tech support and guest trainers for flexing your speaking muscles.
You’ll be working directly with some of the industry’s most influential thinkers and speakers, so make sure to enroll while you can to learn all there is to be known about business communication, lead acquisition, and wealth generation!
