Communication Skill & Interpersonal Skills

It may sound odd, but how you say something has been shown to be as important as what you actually say. For improving communication vary the tone of your voice, use appropriate inflection and diction, but don't speak too softly. Good communication skills involve the use of correct construction and complete sentences. You must be able to use language effectively to enhance your interpersonal skills.

In my time as a career counselor, I have always tried to impress upon my clients that communication is a two way thing. It shouldn't need saying of course, but many people seem to think that because they said something, it was heard and understood. What really needs to happen is that you check for understanding - "Did that make sense?" - or reword what you said until they repeat your message back and confirm their understanding.

Importance of Business Communication

We all understand and appreciate the importance of communication skill in our day to day lives. A breakdown in communication between two people can result in some tumultuous times for them. This is the reason why communication is all the more necessary for conducting business in an efficient manner, because it involves not just two, but numerous people who may be located anywhere on the globe. Read on to find more about the importance of business communication.

The Best way to Communicate

Good communication means that the message that you wish to send is received by the intended recipients without being distorted in any manner. This is the reason why verbal communication is supposedly the best form of communication there can be. This is because there is very low possibility of distortions and there is instant feedback to be received. But in the context of business this is not always possible chiefly because of the 'one to many' nature of business communication.

How Business Communication works

So most business communication is of a non-verbal type and can be anything from e-mails, letters, circulars, notices or memos.

The use of these methods lays even more emphasis on the importance of business communication. This is because there are no spoken words or feedback and body language to fall back on. So if the message lacks clarity then it may result in various incorrect assumptions being made by the recipients.

This requires all written communication to be concise and accurately worded. The sentences need to be examined for any unintended double entendres. You must remember that a confusing message may result in an unfavorable response from your intended audience.

But the modern tools of business communication can also work in your favor. They can be a universal mode of non-personalized communication that you can look to use throughout your business set-up. They can help maintain an impersonal and formal tone and thus promote the concepts of equality and uniformity in your organization.

Cross-cultural Communication

The importance of business communication cannot be ignored in today's global business environment. Technological advances have made the world a smaller place and turned cross-cultural communication into an important dimension of any business. So it's best to learn something about the different ethnic groups that you may want to communicate with. This is because nuances can make a big difference to the way that people perceive your message.

This is true for both verbal and non verbal forms of communication. So you should look to avoid stereotyping and be open to new ideas on how best to communicate with various groups of people.

Barriers to Communication

The final aspect of business communication that needs a bit of discussion is the barriers that may arise in communication. Sometimes you may find out that despite your best efforts, you just can get the message across! While the content of your message may be perfect, some barriers may be at work here. They can be anything from barriers of language, perception, gender, familiarity or even emotions. You may need to find a way around them in order to be successful in sharing your idea.

All said and done, you may have realized the importance of business communication and some of its dimensions by now. Just remember to keep it simple and your business communication skill will speak for itself!

Simon Johnnson is the director of content for Executive Gift Shoppe. They specialize in business card holders and wallets.

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