If you’ve never worked as a business communicator, it can seem like a rather complicated task. Not only must you be an excellent speaker and writer, but you must also understand your industry, understand your clients, and can relate. By the time you’re finished with this first part of your training, however, you’ll be ready to step into the role of business communicator with confidence. You will know exactly what to say and how to say it. By the time you’ve finished this first section of your training, you will learn:
Speak to the crowd
The Golden rule of a business communicator is often referred to as “speak to the crowd, not the individual.” As a communicator, it is your responsibility to understand your audience and address their needs as effectively as possible. When you write or speak in an organizational setting, you have particular obligations to your company, client, and career. As a business communicator, you must demonstrate to your listeners that you respect their needs and understand their perspectives. Communication, like any skill, can be improved by practice.
Make and Receive Calls
As a business communicator, it is essential that you know to make calls and professionally receive calls. You should know when to address your listeners and when to hang up the phone politely. It would help if you recognized appropriate times to make a sales pitch and make an educational or informational call. As a business communicator, it is also essential that you get to know your clients well and cultivate a good relationship. When you make calls to businesses or individuals you represent, your legal obligation is to ensure that they receive good service and respond appropriately to you.
Inform, Not Convince
Most business communicators understand that the purpose of any communication is to inform, not to convince. In other words, if a business communicator does not understand why their audience is considering a particular course of action, it would be difficult for that individual to convey any information to that same audience effectively. Of course, this does not mean that every business communicator is ineffective at getting information. However, as part of your preparation for business conference calls, you need to know the basic principles that apply to effective communication and persuade your audience.
Two-way street
It would help if you always kept in mind that business communication is a two-way street. If you ask others to take advice and give feedback, you should never take offense if they do not do so. It is their job to advise you and to provide feedback. By asking others for help, you will become more effective as a business communicator and will be able to present your ideas and thoughts more clearly. If you make an honest mistake, rather than pointing it out, you can avoid unnecessary criticism, and you may learn from the experience.
Books and online courses
Many books and online courses are offered that teach different techniques that help business communicators communicate better within the business world. These resources also provide you with the most helpful tips and advice for becoming a successful business communicator. If you give feedback to other employees, these tips can help you effectively and affect relationships and performance within your workplace. Your business could become infinitely more successful if you took the time to learn these simple yet effective techniques.
Conclusion
The bottom line in learning how to be a business communicator is that you must never forget to keep your communication tools as close to hand as possible. Keep all of your business cards; brochures, resumes, business proposals, and other written materials that you need with you at all times so that you have them at your disposal when you are making phone calls. Moreover, make sure that all of your business telephone numbers are displayed prominently on the wall so that people can quickly find you. With the wide variety of business communication tools currently available to business owners, it should not be too difficult to learn how to communicate with your business clients effectively.
