business communication is communication that promotes a product

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Business communication is communication that promotes a product, service, or organization;

relays information within a business; or functions as an official statement from a company.

Business communication (or simply "communications", in a business context) encompasses such

topics as marketing, brand management, customer relations, consumer behaviour, advertising,

public relations, corporate communication, community engagement, reputation management,interpersonal communication, employee engagement, and event management. It is closely related

to the fields ofprofessional communication and technical communication.

Media channels for business communication include the Internet, print media, radio, television,

ambient media, and word of mouth.

Business communication can also refer to internal communication. A communications director

will typically manage internal communication and craft messages sent to employees. It is vital

that internal communications are managed properly because a poorly crafted or managedmessage could foster distrust or hostility from employees.

[1]

Business communication is a common topic included in the curricula ofMasters of BusinessAdministration (MBA) programs of many universities. AS well, many community colleges and

universities offer degrees in Communications.

There are several methods of business communication, including:

Web-based communication - for better and improved communication, anytime anywhere...

video conferencing which allow people in different locations to hold interactivemeetings;

e-mails, which provide an instantaneous medium of written communication worldwide;

Reports - important in documenting the activities of any department; Presentations - very popular method of communication in all types of organizations,

usually involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in

Microsoft PowerPoint orAdobe Flash;

telephoned meetings, which allow for long distance speech; forum boards, which allow people to instantly post information at a centralized location;

and

face-to-face meetings, which are personal and should be succeeded by a written followup.Business communication is somewhat different and unique from other types of communication

since the purpose of business is to make money. Thus, to develop profitability, the communicatorshould develop good communication skills. Knowing the importance of communication, many

organisations train their employees in communication techniques.

Types of business communication
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Verbal communication:Verbal communication is a type of communication that involves use of words forcommunicating.

Non-verbal communication:

[Non-verbal communication] is a mode of communication which only majorly uses bodylanguage and various other physical gestures as a means for communicating.

Written communication:Written communication is a type that only includes written forms for communicating.

Employment communication:

Employment communication is a mode of communication that is particularly used for acceptingthe applicants for a job.

Electronic communication:Electronic communication is the modern way of communication that includes electronics and

latest technology for communicating such as teleconferencing e-mail, etc.

Team B Communication:Team B Communication is a form of communication that exists in the cyber classroom where

solid teamwork and collaboration results in excellent grades in academia.

Top 6 Reasons for Business Communication Barriers

1.Complex Messages: The use of complex technical terms can result in a lack ofcommunication. The remedy is to stick to the point, use clear and concise messages that

are easy to understand.

2. Withholding Information: In an organization, much of the information is keptconfidential due to company policies. Make sure the information that is needed is readilyavailable and easily accessible.

3. Different Status: Management must keep employees well informed and encouragefeedback.

4. Ineffective Communication Processes: The maintenance of the hierarchy in theorganization is essential, but its very presence can reduce the flow of the communication.

It is therefore essential to reduce hierarchical levels and increase departmental interaction

and communication.


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5. Lack of Trust: The most important factor behind a lack of communication in anorganization is competition, which leads to a lack of trust among the various employees.

Share information, communicate openly and honestly, involve others in decisions.

6. Language barrier Language barrier is another important factor in businesscommunication, if communication happens without a common language, it is notworthwhile.

The importance of good communication skills in business

Communication plays a part in almost every aspect of your business, so being able to

communicate well can boost your overall performance.

Good communication is essential to building a cohesive and effective team. Goodcommunication skills are essential to managing the performance of your team members, and if

you know how to communicate well to large groups you can minimise the risk of industrial

problems developing in your workplace.

Communication skills can be particularly important during times of higher workplace stress, for

example during downsizing, where good communication is an essential part of change

management.

You also need to communicate well to build and maintain effective relationships with your

suppliers and clients. Communication skills are crucial to dealing with customer complaints

effectively and limiting any negative word-of-mouth about your business. You can draw oncommunication skills when you assess the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

The first step in good communication is to listen effectively. Todays trend is away from top-down management, where decisions and policies are proclaimed from above. Good managers

now consult a lot with their teams, using them as a resource for information and suggestions.

Consultation is not only a good way to get ideas on business strategy, it is also a way of making

sure that when you do decide on policies, everyone feels like they have been involved. Your

team will be able to implement policies more effectively if they have been involved in their

formulation. They will be more familiar with the issues - you will have dealt first-hand with anymisgivings they may have.

Effective listening is based on having the trust of the people you are speaking to. People may not

offer their true opinions when they are wary about how they will be received. So being a goodcommunicator means winning the trust of those around you. It also means being able to foster a

work environment where people treat each other fairly, where they respect each others opinions

and where there is a minimum of anti-social behaviour such as backbiting or rumour mongering.Bullying or harassment of any kind will build walls in a workplace. It will stunt communication,

shut down co-operation and hurt efficiency.

Good communication skills are a key part of managing individual employee performance. If you


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have good communication skills, you will know how to give clear feedback on performance

while not denting peoples self-esteem. Good communication skills will enable you to work

more closely with your team members, determine personal goals that will suit them and helpthem to work towards those goals.

As a good communicator, you will know the difference between being assertive and aggressive

(aggression merely gets peoples backs up). You will be able to keep a professional and

impersonal tone in the face of provocation and this will help you deal with conflict situations. Itwill also help you set clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour, counsel those who overstep

them and, if necessary, fire people while minimising the risk of getting involved in litigation.

Good communication skills also help when you are dealing with suppliers and clients. Business

operations are becoming very finely tuned, thanks to trends such as just-in-time manufacturing or

retailing, where goods are delivered precisely at the right time and place.

This means you need to be able to maintain close contact with your supply chain. You need to be

able to clearly explain any concerns you have and negotiate issues with a minimum of friction.

Your business partners also need to feel confident that they can raise issues with you and thatyou will be responsive to them.

Being a good communicator will also help with your marketing. While you may not get closelyinvolved with the design of your marketing materials you will want to assess them. Honing your

communication skills will help you determine which materials are appropriate and they will

enable you to give clearer briefs.

Team morale tends to be higher in a workplace where communication is good. People feel more

in control when they have all the relevant facts and they are warned of issues well in advance.

They are likely to feel more confident and secure when they know where an organisation isheaded, where they have the information to plan their medium and long-term future. The more

people feel in control, the lower their stress levels tend to be.

Good communication generally means being open. Its useful to keep everyone updated on such

issues as production, finance, important new contracts or company performance against health

and safety benchmarks. Some employers like to ration such information, as it sometimes

contains bad news. However, its often better to have bad news out in the open. Its generallybetter for you to provide bad news, rather than having it leak out at an inopportune time and in a

way that is distorted by rumour.

Being open, of course, does not mean being indiscreet. Where information is particularlysensitive, good communication involves identifying how to distribute information effectively on

a need-to-know basis and deciding who needs to sign confidentiality agreements.

It also means being realistic about what can be kept under wraps. Public companies need to


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provide a lot of information as a condition of being listed. Private companies need to divulge less

information publicly, but quite a lot of information seems to leak out through informal channels.

For example, how much information have you picked up on your competitors through informalsources?

Good communication skills thus involve good PR skills. Knowing when and how to releaseinformation is an important way of maintaining your image with your team members, yourclients and the market in general.

Basically, your skills as a communicator are felt in nearly all of your business dealings. If youand your team communicate well, you maximise efficiency. You find out about issues earlier and

can deal with them without adding further complications or misunderstandings. Having good

communications skills is like having a good IT system - information flows faster and this saves

you money.

The World ofBusiness Communication

Every businesss aim is to gain profits. Whatever be the type of business you are in; the bottom

line is that you must earn something from it. There is no businessman in this world who wants to

lose money everyday, if they do, their business will definitely go down and will be closed due toits non-sustainability.

What is the necessary formula for being successful in business?

There is no concrete or uniform formula that has been used by every businessman, but all there is

the determination to succeed and accept rejections as well as frustrations. There have been lots ofbooks that talk about how to be successful but ultimately it all boils down to you. The amount of

effort you want to put in and your ability to accept failures when they set in will play a role inyour success or failure.

Every person whether a business man or an employee, communicates everyday to someone else.

But when it comes to business there is another set of standards that should be taken intoconsideration in order to achieve the goal of communicating effectively and receiving the

response that should be wanted.

This is where business communication sets in. In every transaction that a business is engaging

in there is always preparatory deals or contacts in order to get through a negotiation. The deal

may not come to a stage if there was no proposal that sets in and the other party agreeing to that

deal. Both parties exchanging letters or emails in order to come to an agreement and definitelyclose the deal. This is the most important role of business communication.

If the deal was not closed, then there may have been lapses in business communication between

them that lead to an unsuccessful deal. It is therefore proper that every person who owns a

business or is dealing with a businessman know how to communicate properly in the world of

business.
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What is Business Communication?

Business Communication is the type of communication used in order to: promote an

organization, service, and product; and to impart information towards employees. It is very vital

in every business to have a medium in order to communicate with employees, clients, service

providers and others. It is not a simple call from the telephone as if you are talking to your friendor writing a letter to your loved one. There is a standard rule to follow in order to be professional

enough to deal with calls and writing letters.

What makes business communication distinct from other types of communication is its

formality. It makes it stand out from the rest since there is this sense of professionalism,formality and etiquette that should be followed in order to convey the right message or

information that needs to be conveyed to the other person on the line.

Importance ofBusiness Communication

In business, reputation and credibility need to be built up in order to get clients trust andconfidence. Having a sense of professionalism will bring a lot to the business, especially in a

long term relationship with employees and clients.

There is a need to make sure that every business deal is attended to promptly. Business

communication encompasses not only communicating with external contacts but also withemployees within the organization. This will aid the business in being well-organized and every

matter whether it is a problem, an inquiry or a sales letter will be attended to properly and

promptly.

It does not mean that only a clients inquiry should be responded promptly but also feedbacks or

problems arising inside and outside the business as well. This is done to have a balance withinthe internal and external factors, especially in relation to dealing with people, whether they areemployees or other external contacts.

Types of Business Communication

It is very important to know the type of business communication used in order to know the

specific etiquettes and standards to use in a specific situation. Here are some of the

communications used in business.

Electronic Communicationcomprises different modes of communication out from the

traditional way. It includes e-mail, fax, teleconferencing and voicemail. This is used for externalcontacts and for people within the business organization.

Employment Communicationis a mode of communication used for employees but specifically

for accepting applicants for a job. It includes application letter, follow-up communications,interview and resumes.
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Nonverbal Communi cationis a mode of communication that uses body language and other

means of communicating without the use of uttering words. It includes body language,

expression, gestures, professional appearance, time or space.

Verbal Communi cationis a mode of communication that uses the uttering of words in

communicating to external contacts and employees. It includes feedback, instructions,presentations, and telephone.

Wri tten Communi cationis a mode of communication that requires writing in order tocommunicate. It includes letters, memos, proposals and reports.

Application

It is very important that when engaging into whatever type of business communication everyperson in the business organization from the top to lower rank should know the basic concepts of

business communication, and how to apply them in the daily operation of the business.

Take note that a little mistake in giving out the information because of wrongfully conveying the

message in any ways can cause damage to the business and worse can cost millions to the

company.

A business cannot afford to lose money due to a mistake. As much as possible, precautions

should be undertaken to avoid such losing of money due to things like improperly conveying themessage. It is advisable that when a person in the business organization is communicating either

through a co-employee or a client, knowing what needs to be done is the right ingredient in order

to communicate effectively.

Corporate communication is the message issued by a corporate organization, body, or instituteto its publics. "Publics" can be both internal (employees, stakeholders, i.e. share and stock

holders) and external (agencies, channel partners, media, government, industry bodies andinstitutes, educational and general public).

An organization must communicate the same message to all its stakeholders, to transmitcoherence, credibility and ethic. If any of these essentials is missing, the whole organization may

fail. Corporate Communications help organizations explain their mission, combine its many

visions and values into a cohesive message to stakeholders.

According to the bookEssentials of Corporate Communication[1]

by Cees van Riel and Charles

Fombrun the term Corporate Communication can be defined as the set of activities involved inmanaging and orchestrating all internal and external communications aimed at creating favorable

starting points with stakeholders on which the company depends. Corporate communication

consists of the dissemination of information by a variety of specialists and generalists in an

organization, with the common goal of enhancing the organization's ability to retain its license tooperate.

As Jackson (1987)[2]

remarks:
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"Note that it is corporate communicationwithout a final "s". Tired of being called on to fix

the company switchboard, recommend an answering machine or meet a computer salesman, I

long ago adopted this form as being more accurate and left communications to thetelecommunications specialists. It's a small point but another attempt to bring clarity out of

confusion.

It is, however, still evident that Jackson's desire to abolish the final "s" has not been universally

adopted.

The concept of corporate communication could be seen as an integrative communication

structure linking stakeholders to the organization. A corporate communication structure is a

system which enables organizations to strategically orchestrate all types of communication.

Different types of communication

Three principal clusters of task-planning and communication form the backbone of business and

the activity of business organizations. These includemanagement communications,marketingcommunications, andorganizational communications.

Management communicationsare communications between management and its internal and

external audiences. To support management communications, organizations rely heavily on

specialists in marketing communications and organizational communications.Marketingcommunicationsget the bulk of the budgets in most organizations, and consist of product

advertising, direct mail, personal selling, and sponsorship activities. They are supported by

organizational communicationsfrom specialists in public relations, public affairs, investor

relations, environmental communications, corporate advertising, and employee communications.

Corporate communication encompasses management communications, marketingcommunications, and organizational communications. Corporate communication implies a

coherent approach to development of communications in organizations, so communication

specialists can standardize communications by creating a common strategic framework.

The roots of corporate communication

Corporate communication is historically linked to the field of public relations, which has beenconcerned with the voice and image of big business for nearly a century.

[3]The Fathers of

Public Relations,Ivy Ledbetter Lee and Edward L. Bernays addressed some issues that

managers still face today in corporate communication. Issues in corporate communication are:

The large social, political, economic, and cultural climate in which corporations createtheir images and project their voices;

The opportune moment or the creation of circumstances for corporate communications; The need to understand and capitalize on the psychology of constituencies The best mix of communication channels (e.g., videoconferences, email, reports) The ethical dimension of corporate communication.
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Key tasks of corporate communication

The responsibilities of corporate communication are:

to flesh out the profile of the "company behind the brand" (corporate branding); to minimize discrepancies between the company's desired identity and brand features; to delegate tasks in communication; to formulate and execute effective procedures to make decisions on communication

matters;

to mobilize internal and external support for corporate objectives to coordinate with international business firms

A Conference Board Study of hundreds of the USs largest firms showed that close to 80 percenthave corporate communication functions that include media relations, speech writing, employee

communication, corporate advertising, and community relations.[4]

A modern corporate communication function performs company wide, global activities such as

corporate advertising, and the management of corporate identity and image and reputation, aswell as communications issues targeted more narrowly to a particular constituency important to

the company as a whole, such as employees, customers, investors, government, or the public.

The public is often represented by self-appointed activist non-governmental organizations(NGOs) who identify themselves with a particular strategic issue. To address the concerns of

these generic groups, most companies have created specialized departments responsible for

communicating about and with these groups[5]

:

Internal Communications: A group responsible for communicating with employees, thatfrequently interfaces with the human resources function in the company.

Marketing Communications: A group responsible for communicating with the company'scustomer accounts and often interfaces with marketing and customer service functions inthe company.

Investor Relations: A group responsible for communicating with investors and analystswho monitor the company's financial performance and prospects.

Government Relations: Often called "public affairs", these specialists are generallyresponsible for improving the company's relationships with regulators, legislators, andother government representatives.

Public Relations: A group whose responsibilities would include interacting with thediffuse set of NGO and activist groups motivated by concern over a specific socialproblem to which the company may be contributing.

Corporate branding

Main article: Corporate branding

A corporate brand is the internal perception of a company that unites a group of products orservices for the public under a single name, a shared visual identity, and a common set of

symbols. The process of corporate branding consists creating favorable associations and positive
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reputation with both internal and external stakeholders. The purpose of a corporate branding

initiative is to generate a positive halo over the products and businesses of the company,

imparting more favorable impressions of those products and businesses.In more general terms, research suggests that corporate branding is an appropriate strategy for

companies to implement when:

there is significant "information asymmetry" between a company and its clients;[6]That isto say customers are much less informed about a company's products than the company

itself is;

customers perceive a high degree of risk in purchasing the products or services of thecompany;

[7]

features of the company behind the brand would be relevant to the product or service acustomer is considering purchasing.

[8]

Corporate identity/organizational identity

There are two approaches for Identity, respectively Corporate Identity and OrganizationalIdentity.

"Corporate identity is the reality and uniqueness of an organization, which is integrallyrelated to its external and internal image and reputation through corporate

communication" (Gray and Balmer, 1998[9]

)

"Organizational Identity comprises those characteristics of an organization that itsmembers believe are central, distinctive and enduring. That is, organizational identity

consists of those attributes that members feel are fundamental to (central) and uniquely

descriptive of (distinctive) the organization and that persist within the organization overtime (enduring)". (Pratt and Foreman, 2000

[10])

Four types of identity can be distinguished (Balmer, 1997;[11]

Balmer and Wilson, 1998[12]

):

Perceived identity: The collection of attributes that are seen as typical for the continuity,centrality and uniqueness of the organization in the eyes of its members.

Projected identity: The self presentations of the organizations attributes manifested inthe implicit and explicit signals which the organization broadcasts to internal and external

target audiences through communications and symbols.

Desired identity (also called ideal identity): The idealized picture that top managershold of what the organization could evolve into under their leadership.

Applied identity: The signals that an organization broadcasts both consciously andunconsciously through behaviors and initiatives at all levels within the organization.

Corporate responsibility

Main article: Corporate social responsibility
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Corporate responsibility (often referred to as corporate social responsibility), corporate

citizenship, sustainability, and even conscious capitalism are some of the terms bandied about

the news media and corporate marketing efforts as companies jockey to win the trust and loyaltyof constituents. Corporate responsibility (CR) constitutes an organizations respect for societys

interests, demonstrated by taking ownership of the effects its activities have on key

constituencies including customers, employees, shareholders, communities, and the environment,in all parts of their operations. In short, CR prompts a corporation to look beyond its traditionalbottom line, to the social implications of its business. (Argenti, 2009;

[13])

Corporate reputation

Reputations are overall assessments of organizations by their stakeholders. They are aggregate

perceptions by stakeholders of an organization's ability to fulfill their expectations, whether these

stakeholders are interested in buying the company's products, working for the company, orinvesting in the company's shares.

[14]

In 2000, the US-based Council of PR Firms identified seven programs developed by either mediaorganizations or market research firms, used by companies to assess or benchmark their

corporate reputations. Of these, only four are conducted regularly and have broad visibility:

"America's Most Admired Companies" by Fortune Magazine; The "Brand Asset Valuator" by Young & Rubicam; "RepTrak" by Reputation Institute. "Best Global Brands" by Interbrand.

Crisis communications

Main article: Crisis communications

Crisis communication is sometimes considered a sub-specialty of the public relations professionthat is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public

challenge to its reputation. These challenges may come in the form of an investigation from agovernment agency, a criminal allegation, a media inquiry, a shareholders lawsuit, a violation of

environmental regulations, or any of a number of other scenarios involving the legal, ethical, or

financial standing of the entity. The crisis for organizations can be defined as follows[15]

:

A crisis is a major catastrophe that may occur either naturally or as a result of human

error, intervention, or even malicious intent. It can include tangible devastation, such asthe destruction of lives or assets, or intangible devastation, such as the loss of anorganization's credibility or other reputational damage. The latter outcomes may be the

result of management's response to tangible devastation or the result of human error. A

crisis usually has significant actual or potential financial impact on a company, and itusually affects multiple constituencies in more than one market.
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Internal/employee communications

As the volume of communications grows, many companies create an employee relations (ER)

function with dedicated staff to manage the numerous media through which senior managers cancommunicate among themselves and with the rest of the organization. Internal communications

in the 21st century is more than the memos, publications, and broadcasts that comprise it; itsabout building a corporate culture on values that drive organizational excellence. ER specialistsare generally expected to fulfill one or more of the following four roles (Krone et al., 1987

[16]):

Efficiency: Internal communication is used primarily to disseminate information aboutcorporate activities.

Shared meaning: Internal communication is used to build a shared understanding amongemployees about corporate goals.

Connectivity: Internal communication is used mainly to clarify the connectedness of thecompany's people and activities.

Satisfaction: Internal communication is used to improve job satisfaction throughout thecompany.

Investor relations

The investor relations (IR) function is used by companies which publicly trade shares on a stockexchange. In such companies, the purpose of the IR specialist is to interface with current and

potential financial stakeholders-namely retail investors, institutional investors, and financial

analysts.The role of investor relations is to fulfill three principal functions:

comply with regulations;

Create a favorable relationship with key financial audiences; contribute to building and maintaining the company's image and reputation.

Public relations: issues management and media relations

Main article: Public relations

The role of the public relations specialist, in many ways, is to communicate with the general

public in ways that serve the interests of the company. PR therefore consists of numerous

specialty areas that convey information about the company to the public, including sponsorships,

events, issues management and media relations.

Issues managementA key role of the PR specialist is to make the company better known for

traits and attributes that build the companys perceived distinctiveness and competitiveness with

the public. In recent years, PR specialists have become increasingly involved in helping

companies manage strategic issuespublic concerns about their activities that are frequentlymagnified by special interest groups and NGOs. The role of the PR specialist therefore also

consists of issues management, namely the set of organizational procedures, routines,
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personnel, and issues (Dutton and Ottensmeyer, 1987[17]

). A strategic issue is one that compels

a company to deal with it because there is a conflict between two ormore identifiable groups

over procedural or substantive matters relating to the distribution of positions or resources(Cobb and Elder, 1972

[18]).

Media relations To build better relationships with the media, organizations must cultivatepositive relations with influential members of the media. This task might be handled by

employees within the companys media relations department or handled by a public relations

firm.

Company/spokesperson profilingThese "public faces" are considered authorities in their

respective sector/field and ensure the company/organization is in the limelight.

Managing content of corporate websites and/or other external touch points Managing corporate publications - for the external world Managing print media

Corporate communication officers

Recent research on the corporate communication function reports that corporate communication

officers (CCOs) in Global Fortune 500 companies tend to have average tenures of about 4.5

years and that nearly one-half (48 percent) report to the Chief Executive Officer. CCOs say thatapproximately 42 percent of their job is strategic and 58 percent is tactical. Over the next year,

they will be focusing more on social responsibility, social media and reputation. The research

done by Weber Shandwickand Spencer Stuart found distinct differences between CCOs in Most

Admired companies versus Contender companies.
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business communication is communication that promotes a product

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