May 21

Strategies for Effective Business Communication

Business Writing Skills, Communication Skills, Email Writing Skills, Writing Skills No Comments »

“The meaning of communication is the response you get.” This means we need to take responsibility for the effectiveness of our communication. We usually blame our audience or readership for any misunderstanding. However, if the message does not get across as we intended, then we need to look at our own ways of communicating. Quite often, the response we get does not so much depend on what we say but how we say it.

Business Writing Viorika Prikhodko i Copy Strategies for Effective Business Communication

© istockphoto.com/Viorika Prikhodko

Therefore, let us examine some strategies to effective communication in the work place.

First of all, understand your audience; this means, where possible, knowing vital information about them including their age, gender, culture and education. It also helps if you know their mind set or attitude towards you as well as the nature of information you wish to convey.

Next, plan both what to say and HOW to say it. Remember that the non-verbal part of communication, i.e. the vocal and the visual, affect the success or otherwise of your communication much more than the verbal. Even in written communication we have these three Vs:

  • Verbal or the words we couch our message in
  • Vocal or the style, tone and register we use
  • Visual or how we structure the layout

A skilled writer uses all three Vs to create the impact they desire.

Use the most appropriate communication channels. The choices are many: face-to-face, email, memo, telephonic or video meetings, presentations, websites, news releases, even the internet or the intranet. Sometimes you do not have a choice so where possible, get feedback to assess the efficacy of your communication.

Consider the layout of the office as there could well be physical barriers. The importance of the layout and even the arrangement of furniture should never be minimised. Some organisations thrive in an open-plan office with staff sharing space. Even perceived accessibility to senior managers makes a big difference. Bureaucracy and red-tape create barriers which stifle productivity where proximity is needed. On the other hand, there might be certain types of organisations and/or nature of work, particularly creative, where employees need private space to deliver quality work.

Finally, barriers can exist because of cultural and linguistic differences in a company with a multi-national staff. Here cultural awareness training goes a long way in sensitising employees to different sensibilities, particularly at the managerial level.

Linguistic barriers are not restricted to different mother tongues. Differences in expression, perception and reception occur within the same language. Therefore, use Plain English, i.e. keep your language and style short and simple by following a few golden rules. Cut out jargon, ‘business speak’ or complex and ambiguous language that may confuse the receiver in any way. Use more verbs than nouns, and favour the active over the passive voice. Make your language personal by using personal pronouns. Keep the tone friendly and conversational but always polite. Remember, write or speak to express not to impress.

Apart from these fundamentals to clear and effective communication, there are some other useful tips that will help remove the barriers:

  • Establish mental and emotional rapport between you and your internal or external audience, be they your staff, customers/clients or partners. Here, trust is important as you will lose credibility and the confidence of your staff if you are seen to be withholding vital information or speaking half-truths.
  • Bonding and team spirit among staff is equally important to minimise the insidious effects of ‘water-cooler’ gossip.
  • If possible, appoint a communications manager, to monitor internal and authorise external communication, especially of a sensitive nature, sent out to the media or clients.
  • Have a suggestions box. This is particularly useful in an organisation with a stricter vertical hierarchy.

Successful and effective communication must be two-way and it may be easier for staff at lower level to give feedback or make suggestions if they do not have to interact directly with their superiors.

Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to effective and successful communication, and the response you get will have the meaning you intended.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2013

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Jan 10

A blog on a blog: Tips for successful blog writing

Business Writing Skills, Communication Skills, Writing Skills No Comments »

How difficult can it be to write a blog post? If a teenager can do it, you can too… right? Well writing a blog post isn’t problematic at all, but writing a good blog that adds value to your organisation can be slightly trickier.

Every self-respecting business has a blog nowadays; however, they are not all effective. Yes, your blog needs to be informative but also engaging, relevant, interesting and this is just for starters.

Computer Keyboard Sykono i1 A blog on a blog: Tips for successful blog writing

© istockphoto.com/Sykono

Get your blog some serious traffic by following these simple tips:

  • DO have a topic that will be interesting to visitors to your site as well as relevant to what you do. However, any link to your products or services needs to be subtle
  • DO make sure you have an eye catching title to get interest
  • DO dare to be different and don’t be afraid to go against the norm. Coming up with something original will set you apart from your competition
  • DO mention your products or services in the blog if appropriate and use relevant key words but be sure not to overdo it
  • DO use humour and don’t take yourself too seriously; writing about your own experiences will let you project your own opinions in a friendly manner
  • DO offer your reader practical tips, instructions or advice as these are known to be the best traffic generators
  • DO remember when people read blogs they rarely read them thoroughly. Blogs are often skim read so make sure yours is simple enough to follow
  • DO NOT write more than 400-800 words; short articles written regularly are more effective than longer articles written once in a blue moon
  • DO NOT write about the competition; your blog is about you and your product
  • DO NOT make promises you cannot keep; remember your blog is linked to you or your company
  • Finally, one of the most important tips is to promote your blog. It doesn’t matter how amazing your information may be if you don’t get it read it is of no use to you

Blog writing is an art and a skill just like any other type of business writing and needs the right structure, language and messaging. Blogs can be hugely powerful in the world of online marketing and can pay dividends. Ultimately the purpose of your blog is to get as much traffic and discussion as possible. Following these tips will enhance the success of your blog. Always remember your blog needs more than just information, it needs to captivate your audience, facilitate your product and get people thinking.

Happy blogging!

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2013

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Dec 20

Proofreading Tips for Perfect Copy

Business Writing Skills, Communication Skills, Email Writing Skills, Legal Writing Skills, Report Writing Skills, Writing Skills No Comments »

A lack of time is a very easy excuse for sloppy written work and poor attention to detail. Particularly when we are publishing online whether via blogs, online discussion groups or social media such as LinkedIn or Twitter, we need to be quick but we also need to be accurate as our writing is hopefully being read by hundreds or even thousands of visitors – some of who could be prospective customers.

 

Writing Dmitriy Shironosov i4 Proofreading Tips for Perfect Copy

© istockphoto.com/Dmitriy Shironosov

1. The first step is simple – if you know your writing is prone to errors then you need to spend more time proofreading and make sure that you are completely focused while you do your proofreading

2. Then, if you can, try and take some time out between reading and proofreading, even if it’s only ten minutes or so to make a phone call or have a cup of coffee

3. Don’t rely on the spell-checker. It will pick up some but not necessarily all of your mistakes. It definitely will not spot any mistakes with homophones, i.e. words that are pronounced the same but spelt differently. It is all too easy to type their instead of there or your instead of you’re

4. If you have written anything more than a short paragraph, print out your text. It is much easier to spot errors on the page than on the screen and far less tiring on your eyes as well

5. Read what you have written aloud. You will hear any obvious mistakes such as repeated or missing words but any clumsy expressions or overly long sentences will also stand out more

6. If you have a reliable colleague, friend or family member who is good at proofreading then make the most of them. When we are checking our own work it can be difficult to see the wood for the trees. It is amazing how a fresh pair of eyes can spot things that have passed you by

7. Finally, make sure you proofread your document several times and each time check for a different issue. For example, the first time you check, make sure your spelling is correct, then check for grammar and then for repetition

Investing time and effort in improving your editing and proofreading skills is time well spent and the repercussions of not proofreading can be both costly and embarrassing.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

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Dec 04

Top Tips for Effective Business Writing

Business Writing Skills, Email Writing Skills, Report Writing Skills No Comments »

Organisations are producing an ever increasing volume of written communication in the form of emails, social media posts, guides and manuals, reports, proposals and so on and as a result individuals are now expected to digest huge amounts of written information.  As writers we need to support our readers and produce documents and correspondence that are attractive and easily digestible.  Following the tips below should help you on the right track to more effective business writing.

Business Writing Viorika Prikhodko i 300x200 Top Tips for Effective Business Writing

© istockphoto.com/Viorika Prikhodko

1. Be concise – only say what you need to say and no more. Cut out any repetition or redundant text and replace long complex words with shorter equivalents.

2. Write clearly – there is nothing worse than reaching the end of a sentence, paragraph or an entire document and having to go back to the beginning to try and make sense of it.

3. Ensure your writing is complete and your reader has all the information they require.

4. Correct writing is essential – it goes without saying that your writing will not be effective if it is peppered with grammatical or factual errors.

5. Make sure your writing is coherent. Ensure that there is a logical flow from each sentence and paragraph to the next. This will guide your reader and help them understand your thought processes.

6. Be consistent – make sure your use of spelling, language and punctuation are all consistent but also consider formatting and layout. Check that your headings, bullet points and fonts are all in line as not doing so risks presenting a messy-looking and unprofessional document.

7. Checking and double checking your writing is crucial – a quick glance is not usually enough and good writers spend time not only checking for inaccuracies but also for readability.

8. Finally don’t forget to be courteous to your reader. Respect their time by keeping your writing brief and gauge their level of understanding of the subject matter. Try to translate complex concepts into simple language for non-expert readers but avoid patronising more expert-audiences through spelling out unnecessary detail.

Effective Business Writing courses can help you to reinforce the 8 Cs of effective business writing throughout your writing process and enable you to ensure a better response from your readers.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

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