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 of professional 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 managed message could foster distrust or hostility from employees.[1] As communication is an essential part of conducting business today, effective business communication methods are top priority for most companies, large and small. The methods commercial enterprises

use on a daily basis vary from traditional face-to-face communication to regular emails to state-of-the-art videoconferencing. While face-to-face communication is commonplace in small offices without divisions, it becomes impossible at large companies with a lot of remote offices throughout the country and abroad. If your company cant afford frequent face-to-face communication, its probably time to implement modern means of business communication into the companys operation.

Emails

A lot of business communication takes place on the global platform of WWW and emailing is a commonly preferred means of sending and receiving crucial data. Emailing is known to be one of the most effectivebusiness communication methods as it helps send and receive information quickly, unless your broadband connections leave much to be desired. To ensure your emails reach partners and clients promptly, its essential to join forces with a reputable business broadband provider offering high Internet speeds and prioritised traffic. VoIP telephony solutions Cutting-edge Voice over Internet Protocol telephony solutions are among the most popular business communication methods at the present time. They allow people to talk to partners and clients over the

Internet, without spending much time and money on travelling long distances to hold important meetings. VoIP telephony solutions are a great option for any business as they allow people to interact in real time while reducing expenses that usually are an inalienable part of using landline telephony solutions. Cost-efficiency of VoIP systems comes from affordable local and distant communication

services as well as free minutes offered as part of certain VoIP packages. Besides, you dont have to insta additional hardware in the office to use VoIP telephony as regular PCs with special adapters work just as well a feature-rich IP phones. Tele and videoconferencing As most business people are often pressed for time, its important to use innovative business communication methods which dont require meeting in person. Teleconferencing is commonly used at the workplace these days. Holding meetings via teleconference software toosl is a great way to save some valuable time and money on travelling to distant offices. The same concerns videoconferencing which has proven to be highly effective in building strong relationships with remote partners without spending a fortune. Transmitting sound and video between two or more parties is performed with the help of computers, web cameras, microphones and highbandwidth networks. Using reliable VoIP services makes videoconferencing an important part of business routine. Wireless connections

And last but not least, its worth mentioning wireless connections as important business communication methods allowing people to stay available 24/7, even when they are on the go. Popular wireless devices such as laptops with Wi Fi connections as well as smartphones and PDAs can be used for emailing, web browsing, calling as well as participating in conferences. Its advisable to make use of these devices to keep in touch with the team when being away.

Modern business communication methods help companies boost productivity and stay available for partners and clients around the clock. State-of-the-art technologies such as VoIP, high-speed broadband and wireless devices provide people with convenience, flexibility and optimised communication. Types of Business Communication There are two types of business communication in an organization: 1. Internal Communication 2. External Communication 1. Internal Communication Communication within an organization is called Internal Communication.

It includes all communication within an organization. It may be informal or a formal function or department providing communication in various forms to employees. Effective internal communication is a vital mean of addressing organizational concerns. Good communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits and decrease grievances and turnover. Under Internal Business Communication types there come; a) Upward Communication b) Downward Communication c) Horizontal/Literal communication a) Upward Communication Upward communication is the flow of information from subordinates to superiors, or from employees to management. Without upward communication, management works in a vacuum, not knowing if messages have been received properly, or if other problems exist in the organization. By definition, communication is a two-way affair. Yet for effective two-way organizational communication to occur, it must begin from the bottom. Upward Communication is a mean for staff to:
o o o o o

Exchange information Offer ideas Express enthusiasm Achieve job satisfaction Provide feedback

b) Downward Communication

Information flowing from the top of the organizational management hierarchy and telling people in the organization what is important (mission) and what is valued (policies). Downward communication generally provides enabling information which allows a subordinate to do something. e.g.: Instructions on how to do a task.

Downward communication comes after upward communications have been successfully established. This type o communication is needed in an organization to:
o o o o o o o o o

Transmit vital information Give instructions Encourage 2-way discussion Announce decisions Seek cooperation Provide motivation Boost morale Increase efficiency Obtain feedback

Both Downward & Upward Communications are collectively called Vertical Communication

c) Horizontal/Literal communication Horizontal communication normally involves coordinating information, and allows people with the same or similar rank in an organization to cooperate or collaborate. Communication among employees at the same level

is crucial for the accomplishment of work.Horizontal Communication is essential for:

o o o o o

Solving problems Accomplishing tasks Improving teamwork Building goodwill Boosting efficiency

2. External Communication

Communication with people outside the company is called external communication. Supervisors communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers. It leads to better;
o o o o

Sales volume Public credibility Operational efficiency Company profits

It should improve
o o o

Overall performancee Public goodwill Corporate image

Ultimately, it helps to achieve

o o

Organizational goals Customer satisfaction

Most of the times, we do not realize the importance of communication in our day-to-day professional life and is mostly overlooked. It is important that we put across our views and opinions effectively to the people in our organization so tha everyone is on the same page towards the goal. A goal-oriented group of individuals in a team or organization can reach success in an easier way than others.

Communication is the medium or the process by which one can convey or express his thoughts, views and feelings. Whatever be the mode of communication, the effectiveness of the communication is very important for the success of a individual or a team.

Ineffective or bad communication is equivalent to not exhibiting your opinions. Hence the key factor for success is communication, especially effective communication. Communication can be of 5 types in nature.

Very popularly described as WOVEN, the five types include written, oral, verbal, electronic and non-verbal communication. But why is effective communication important or rather how does communication help in achieving success?

1. Communication will help strength relationships and will improve bonding among the people in a team or organization. The more you communicate openly and frankly, the listener will tend to build his levels of comfort and confidence in you. Once the confidence level increases among the team members, the goal turns into a common one and thus can be easily achieved.

2. Effective communication will prevent many misunderstandings in general. Assumption is a major adversity as many people tend to think that others know what they are thinking. But when opinions clash, it turns into misunderstandings and conflicts. Such problems can be resolved by taking time to convey across thoughts and feelings in an accurate manner. Thus communicating is important so as to make sure that everyone is in synchronization to avoid misunderstanding and conflicts.

3. It is a must that important decisions and factors are documented for reference in future. This kind of written communication can be held as a proof for future use. Also such kind of documentation helps in keeping the team members in synchronization with the goals and standards that were formulated even before they joined the team.

4. Communication is always not necessarily from the top management. It also needs to be equipped by every member of the team to send their thoughts and views. When there are cases of complaints or misunderstandings, team members need to communicate that to their leaders following the right hierarchy so as to reduce the level of frustration and friction within the team.

5. Decision making in an organization hugely depends on the thoughts and ideas that are communicated from all the employees. Strategies like brainstorming and other kind of decision making tools need thoughts and views of all the involved members as the prime input. Such kind of methods require effective communication processes to make the entire process a success.

6. In a huge team, it is mandatory that all the team members are on the same levels in terms of information knowledge and messages conveyed. In these scenarios, team meetings and discussions will help resolve

misunderstandings and communication gaps. So to ensure the success in a team effort, the information needs to be effectively communicated to all the members. Oral communication followed by verbal communication will ensure that the information passed to all the members is same and accurate.