Effective communication in business means sharing information in a clear, concise and purposeful way that helps achieve business goals, builds strong relationships and minimises misunderstandings. It ensures that messages are not only sent but also understood and acted upon appropriately. Below are some highlights to help make your business communication more effective. Although these points may seem obvious, they are often overlooked in practice. None of the suggestions are in any way disruptive to you, your business or your working patterns; rather, they serve as a helpful guide and reminder to ensure smooth and effective communication, both internally with your teams and externally with your clients and customers.
Key Elements of Effective Business Communication
- Clarity
- Messages are simple, direct, and easy to understand.
- Avoid jargon, even in a situation where you feel it may be appropriate, avoid the risk of the recipient not knowing or not admitting they don’t know what it is that you are saying.
- Skip on the acronym, the chances are very high that other people don’t know what you mean and may tune out trying to work out what the set of letters stands for. Often, especially in the case of three letter acronyms, that they can stand for something other than the one you had intended. This causes confusion or in some cases becomes a joke, often at your expense.
- Conciseness
- Information is communicated without unnecessary details.
- Time is respected—especially important in professional environments.
- Purpose
- The goal of the message is clear (e.g., inform, persuade, request, resolve).
- Every communication moves toward a desired outcome.
- Audience Awareness
- Message is tailored to the listener’s role, knowledge level, and expectations.
- Tone and format suit the audience (formal vs. informal, verbal vs. written).
- Active Listening
- Both sides of communication matter: speaking and truly hearing the other person.
- Ensures mutual understanding and engagement.
- Feedback
- Clear channels exist for asking questions, confirming understanding, and offering input.
- Encourages a two-way exchange rather than just top-down instructions.
- Consistency
- Messaging aligns with company values, branding, and goals.
- Reduces confusion across teams and departments.
- Appropriate Medium
- Right channel is chosen: email, face-to-face, chat, video call, presentation, report, etc.
- Sensitive or complex topics often need real-time or in-person conversations.
- Nonverbal Cues
- Body language, tone, eye contact, and facial expressions matter in face-to-face and video communication.
- They either reinforce or contradict the spoken message.
- Communication Styles
- Awareness of different communication styles and etiquette is vital.
- Helps prevent unintentional offence or confusion.
- Have a look at ashleyboroda.com to see the four communication styles and learn how to identify the communication style of the person you are interacting with so that your correspondence goes smoothly and is a win-win for you and them.
- Avoid predictable misunderstandings and classic breakdown in communication, by making a significant effort to understand the style of the person who you are corresponding with.
By being able to identify the communication and behaviour style of all the people you are wanting or needing to communicate with you can remove any risks of inadvertently upsetting or annoying them. The best way, in my experience, is having an intimate knowledge of iMA, which is a supercharged communication tool which can teach you to identify all four communication styles and quickly and accurately identify the three styles who are not like you and talk to them in the way they prefer. This allows for a less uncomfortable encounter.
Why It Matters In Business
- Prevents errors and misunderstandings.
- Builds trust and team collaboration.
- Improves productivity and decision-making.
- Enhances customer satisfaction and brand reputation.
- Supports change management and leadership effectiveness.
