Purpose And Benefit of Communication in Business

For some professionals, the purpose of communication in business can sometimes seem like an excuse for a boss or a customer to talk endlessly about their problems. Effective executives understand the opportunity inherent in that kind of communication to uncover powerful solutions that can propel a company to long-term success. FEATURES Achieving real effectiveness requires executives to define the outcome they want to achieve from any communication with a customer or with a colleague. Author and lecturer Asha Kaul writes that setting an expected outcome helps communicators focus their energy on a specific, measurable goal. In addition, Kaul notes that the most powerful business communication requires an interactive cycle marked by speaking and listening. For instance, a salesperson and a prospect may volley communications for days or weeks before arriving at the intended next action: a closed deal. EFFECTS Viewing the purpose of communication as an opportunity to reach a defined goal helps professionals refocus their efforts around cultivating strong relationships, inside and outside their organizations. The effects of building a feedback cycle around engaged listening often include increased sales, earned trust, and status as a key adviser for customers and executives. Using scenario planning and other conceptual tools, professionals can review their progress along a longer-term path, reducing frustration over perceived audience resistance. CONSIDERATIONS The cliche about the customer always being right haunts many executives. Retailer Marshall Field often gets credit for coining the phrase, but modern professionals understand that a powerful communication cycle can bridge the gap between parties until they see clear ways to meet each others’ needs. For instance, in an engaged feedback cycle, a salesperson doesn’t have to bend his offering to match the exact request of a customer. Instead, he can reframe or refocus the message to highlight that a customer’s feedback has been heard and integrated into the ongoing conversation. MISCONCEPTIONS Failing to acknowledge a prospect’s concerns can derail communication, often negating the original purpose for engagement. For example, direct mail marketing companies often earn criticism for blanketing prospects with multiple mail pieces while leaving no opportunity for audience feedback. Novice marketers might mistakenly blame an audience for failing to understand the mass-produced message. However, experienced communicators use alternative methods to learn why prospects ignore advertising. Tailoring future campaigns to include their feedback results in more consistent success. BENEFITS OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS When business professionals clarify the purpose of their communication, they often develop a commitment to achieving goals. In his book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” author Stephen Covey advises readers to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Matching up that habit with the skill to measure success in small segments gives leaders the tools necessary to celebrate consistent wins on the way to long-term achievement.