The purpose of any workplace communication is to convey a thought or idea about a business-related topic. Communications are also used to promote an organization, an organization’s product, or an organization’s services. In this article, we will discover and discuss ways to develop your general communication skills as you grow in business leadership skills.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS

When writing for business, there are a few things to consider when you start writing any type of communication. First, you want all communications to make sense to the audience you’re speaking to. It doesn’t matter if you are a neurosurgeon and you are speaking to a group of third graders, you need to speak/write at a level that your reader can understand. Second, you need to write your communications to be as precise as possible. You should not write a communication that rambles off the topic you have written about. Stay focused on your topic! Third, once you’ve compiled your written communication, always do a spell and grammar check. Do not send a written communication that is full of typos and misspelled words. It doesn’t look good for you or the company you represent. And last but not least in our section of written communication emails. Business emails are the norm and even if your writing sucks, this is one area you’ll definitely want to excel at. Writing a business email is not like writing a personal email to a friend. Even if you’re on friendly terms with the person you’re emailing while you’re on the clock or dealing with a business issue, keep your email formal. Manage concerns about why you contacted the person(s) in the first place.

SPOKEN COMMUNICATION

There are different types of spoken communications; They range from talking on the phone to giving presentations and team meetings. When preparing to give a spoken communication, think about what you want to convey to your listeners. Depending on how big your presentation is, you’ll want to give yourself at least a week to prepare your thoughts and ideas so they flow smoothly when they’re presented. If you are preparing for a weekly or daily team meeting, you should arrive early to meet. It would even be doable and good if you prepared notes of specific things you wanted to cover. Doing this helps you stay focused and stops any flooding and forgetfulness that might occur if you hadn’t done it otherwise. Now, if you have a business phone call to make, you can also follow the steps mentioned above to guide your conversation. Keep the small talk just that, little one. Chat for a bit and then get to the point of why you called. People appreciate when you don’t waste their time and know exactly what you want.