The rules of business communication include established norms and standards that are used in the process of communication both within the company between employees and with its external environment - customers, partners, contractors. The main goal of business communication is the conflict-free solution of the task in time.
Compliance with the rules of business communication depends not only on the overall success of the business, but also on the image and reputation of the company. In the article, we will give practical advice on the effective organization of business communication, as well as consider the norms of business communication when corresponding in instant messengers and by e-mail.
Business communication - what is it and what types are there
Business communication is the exchange of information within and outside the company in order to achieve various business goals. The basis of business etiquette is a respectful attitude towards all participants in communication - colleagues, partners, contractors and customers.
There are several main types of business communication:
- Formal communication. Its distinguishing feature is compliance with established norms and rules. Formal communication includes official meetings, business presentations, correspondence in e-mail or corporate messenger. The result should be the solution of a specific issue or task, the joint implementation of a project.
- Informal communication. Usually includes everyday face-to-face communication “at the cooler” or during team building, correspondence in social networks and public messengers. It is distinguished by a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, however, in informal communication one should not overstep the bounds.
- Verbal communication. Includes face-to-face conversations, phone calls, video conferences, presentations and meetings - all types of conversational communication.
- Written communication. This includes emails, reports, various types of documents, correspondence in a corporate messenger. Allows you to fix agreements and easily find the information you need.
- Vertical communication. Carried out between different levels of the organizational hierarchy: from top to bottom (from managers to subordinates) or from bottom to top (from subordinates to managers).
- Horizontal communication. Carried out between employees at the same organizational level (within a department or between departments). With well-established horizontal communication in the company, there is a significant acceleration of the exchange of information and experience, which means that the speed of business processes also increases.
- External communications. Includes interaction with clients, suppliers, contractors, partners, investors and any other representatives of external organizations. This can also include PR and marketing communications, customer support and user interaction.
The method of communication is selected depending on the task and its complexity. In any case (even in the case of informal communication), you should adhere to the rules of business communication. They will help you achieve your business goals and have a positive impact on the overall image of the company.
10 rules of business communication
The rules of effective business communication are not abstract concepts, but practical advice, following which will significantly increase the effectiveness of business communication both in correspondence and in personal meetings.
Let's list the ten basic rules of business communication:
1. Punctuality. All interlocutors must be respected. Being late for scheduled meetings, even if they are online, is unacceptable. If you are behind schedule and miss the meeting, you must notify other participants in advance.
2. Clarity of wording. Conversation, conversation, negotiations are always accompanied by a clear statement of the goal / task / problem. Interlocutors should understand what is at stake and what they have to discuss. Before an important meeting, it is necessary to make a list of questions for discussion in writing in advance, and after the meeting, prepare a short summary of the results of the conversation. This will help to structure information and control the implementation of tasks.
3. Respect for other people's time. The result of business communication should be the solution of a specific issue or task. A long preface or digression from the topic only scatters the attention of the interlocutors and diverts from the essence of the matter, and also takes away the most precious resource - time.
4. Respect for interlocutors. It is important to convey your point of view, but it is also important to be able to listen and hear what others say. Don't interrupt when the other person is speaking, as this will confuse you and give the impression that the other party's opinion is being devalued.
5. Business attire. Business communication is not only the etiquette of negotiation, but also the appropriate appearance. Nowadays, casual style is welcomed in many offices, but when meeting with clients and partners, it is better to choose a formal and more restrained style. Also, in order to avoid embarrassment, you need to be prepared (even in a home office!), that at an online meeting they may be asked to turn on the cameras.
6. Culture of speech. A rule that is fair both in oral and written speech. Elementary mistakes in a letter can lead the client to think about the general incompetence of the company. In oral speech, you should avoid parasitic words (“as if”, “shorter”, “type”, etc.) and do not abuse professional slang (in cases of communicating with people outside your professional circle).
7. Self-control. Excessive emotionality or gesticulation (unless, of course, you live in Italy) can interfere with business communication. It is important not to get personal and keep yourself in control, even if the interlocutor behaves inappropriately.
8. Self-check. Before sending, check your emails and messages not only for grammatical and spelling errors, but also for who you are sending them to and what attachments they contain. How many cases were there when personal messages were duplicated in work chats (in this case, the corporate messenger helps a lot with its separation of personal and work). Self-check procedures should be a good form for you, they will avoid embarrassment and trouble.
9. Feedback. Just as a dialogue involves the interaction of two interlocutors, business communication does not occur in a vacuum. Try to get feedback from colleagues, clients and management, demonstrate your interest and willingness to implement a solution to the problem, taking into account the opinion of the other side.
10. Method of communication. Depending on the nature of communication, use suitable communication channels, if possible, specify which communication channel is preferable. Thus, e-mail is an obligatory channel in the case of official business correspondence, when it is necessary to consolidate agreements and agree on details, receive an invoice or send an important document. Some clients ask to call them back at a certain time, others prefer to communicate exclusively in the messenger.
Business ethics when communicating in e-mail and corporate messenger
The etiquette and rules of business communication must be observed not only in personal communication, but also in the process of correspondence in e-mail and instant messengers. Below we will look at what is important when communicating online.
- Introduction. Use an email signature template: it is added automatically at the end of the email and usually contains the full name, position, contact information, company name and logo. This will allow the addressee to quickly understand who is writing to him, find contacts and contact you if necessary. It is considered good manners to send business letters from a corporate email address (public addresses are often distrustful). In the case of communication in a corporate messenger, the profile (company, position, department, contact information) can be filled in automatically with the data provided by the HR department. You will be required to set a profile avatar, and it is important to choose an adequate photo suitable for use in business communication.
- Clarity and specificity. A message in a chat or email cannot be abstract. The topic or problem that needs to be solved must be formulated. If the information in the message is voluminous, then it should be broken down into paragraphs - so it will be easier for the reader to understand what needs to be done or what to pay attention to. In a corporate messenger, you can use mark down to highlight key thoughts and divide them into paragraphs.
- Speed of response. Messages in corporate messengers need to be answered quickly, for this purpose they were created. But if communication is carried out by e-mail, you can wait a bit for a response: from several hours to a day.
- Self-Check. Before hitting the submit button, read your message to make sure it doesn't contain any errors (both substantive and grammatical). Also check the address - an unpleasant situation can happen when the message arrives at a completely different person to whom you addressed it.
- Check the size of attachments. Often email services won't let emails with attachments that are too heavy, or may identify them as spam. When sending large files, consider using cloud storage or use dedicated compression tools. In the corporate version of the eXpress messenger, you can send files up to 1 GB - often this is enough for most cases of corporate life.
- Privacy. Keep the information sent in the correspondence confidential and avoid discussing it on public platforms (including WhatsApp and Telegram).
The rules of business communication are important for creating the image of a professional and responsible company. Compliance with them contributes to a more effective achievement of goals and strengthening relationships with customers, colleagues and partners.
