Archive for category: Business Communications

Top 3 Essential Tips for Writing a Professional Email

November 25, 2021/0 Comments/in Business Communications /by StrategyDriven

Organizing your thoughts and writing a coherent professional email can be a disaster. Trying to put your thoughts together whilst sounding confident and business-like is not an easy skill to master. If you write professional pieces all the time this may be a skill you want to learn.

What goes into writing a professional email? What should you be particular to keep in mind while you’re typing? Is there anything that you should make sure to include in every email?

These are valid questions. These questions are not always ones that are easily answered. If you’re looking for tips to keep in mind the next time you write a professional email, then we’ve got the right ones for you.

1. Etiquette and Audience

Writing a professional email takes close attention to detail. One of the most important things you can do is be mindful of who your audience is. Keep everything in a tone that is both assertive and accessible.

When writing for a large audience it’s important to remember who will be reading the information you’re explaining. Always double-check that it doesn’t come across as harsh or too much. It is important to write for your general audience.

2. Concise Is Best

When it comes to professional writing you want to make sure that there is a lack of fluff. Don’t bog down your readers with the information they don’t want nor need. Re-read your article several times in order to be sure you’ve included all of the important information.

The attention span of your readers is much shorter than you may think. You only have a couple of seconds to hook them and keep their attention on what you have to say. Re-read through your finished message a couple of times before sending it out.

3. Double Proof Read

Finally, to assert what you want to say make sure it is all correct. Your professional email is being seen by an audience that sees you as being in charge. Everything in the email is a reflection of you.

Proofread what you’re saying to the best of your abilities. Running it through spell check or other services may help you to find any errors that might be remaining.

Before sending your email out with a mass email service be sure that everything is correct. By writing an email you have one chance to convey all of your thoughts clearly.

These Professional Email Tips Will Help You With Your Next Message

Writing a professional email can be difficult. You want to make sure that it says you mean business. What you don’t need with a professional email is for it to sound too laid back.

With these tips, you’ll be able to click send with assurance. Take away some of the stress that comes along with struggling to compose an email. Write the messages that show other co-workers you know what you’re talking about.

For any further help with that perfect email or business in general, our blogs are here. We can provide you with the support you need when you need it.

A Management Guide To Better Written Communication In Business

October 8, 2021/0 Comments/in Business Communications /by StrategyDriven

There is an old saying which goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” and therein lies a very powerful message for modern business management.

Written in 1839 by an English author, the sentiment expressed that the written word was a far more effective communication tool than a weapon.

Written over two hundred years ago, it is a lesson that still holds good today, and it would benefit the canny business manager to spend a few moments to ponder its significance.

A low literacy crisis

A study by the US Department of Education in 2020 found that 54% of the adult population of the USA – that is, 130 million people between ages 16 and 74 – lacked proficiency in writing and were graded as reading below a sixth-grade level. When viewed in this light, the question is just how this low literacy level impacts business and the overall economy.

This rightly raises several questions and can be viewed from both the perspective of the employer and employee alike.

Do workers with lower literacy levels in positions involving a high degree of written work output and/or a requirement for high levels of reading and comprehension cope adequately, or do they become unduly overwhelmed or dissatisfied?

Email and written communication

Email is likely to be the second most widely used communication tool after the telephone system for most business concerns. For many organizations, email is likely to be the first contact a potential new client will have with the company.

Based on the quality of outgoing emails, how exactly is the business being perceived by clients and potential new customers? A poor first impression can make or break a business relationship.

Consider providing staff with a deeper understanding of the importance of good communication skills. Ensure personnel makes avail of support applications like ‘Spell Check” or a communications editor like Grammarly. An explanation of how to use grammarly can be found here. For employees involved in the preparation of business letters, contracts, or reports, serious consideration should be given to the implementation of such support applications across the organization.

Social media – the new communication mode

In addition to lower literacy levels, professional organizations also face the intrusion of modern communication culture into the workplace. The mass uptake of social media accounts and communications apps has given rise to the popular use of abbreviations and emoticons, which have steadily found their way into more formal business communications.

Whilst their usage can be deemed acceptable in friendly, informal emails or written communications, the manager should maintain a healthy awareness of general business communication standards.

Deeper staff training and awareness

Given the importance of good business communication skills, management can further assist and equip their staff by providing a deeper level of guidance and training.

Consider providing a guideline to applicable staff members outlining best corporate practices with regards to written and email structure and presentation. The use of support applications to assist staff in meeting these guidelines can be recommended within these documents.

Remember that communication is always a two-way street – assisting staff by providing a support structure can not only assist in raising the bar with client perception, but it can also potentially contribute to improved levels of employee satisfaction.

Communication Levels- Importance of Quality Communication Channels

January 25, 2021/0 Comments/in Business Communications /by StrategyDriven

Communication is an integral part of any business’s operations and growth. Employees understand their roles, coordinate with one another, and operations run more smoothly. There are different levels of communication ranging from an upward, lateral and downward movement of information.

Upwards Flow

Communication starts from the subordinate levels to the supervisors, then the managers and finally reaches the executive. The upward flow of information enables the management to get feedback, state of affairs, clients’ needs and day to day reports and suggestions. The subordinate staff handle clients and other vital operations. They better understand the company’s needs and status and communicate the same to their supervisors or managers. To make the communication flow better, invest in collaboration solutions that improve and encourage free communication. It makes communication more transparent, faster, effective.

Lateral Flow

Different departments have their communication channels which enable a smoother flow of duties, coordination and transparency. Employees of a particular department can collaborate efforts and then pass reports to their managers. Managers have their horizontal communication channels where they compare performance and operations in the departments and detect any problems then extend the information to the executive. Lateral communication builds working relationships and friendships between team members and improves teamwork. Improved communication helps members work together to achieve a unified goal.

Downwards Flow

Communication about the company’s goals, vision and structural operations is passed down from the owner to the managers who work together with the supervisors to ensure the subordinate staff understand and work unitedly to achieve growth. The communication is not just through word of mouth but also the company website, training sessions, brochures, retreats and feedback reports. Through communication, a business owner can structure the operations to best suit the company vision, clients’ needs and current demands.

The Open Door Policy

Most organizations, although still uphold the three forms of communication, encourage the open door policy. Employees can freely walk to the manager or the executive without going through their supervisors and managers. The information flows more quickly, and employees and the company at large get faster solutions to problems. It also helps the managerial team better understand their employees, building more solid work relationships. Nowadays, most small businesses find it easier to work with lateral or horizontal communication channels as it encourages the team spirit.

Benefits of Improved Communication Systems

There is a better and faster flow of information, meaning that when there is a problem, it is detected, the concerned parties notified immediately leading to quicker solutions. Employees work better when they have stable communication structures. They build better relationships with their bosses and each other. Clients too are happier and more satisfied with the service delivery. Their needs and grievances are communicated fast and the appropriate measures sought in time. Everyone in the company better understands the businesses status and can easily access the information they need. Documents can be retrieved or shared easily, and knowledge passed on to different departments more efficiently.

Effective communication improves productivity which boosts company profits. In the end, everyone is happy.

How to Make Your Emails More Professional

December 18, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Communications /by StrategyDriven

Regardless of who you’re conversing with and who you’re having an email exchange with, it’s important you conduct yourself in a professional manner when using email. Making your emails professional looking will help you attract clients and keep existing ones and will also help your communication be far clearer and easier to understand when conveying information between team members.

There are many things you can do to keep your emails looking professional. Here are a few ways to do just that.

Use an Email Signature

An email signature is a great way to sign off on an email and make it appear organized, professional, and important. To make a great email signature, you can either create one yourself, or use many of the wonderful templates available on this email signature software for Office 365. A good signature should provide all the information an email recipient will need to contact you and connect and may include a name, job title, office number and business address.

Signatures can also be a good way to display a bit of personality and to display your brand in a better way. You can do this by making use of awesome themes, color schemes and fonts that convey your business or your own personal brand.

Avoid Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

There’s not many more worse email offenses than having spelling and grammar issues within the body of your message. This gives off the impression that you’re not professional and that you haven’t put enough effort into your correspondence to make sure everything is in order. A simple typo can easily be offensive and could make whoever you’re emailing with view you in a worse off light.

With tools such as Grammarly, making sure your emails are spelled correctly and formatted well is simple, as the application will scan through your email as you type it, highlighting potential issues. The premium version can also help you write to fit a certain tone of voice, which can be helpful when you’re dealing with different clients and people of different seniority.

Keep Things Short and Sweet

A professional email is one that gets straight to the details and isn’t overstuffed with pointless sentences and phrases. This is because saying the bare minimum will help to avoid misunderstandings as it keeps the content and the instructions within the email clear.

Of course, you’re allowed and are encouraged to ask how people are and be friendly, and it’s critical that you include all the relevant information, but you shouldn’t be writing essays for your emails. In addition, it’s also a good idea to have a line break between each paragraph, to make it even easier to digest.

Make Sure Your Email Address Is Suitable

If you’re using an email address that you created back in your early teens, then it might be worth evaluating it and making sure that it gives off a professional vibe. Too many working adults are using addresses like ‘[email protected]’ and it’s sending off a bad and childish impression. To ensure that you’re professional, change the email to simply your name.

How to Utilize Video Conferencing Properly

December 9, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Communications /by StrategyDriven

Do you want to retain a coherent connection with your remote workforce no matter how much distance physically separates you? Do you want to be able to seal deals with prospective business partners despite the fact that you don’t even share a time zone? Do you want to make use of today’s top tech in your bid to sustain a competitive advantage over your rivals? If you utilize video conferencing in a highly efficient and effective fashion, you will be able to do all of this and more on a daily basis.

To find out what you must do to take full advantage of all the cutting-edge video conferencing tools out there on today’s market, be sure to read on.

Strengthen your Internet connection

This should go without saying, but it’s worth mentioning anyway—you need a stable and secure Internet connection if you want to utilize video conferencing properly. You’re never going to maximize the potential of this tech tool if your connection is constantly cutting out, buffering, or being hacked into, which is why you must take some time to strengthen your connection.

To perform this all-important task, you must:

Carry out regular speed tests on your connection
Upgrade your router to the latest model
Optimize your router settings to ensure that it prioritizes video conferencing bandwidth
Switch your Wi-Fi channel from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz
Update your security features and password-protect your broadband

Align yourself with an audio and video installation expert

Unless you, yourself are an expert in the field of audio and video conferencing, you won’t have the experience or know-how required to optimize this installation project. Should you fail to align yourself with a professional in this instance, you could end up doing some serious damage to your company’s reputation. You want to showcase your organization as a cutting-edge brand that has its finger on the pulse of the latest technology, right? Well, you aren’t going to do that if your video conferencing tech isn’t fitted correctly!

Fortunately, thanks in part to the current demand for telecommuting, there are now a plethora of experts out there willing and waiting to assist you with your installation project, Audio Image Solutions being one of them. With this team of expert tech designers by your side, you will find it easier to implement an audio and video solution that meets your company’s exact wants, needs, and specifications. For more information about the exact services that they provide, be sure to check out audioimagesolutions.com.

Get to grips with your conference features

Once you’ve sorted out the logistical issues surrounding the installation of your audio and video tech, it’s time to get to grips with its slew of conference features. As soon as you feel comfortable using this technology, you will be much more likely to utilize it properly.

First and foremost, this means knowing how to invite and block participants. This will help you to retain full control over who is allowed to contribute to your virtual conferences, which in turn will make you look far more professional whenever you are on camera. And speaking of being on camera, make sure you dress for the occasion!