Communicating with employees, customers and vendors is an essential part of any business. Effective communications can help your business thrive and gain new customers. On the other hand, mistakes made in communications can be costly both in terms of your revenue and your reputation. It is important that you avoid some of the most common mistakes made in business communications.
Not Getting Clarification
Because people communicate differently, it is easy to misunderstand what someone is saying. While you can hire a speech coach in Los Angeles and other large cities to help you learn to speak more clearly, you may have to practice other techniques to ensure you understand what someone else is saying.
Ask questions if you are not sure you understand the meaning behind the words. You can also repeat what you heard back in your own words to ensure that you heard correctly. Another option is to send a follow-up email reiterating what you thought the other person was saying. You can say something like "I just wanted to send a follow-up email to thank you for your time and to reiterate the results of our conversation." Then you would list the basic points covered in your meeting.
Not Being Prepared
To have effective communications whether it is in a meeting, a training session or even informally, you need to make sure you are prepared. This means that you must know your topic, but it also helps to know your audience. If you understand what your listeners are looking for, you can communicate better.
You need to understand how your audience communicates. Everyone has their own style, and many factors impact how they prefer to communicate. For instance, people today often send text messages rather than making phone calls. They want information quickly without a lot of explanation. When you know what your audience expects, you can adapt your communications style to ensure that youprovide your information in the right way.
Avoiding Unpleasant Conversations
Not every conversation you have in business is going to be pleasant or productive. However, avoiding these conversations will not help you or your business. You must learn how to present bad new, reject offers and discipline others. At some point in your career, you may have to do all of these. Rather than avoiding them, learn how to present the information in a professional light.
When you have to give out unpleasant news, you must ensure that you speak clearly to get your point across. You don't want any misunderstandings that further complicate the situation. This becomes a bigger issue if you are speaking with someone from another region or part of the world. They may not be able to understand everything you are saying, which can result in different actions than what you expected.
Make sure you always try your best at all business communications. Avoid making mistakes by presenting your ideas clearly and speaking so that you are understood. You may even want to hire an accent reduction coach in Los Angeles to ensure that others understand what you are saying.
Claudette Roche is a dialect coach in the Los Angeles area. She teaches foreign and American accents to actors and business persons/executives. In 2010 she was named as one of The Top 5 Voice Coaches by Hollywood Weekly Magazine.