Communication is the basis of every human relationship, why should it not be so also in the workplace?
An effective corporate communication is able to avoid many misunderstandings, solve problems and improve relations both with colleagues and with customers.
A good work environment is essential to increase team productivity, reduce stress and save time that can be used more profitably.
To do this you need to improve your way of communicating by becoming an example for your team and colleagues.
Here are 9 strategies to improve corporate communication, both in small and large companies …
1. Develop listening
The greatest virtue of communication in any situation is that of listening.
Knowing how to listen to others, making them feel important and understood is essential for establishing a healthy, private or professional human relationship.
When you talk to a colleague, a client or an external collaborator, try to give them all your attention. Close the door to avoid being disturbed and, if you receive a phone call, point out the fact that you are temporarily occupied and that you will call back once free.
In corporate communication, it is important not to make the other person feel uncomfortable. If you distract yourself while you are with him, you might think his presence is not welcome.
2. Organize intelligent meetings thanks to corporate communication
The time of the meeting could be perceived by most collaborators as a waste of time and a little useful time for the company.
This is absolutely not true because having a team that is always up to date on the activities to do and on the strategies is fundamental for the success of a business.
To make meetings profitable, corporate communication must be improved by setting the meeting early, encouraging questions from all participants and choosing a reference figure who takes notes and summarizes the highlights at the end of the meeting.
3. Speak one to one
When you need to have a confrontation with another person in the workplace, it is important to speak directly with the person concerned.
If he has not done a job in the best possible way, he has had a lack or a distraction, do not embarrass him by pointing out the problem in front of all his colleagues.
Good corporate communication is based on direct and above all constructive confrontation so that those who have committed the error can understand and avoid repeating it in the future.
4. Use an appropriate tone of voice in corporate communication
Communication is a collection of many facets and one of the most important is the tone of voice that is used.
The same message with different tones can carry completely different meanings.
Try to look firm but not arrogant or, on the contrary, frightened because only in this way will your colleagues understand thoroughly what you intend to communicate and there will be no place for misunderstandings.
Above all, those who hold a prestigious role within the hierarchy tend to use tones that are often intimidating or even scary.
It is essential to remember that workers are first and foremost human beings and that they must be treated as such in any situation.
5. Manage body language
Corporate communication is not based solely on words but it is also necessary to focus on gestures.
The posture, the way of moving the hands, the visual contact, are all elements that contribute to providing a very particular message to the interlocutor.
If you need to convey simple information, but your body tends to prevaricate over the person you are talking to, it will perceive a negative aura and become defensive.
Always show yourself relaxed, especially if you are at the head of a multi-element team.
6. Creative business communication
To ensure that your whole group understands the information you want to convey to them, do not just expose them in words.
Use graphics or presentations on Power Point to show something tangible and ensure that everyone is aligned with the strategies to be pursued.
Moreover, many people tend to get distracted when a subject speaks for a long period of time while feeling much more involved when they have to focus on images or graphics.
7. Encourage feedback
The feedback are essential in corporate communications. This is true both internally, among colleagues, and towards customers.
It is important to try to understand if the message you intended to convey was thoroughly understood and if it brought the desired results.
Do not be afraid of criticism because they are a starting point for improvement. Take each feedback constructively for the well-being of the company.
In order to encourage this important analysis phase, organize meetings based on mutual comparison or follow up to verify the results produced by your communication.
8. Respond to complaints
The moment a negative feedback or a complaint about an activity, an assignment, a product etc. arrives, it is essential to be ready for an answer .
If the person who exposed the complaint can talk directly with you to find a solution, he feels that his problem is important and will have a positive attitude despite the inconvenience.
As we have already specified, communication is based on listening and opening up to one’s interlocutor.
9. Improve corporate communication with the customer
A company has not only internal relations, but also with the outside world.
For a company the relationship it has with its customers is of fundamental importance and, for this reason, it is necessary to be able to relate in the best way.
What we have said is fundamental in every moment of the sale but it is even more important in the customer service because you must always be able to find a solution to the problems raised, looking for a meeting point until the final decision is reached.
However, corporate communication does not end here because you can always maintain open channels with your customers to find out how they are finding themselves with the product or service you sold them and whether they are satisfied enough to recommend it to their friends and acquaintances.