Formal Communication Methods in Business

Even in this age of information technology, reminder notes still find their way to desktops across the world.

Today's businesses offer a wide range of communication options to clients and employees, making it easier than ever before for businesses to distribute important messages. While in-person and telephone communications are the most obvious ways local businesses communicate with clients and employees, there are other channels businesses can use that offer benefits that the businesses of yesteryear would never have imagined possible--or necessary.

Mass Emails

Sent to multiple employees/leaders in one shot, mass emails can distribute important news organization-wide. Often limited in content to impersonal subjects, like changes in leadership, mass emails are a major source of information for employees and are usually the delivery method (in addition to the rumor mill) for news of layoffs and mergers. While mass emails rarely warrant a response from recipients, they often solicit action, such as benefits enrollment or completion of mandatory, corporate-wide training.

One-on-One Emails

Usually more relevant to the recipient than mass emails, one-on-one emails often warrant a response from the recipient and may be sent from a manager to an employee, co-worker to co-worker, or internal sender to external recipient. These emails often contain information regarding individual, employee job performance or may provide direction on what special projects need to be handled on any given day. They may also provide status updates on requests made by clients.

Instant Message (IM)

While most casual IM users may think of instant messages as a way to keep in touch with long-lost friends or family members, today's businesses often use IMs to keep in touch with employees in real-time. With gas prices and overhead costs on the rise, employers are giving workers the option of working from home. In addition to this, many of today's managers, who have teams consisting of workers spread across multiple regions, also work from home. IMs help shorten the time it takes to send/receive important communications and may be used to alert employees to last-minute meetings.

Intranet

Provided as a source of pertinent company information and important organizational news, an intranet (not to be confused with the Internet) is one way businesses can provide employees access to information relevant to their jobs. Often home to massive libraries of company-specific information, such as training materials, press release materials and the employee handbook, the intranet often encourages employees to become immersed in the organizational culture.

According to BusinessLink.gov.uk, the main advantages of an intranet are that, when used properly, it results in "better internal communications," as information becomes easier to access; "sharing of resources and best practice," as virtual communities are created to enable information sharing among teams that are spread across the world; and a "reduction in paperwork," as annual and interim performance review documents are made available online (and can be digitally signed), rather than printed out.

Net Meetings/Video Conferencing

If trainings or meetings require accompanying presentations or face-to-face interactions, net meetings and video conferencing add the audiovisual flare needed to get the job done. An added advantage of these forms of communication is that they can enable attendees to retain a transcribed copy of meetings for later use, and those who have missed meetings can also take advantage of transcribed copies.

Also, often used in conjunction with the telephone or a chat window, net meetings/video conferencing can enable participants to receive answers to questions asked in "real-time."

Postal Service

While payment confirmations, reminders and advertisements often flood email boxes, using the postal service for communications is still going strong in the business world. Late payment notices and bills, while not guarantees of payment, are still being sent via "snail mail," in addition to refunds and a number of other important documents.

References

• Business Link: Benefits of an Intranet