Business Revision Guide: 3.3

• Types of business communication

  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication
  • Digital communication
• Communication

  The transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver through a means of communication
• Verbal communication

  • Communicating by speaking - in meeting, on the telephone, by video conferencing or through a presentation
• Written communication

  • Communication by written words - text, email and letters
• Digital communication

  • The electronic exchange of information using ICT
• Good communication and feedback is very important in business
• Communication can be internal or external
• How communication is important to functional areas

  • Marketing
  • HR
  • Business operations
  • Finance
  • With government
• Social Media

  • Instant, direct communication travelling time with staff or customers
  • Saves costs
• Web Conferencing

  • Provides instant, clear, up-to-date information
  • Makes remote working easier
• Cloud Services

  • Provides instant information
• Websites & Mobile Apps

  • Can provide instant information
• Instant Messaging

  • Live chats
• Phone

  • Good for discussion of ideas or problems and making no record of the discussion
  • Immediate arrangements
  • Difficult with long waiting times to get through to a call centre
• Meeting

  • Good way to exchange ideas and to check understanding
  • Minutes provide a record of the meeting
  • Expensive to get people together
  • If it is a formal meeting, it can take time to arrange
• Presentation

  • Speaker has time to prepare in advance what they wish to say and then to explain clearly
  • Possible to ask questions to help understanding
  • A lot of listeners- difficult to check they all understand
  • Take time to arrange and can be expensive
• Letter

  • Provides a record of the communication
  • Sender has time to make sure ideas are clearly expressed, reader can read the message many times
  • Takes time for letters sent in the post to be delivered
  • If the meaning of the message is unclear, it is difficult for the reader to check
• Email

  • Fast method of communicating
  • Good for short messages although attachments are a way of adding more information
  • Person may not check their emails regularly
  • Bulk emails are often ignored and deleted or lost in spam
• Text

  • Fast method that can include a lot of people
  • Receiver can save the text to remember details in the message, for example, of an appointment
  • Only limited information can be given
  • Not good for discussing ideas
• Social media

  • Message can be sent to selected groups or in bulk to large numbers cheaply
  • Sometimes pictures can be added to the message
  • It is not always easy to judge how successful the message has been
• Website

  • Saves money
  • Customers can order online so the business may not need to have a shop or office accessible to customers
  • Customers cannot ask for information easily
  • Customers cannot view the goods