Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts

Why Business Communication Is Very Important

Business communication is a process of exchanging messages or information to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in the work in the system structure and organization. In the course of business communications, the message should not only informative but also must be Persuasive, order the other party to accept a notion or belief or to perform any act or activity.

In this era of globalization, the challenges of a manager in the future relatively to the more difficult, because he/she facing competitive business environment tends increasingly. The managers need to equip themselves with the cross-cultural skills, such as the ability to interact with various cultures, management styles / business of other nations, as well as team collaboration, both internally and in a strategic alliance with business partners. Here the role of business communication becomes increasingly crucial, namely the ability to read, interpret and report information from the environment. Besides conveying ideas, both orally and in writing in a systematic way, the managers should understand how to deliver the message at the presentation.

In the era of e-business, communications develops into a separated business. Development of information systems and technology accelerates the process of globalization and provide opportunities for businesses to expand, through a variety of business relations, marketing, or other products. Through e-business, business transactions have been carried out across borders and time zones for boundary almost at the same time. This is a challenge for business managers to communicate to the public that the majority are skeptical of sales system on line through improved systems, fertilization level of public trust and the provision of sustainable education.

Six Gears You Should Bring On When Making a Presentation

You certainly hope that your business presentation will run smoothly and successfully. For that, you bring should be prepared as early as possible. Here are some tools that you should bring on when making a presentation.

1. Laptop or tablet computer
It is your primary tool for doing presentations. Of course, laptop or tablet computer contains your presentation material, including supporting data. You can create presentation slide in Microsoft PowerPoint, Macromedia, or other software. What is clear, you have to prepare the materials that you will bring in your laptop or tablet you carry. Do not forget, the material must back up on a flash drive or external hard disk. This is to protect you in case of technical damage to your laptop when you are going to do a presentation.

2. Product
If you are going to presenting a product to the potential customers, then the product is an important thing you should bring on. Your client would really like to see your product in close. They really hope to try and see the benefits of the products you carry. And of course perpetually logic, how can you sell a product if you do not carry the product. If it is possible, you need to take the product a little much, so it will be easier to create marketing process with your potential customers.

3. LCD Projector
Perhaps there among you who think that bringing these tools is not necessary, because it may have been prepared by the organizers. However, I think it would not hurt if you bring your own LCD projector. Today there are many portable LCD projectors that are small and can be included in your bag. This is to protect you if LCD projector provided having problems and cannot be used.

4. Print out slide
In order to satisfy your presentation and gain maximum results, you should always prepare for everything and have a backup plan. Print out can be a backup plan if all of your equipment can not be used, for example, if at the time you make a presentation, your power point presentation being outages. Print out is the best way out. Also, distributing print out in advance of the presentation will create an effective communication with your audience. They can read the print out over and over again which can stimulate them to ask. This is your chance to explain to them in more detail and depth.

5. Microphone
I think your effectiveness in doing a presentation depends on the readiness of your own. You know what you want to do this. Microphone is the primary tool for you to speak in front of your audience. You have to bring your own microphone that you believe can support your presentation mobility. Do not rely on the organizers for this.

6. Wireless Presentation Tool
Just as with microphones, presentation tool is very important to use for high mobility in the presentation. I think doing a presentation just by sitting in front of your laptop is something less challenging and boring your audience. In the end, the audience will hope to move from their seat sooner.

That's 6 essential presentation equipment you should bring on. Do not forget, before you act, try those six tools first before you start. Make sure it all works. Business presentation is a business communications channel that can effectively reach customers, or even just not at all. It all depends on your own preparedness. Prepare everything like materials, supporting data, and the tools you need. But remember, all this will not be useful if you do not know the presentation techniques and your communication style is not attractive.

Building a Communications Team

Effective communication must be like the oil goes through the engine wheels, so it runs smoothly, efficiently and unambiguous. Effective communication needs to flow from one source.
If we implement a major business project, it will be a good idea to create a communications team.

The advantage to having a communication team is that the information provided is only coming from one source, so the disinformation will not happen. The next advantage is that the listener will get information from a trusted source, so they will always be enthusiastic and pay attention to the information to be delivered. In some cases, communication is main key of business development.

Communications team should be trained in keeping the main thing and be able to say exactly what needs to be said in a brief and to the point, does not leave room for misinterpretation. A perfect communication team can consist of a copy writer, orator, data analyst, and an interpreter. A good copy writer can take any effective keywords that needs to disseminating the information.

Orator served as a messenger to the public. Orator should have the charisma and unique style that can attract public attention. Furthermore, he/she must have good grammar skills, knowledgeable,and great intelligence. Intelligence required by an orator, as is needed to answer the listeners questions that are sometimes surprising.

A data analyst and interpreter is a person who can help the orator in preparing the material to be delivered, so that material can be conveyed clearly and accurately. In addition a data analyst and interpreter serves to analyze the effect of information has been submitted, whether clearly understood, vague, or is not understood at all by the audience.

Definition of Communication

Etymologically, the communication comes from the Latin cum meaning with , and unit, a word which means a single number. Those two words formed noun communio, which means togetherness, a joint partnership, association, or relationship. Because communio needs work and effort, the word is made verb communicate which means to share something with someone, exchange, discuss things with people, tell something to someone, talk, exchange ideas, in touch, friendships.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English provides definitions of the word Communicate as “to the make opinions, feelings, information etc, known or understood by others.” Another meaning set forth in the dictionary is to share or to change opinion, information, etc. While communication is defined as the act or process of communicating. Dennis Murphy, in his book "Better Business Communication" saying "Communication is the whole process used to reach other minds." Meanwhile, according to Harwood, "Communication is more technically defined as a conduction process for the memories."

There are many definitions of communication, but of the many definitions, communication can be interpreted as a word that encompasses all forms of interaction with others in the form of ordinary conversation, persuade, teach, business, and negotiation. Communication is an art and science of interacting with a person or group. Said as an art because communication has its own style and unique characteristics for their intended purpose. Regular communication has the different styles with business communication. Communication is a science because it can be explained scientifically, and a variety of communication styles can be learned and applied in accordance with their needs.

Maximizing Business Communication

We can use free grammar checker as an option for maximizing business communication. One obstacle in the business communication between nations is the language. The difficulty of the language used to conduct business communications, whether oral or written, shall cause failure in business negotiations. This of course will hurt and harm companies globally.

To overcome the obstacle of business communication, the use of English as a universal language is very important. However, using English for business is not as easy as imagined. Users must understand the good and right grammar, in order to avoid misinterpretations that lead to business failure.
The importance of grammar can best be felt when doing business communication form letter. Business Communication by letter is the absence of face-to-face communication. Therefore we do not know the reader's reaction to a letter that we wrote. But at least with the help of grammar, then writing a letter will be shorter, concise, and clear.

Thus, being able to use and understand English grammar it can maximize cross-business communication conducted the State. Accents, spelling, or vocabulary may be considerable when someone uses the English language. However, grammar is important to learn that what is said is not interpreted wrongly.

The Importance of Briefing

Briefing is the direction. Briefing should be given any time to employees and subordinates in business company or organization to disseminate the rules and policies that have been made. And this must being habit, as not easy to change habits that usually there is no briefing into existence. Many people underestimate the habit of a daily briefing, when in fact the briefing is very important and very vital to an acceptable information quickly. No need to be a matter of briefing material which is done every day, even if there is no material at least gathered together each morning or late afternoon. And if it is being habit, then if there is a critical information leader does not need hard to invite the meeting or gather employees. Even just from hanging out an idea usually will pop up unexpectedly.

In general briefing objectives are:

1. Provide guidance on the performance of subordinates in order to remain in accordance with the vision and mission of the organization.

2. Remind their subordinates in order to always apply the Standard Operational Procedure at work.

3. Convey information that is considered important.

4. Equalizing thoughts of the leadership to his subordinates, so that the subordinates in line and follow the leaders

In large companies, briefing done every morning before employees begin to work, and every afternoon or evening before going home. Morning briefing aims to discuss work plans and targets to be achieved on that day. Afternoon briefing was to evaluate the work and achievement of targets that have been done on that day.

Briefing conducted within the vary times depending on needs. It can be 10 minutes, or maybe even for one hour. Whether a long briefing material depends on the urgency factor to discussed. It should be remembered that the key of briefing is short, dense, and clear. Do not waste time discussing something that did not require much time. This goal is for the work to be done not delayed, and avoid the boredom of his subordinates who caused them to be lazy to follow the briefing on the days that followed. Use the effective language communication so that the messages conveyed were well received by subordinates.

There are several things that cause the briefing failed to do, which are:

1. Leaders and employees alike are not disciplined in implementing briefing.

2. Leaders too confident with his ability so she/he feel no need to do a briefing.

3. Leaders feel less confident and losing ideas / materials that will be presented in the briefing, so as to protect his/her distrust is eliminated the briefing.

4. Employee or subordinate considers the briefing is not important, and feel there is no benefit in following the briefing.

Then to avoid a briefing failed, things to do is :

1. Accustom briefing. This is the most important. At first implement a new system is very heavy, and also perhaps a lot of objections from subordinates. But if it is forced to do, then these habits will grow by itself. And in the end there will be a situation where a job will be less if there is no briefing.

2. At the time of the briefing, should be done with a relaxed yet attentive. No need to be formal and stiff in delivering the material. Just enough with the ordinary language and familial atmosphere. This is not only will closer to each other, but also state of the organization will become more alive and fun because the delivery of an ideas or complaints conducted openly.

3. Create an interesting briefing material and does not require a long time. Briefing material is not necessary at length, fairly important things only. This is to protect the boredom of their subordinates which ultimately is to be lazy to follow the briefing.

Those are some things about the briefing, and the importance of briefing in organizational life, both business organizations, governmental, or other. Do not underestimate a small thing, because it would result in fatal.Briefing is a small thing, but if not done, then the organization's activities will be hampered, because the necessary information and detail is not up to his subordinates. And it would be fatal!

The Importance of A Tagline / Slogan

Every time I often ask clients: "Is there any tagline for your business?"
Most of them answered: "Not yet, may be you can create for us." or "Yes, We serve the best!"

This, shows a lack of understanding about the tagline. Thus, they are not so regard it as a tagline something important or tagline that creates less touching. On the other hand, a tagline can not be created instantaneously let alone tell others who do not know the vision and mission of your business.

Eric Swratz, an author and brand expert defines the brand tagline (slogan) as summarized wording (usually no more than seven words and put the logo accompanying) contain a strong brand message addressed to a specific target audience. Therefore, the creation of a tagline needs adjusted to the image of the brand which would be built. Here's an example of a tagline of some famous brand:

Nike: Just Do It (3 words)
Sony: It's A Sony (2 words)
Citibank Visa: Not Just Visa (3 words)
Nokia : Connecting People (2 words)

As also reported by other branding expert, a tagline is closely related to positioning a product or service. Therefore, to reinforce the message to be conveyed, a tagline should also be created in accordance with the purpose and nature.

This are how tagline to be created :

Descriptive
That tagline is intended to simply describe the product / service / brand promise.
Example : Nokia: Connecting People.

Specific
Tagline this type tries to position itself as the foremost in their field.
For example: Sony: It's A Sony!

Superlative
Almost the same as the previous, the tagline can also be used to position a product as the most superior.

Imperative
Imperative means ordered to perform an action, usually beginning with a verb
For example: Nike: Just Do It.


Provocative
Invite or provoke an audience logic or emotion usually in the form of interrogative sentence tagline.

It is important that the tagline for build a brand positioning. Therefore, we should not carelessly make a tagline for our business!

10 Law for Succesful Social Media Marketing

Do you want to try the efficacy of doing marketing in social media? Or you've done but the results are not satisfactory? What factors should be taken to ensure your social media marketing activity are successful? Here are 10 law on Social Media marketing from Susan Gunelius, an expert marketing business, branding, and having experience in social media companies - multinational companies.

1. Law of Listening
To achieve success in social media requires more listening and less talking. Read the content from your target audience and join discussions to learn important things for them. Thus you can create content and trigger conversations are beneficial for them.

2. Law of Focus
It is better to focus on one area of ​​business, rather than pursue various fields of business (a jack of-all trades). Focus and directed marketing strategies at social media and content to build strong brands have a better chance to succeed than a broad strategy, because it is not clear what solutions and competence has to offer.

3. The Law of Quality
Quantity beat quality. Better to have 1,000 of the target audience who faithfully read, share and talk about your content than 10,000 audience who just got in touch with you once and then disappeared.

4. Law of Patience
"There is no shortcut to success". Yes, there are no shortcuts to success in cyberspace. It is require patience and commitment you give something useful for your audience.

5. Law of Viral
If you publish something wonderful, unique, and quality content to your followers or audience, they will disseminate it to their colleagues on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or write it on their blog.
The subsequent impacts, your content will be a new entry point in the Google search engine. Through this search engine your message will be widespread, thousands or millions of people will be accessing your content.

6. Law of "Influencers"
Take time to look for online influencers. They are a quality audience who may be interested in your product or service. Maintain good relations with them. If you received a positive response from the influencers, the influencers will recommend your products and your services to their followers.

7. Law of Benefits
If you spend your time on the social web just to promote your product or service, then the audience will leave you. You have to give something useful in conversations in social media. A little talk and more to create stunning content and build relationships with the influencers. In time, they will become brand ambassadors who do word-of-mouth marketing.

8. Law of Recognition
Do not ignore people who have take the time to access your content. Whoever they are, they want to be appreciated. Because it is very important to keep good relations with them.

9. Law of Accessibility
Do not publish content, but then just disappeared. You should always be present for the audience. That means you have to consistent to create content and active in the conversation. Online followers quickly changed his mind and they will not hesitate to kick you from their friends list if not actively communicating.

10. Law of Reciprocity
If your content want to talked and distributed on cyberspace, then you also do not be stingy to doing the same thing like them. So, allocate your time in the virtual world to write and share other people's content.

How To Handle Customer Complaints

Of the customers who have problems, some will not complain. For service industries such as banking, insurance, telecommunications, transportation and others, about 50-80% of customers will not complain. This figure could be even higher for consumer goods where an average of more than 90% of consumers will not make complaints.

Why are customers who had problems did not file a complaint? Based on a survey conducted Frontier, there are five reasons that often the reason customers are reluctant to express grievances. First, the problems encountered are relatively unimportant and can resolve themselves. For customers, the time for complaints or costs to be incurred by the complaint, not worth the benefits to be gained. Therefore, they prefer to remain silent or try to solve their own problem. Of course, customers like this, will feel dissatisfied and relatively low levels of loyalty.

The second reason is because they believe that the company will not take any action on their complaints. So, rather than added annoyance, they were more reticent. Very likely this customer will move to another company. I and probably most of my neighbors, will not be satisfied with the PAM service. Water quality is really bad. It was, no one complains directly to this company, convinced that they will not take any action.

The third reason is they do not know how to express their complaints. Want to call, do not know the number. Want to visit the office, do not know where it is located.

The fourth reason is that customer, not knowing what to complain to anyone. Is the manager or front-line? Is the service or marketing department? This is the fourth reason that makes a customer choose not to complain.

The fifth reason is revealed that customers do not complain is that they prefer to use the services of the company or third party service to resolve the problem. Last month, I bought a phone that its brand is already known. Apparently, suffered damage after a week. Rather than complain to the customer service with a fairly complex procedure, I decided to go to stores that deliver service improvements.
After a customer complaint, there are three possibilities that occur in connection with their level of satisfaction. Customer was satisfied that no action or settlement of their complaints remain unsatisfied customer or a third possibility, the customer added annoyance due to poor handling of complaints.

In the settlement of complaints, there are two key words that make customers will be satisfied. The first is to speed the handling of complaints and resolving complaints. These companies are not aware of the importance of service recovery or who do not have a strategy to handle complaints, will tend to act slowly and reactive. After that, the settlement of the complaint too slow anyway. Customers are increasingly dissatisfied again, when complaints are not complete their proposed solution.

Customers who've gone through the stages of the complaint, would be a dangerous figure. They will leave the company and become terrorists. They will spread negative word of mouth and the company will not be able to handle it because it has turned into customers and are outside the system. Not just one person but dozens of people could hear the negative stories from this customer. Things like this will cause damage to a large market and is often not realized by the company. Worse, if this terror then proceed by sending to the media. The negative impact for the company will be very large.

Therefore, handling of complaints must be serious. Customers who complain are the customers that are still good because at least still be a customer of the company. Customers who complain actually still provide the opportunity for companies to give satisfaction to them. In some cases, customers who complain actually have started lowering their expectations. Thus, they are relatively easy to restore satisfaction. Not surprisingly, the most satisfied customers often are customers who never had a problem, never complaint and never feel how good the company in resolving their complaints.
Handling complaints, must come through a system. It should not be reactive and should not be handled on a case by case basis. This system can be realized in a complaints handling service standards that have been approved by top management. Thus, every front-line staff know what to do when there are complaints from customers.

The first step in making this system starts by grouping the types of problems faced by customers. Any problems, complaints resolution should be clear instructions.

Second, in this complaint handling service standards, it must be clear, what is the responsibility of front-line supervisors, managers or even the top management.

Third, the standard of these services should also be clear blueprint service or process in handling complaints. And more importantly, these service standards must be constantly and effectively communicated to every employee. With a clear system, employees especially the front-line customer will feel that the current complaint is the best time to satisfy them.

Building A Productive Team

The team is a group of people who work together in performing an activity for a particular purpose. Productive means making. Building a productive team means making a bunch of people who can work together for a particular purpose, where everyone joined in the group contributed the maximum in his work. Consider the following analogy!

If we observe a chariot drawn by three horses, there is an intriguing question, "the speed of the carriage, which is determined by the horse? Do reply at the fastest, middle, or horses who at the latest?" It was the most interesting fact that the speed of the carriage is determined by the slowest horse, however fast two other horses, if there is one horse which is slow, then the speed will be delayed as a whole.

The analogy above illustrates that the speed and success of the team work to achieve its goals is determined by each member of the team in working together. For that there are things that must be considered in building a team to be productive, namely:

1. Number of Human Resources
The number of necessary human resources should be right, not more and not be less. Excess amount of human resources will certainly be burdensome salary to be paid, besides that of course there are people who will not work effectively. In other words there will be some people who are paid but not worked. Lack of human resources will lead to inhibition of the speed of work due to the accumulation of tasks that can be burdensome workload of the team. In order for a team can work effectively and efficiently, then the determination of the amount of labor should be appropriate to the needs of the team.

2. The Skilled People
The right amount of labor alone is not sufficient to form a productive team. Productive team requires people who are skilled in their respective fields. Sometimes necessary to set up a training to its members so that they can become skilled in performing a job.

3. The Innovative People
Innovative people are knowledge-based people, means people who are knowledgeable and able to be creative and have a fantasy in the works. It is very necessary in a productive team that arose an idea that can create more job quickly and accurately. Further more, innovative workers who can come up with a passion could makes the team became more lively.

4. Well Rewarded People
Workload of a team must also be balanced with the welfare of its members. Because welfare provided will give them additional motivation to work calmly and productively.
Systems and effective strategy of the company are necessary to establish a balance between rights and obligations of the workers so that they remain motivated.

5. Aligned People (Synergy)
To form a productive team of course all team members must be able to work together. This synergy means is that every team member understands that the task they have will greatly affect the workload of other team members. Thus the spirit of cooperation should be held so that all team members can work together. No need for mutual self-effacing or even topple the other team members. The principle of mutual respect both personally and professionally is essential to foster synergy among team members.

Send The Message Effectively

Ads contain a message to be delivered to consumers and can be understood then able to move consumers to take action.

To build a message send effectively, then the message must have this criteria:
1. Establish a general message to be communicated to the public.
2. Identify the benefits to consumers that can be used as an attraction in advertising.
3. Display ads should contain a strong creative concept, thus leaving a deep impression on the minds of consumers.
4. Create a special appeal / unique / special that will be used in advertising campaigns. The appeal of advertising must have three properties that is meaningful (significant), believable (credible) and distinctive (typical).