Whatever field you may be in communication is vital and a necessity.

In this highly competitive business world, many small companies look for phone options small companies look for phone options that will give them the advantage over its competitors. In many instances, the success of a business is driven by how well its employees communicate with each other and with its clients. Strong communication skills, whether verbal and non-verbal, are essential to make any relationship a success; especially in the business world. Without dynamic communication skills, even a company with the best products or services will not survive.

In my experience, strong workplace communication is not only important but a necessity. Whether it is telephone conversations or email messages, I am in constant contact with co-workers, clients and external contacts, all throughout the day. About.com offers several tips for improving workplace communication, but here are a few of my own tips that have worked for me through the years.

JT at Work

JT at Work

1) Know who you are talking to.
If you are talking with someone on the telephone, or sending an email at the computer, you need know who is on the other end of that conversation. You need to know what your coworker’s role is with the company. Or if it is a client, what is that person’s relationship with your company. If you do not know who you are dealing with, you may say the wrong thing to them and can cause a potential project to be missed. For example, if your client prefers to be called Mr. Smith and you keep referring to him as Jimmy; he may not want to continue his partnership with your company. It is a simple mistake, but often times it is the simple mistakes that have the greatest impact.

2) Know what type of communication is appropriate.
Each person that you come in contact with during the day has his or her own style of communication. Some people mainly communicate on the phone; while others are exclusively email people. If you are new on the job or  you are working with new coworkers, it is critically to know how they want to be informed of necessary information. You do not want to send countless emails to someone who never checks his or her email. Check with the person and find out for certain and make sure that in the future any communication is done with the preferred method.

3) Monitor your word choice.
Whether it is in an email message or on the phone, sometimes your word choice can make or break the success of that conversation. Sometimes your word choice may be too rough and people will not respond in a positive way or may not respond at all. Your word choice may confuse the people and produce undesired resulted. Take an extra few moments to construct your email message before sending it out. Or, have the telephone conversation in your mind prior to making the call. This extra time will produce the results you are looking for.

Photo on 6-3-13 at 2.32 PM

JT at work

The work environment is filled with a diverse group of employees. With a wide variety of lifestyles, viewpoints and backgrounds, it is vital to know how to communicate with each of these people. I have learned that the same method does not work for everyone. Through trial and error, I have learned what works best. But I have had to take the time and learn habits and learn what the specific needs are. If you make the same effort, I know you will have a successful work experience.

JTwisdom