Improving business communications

How you communicate with coworkers, management, clients, and other business professionals is as important as what you communicate. Business communications is a broad topic that might seem obvious at first glance.

Reading, writing, and talking -- what's so difficult about that? For instance, are you aware of the impact your body language makes? In fact, body language is such a broad topic in and of itself that entire books have been written about it. The ability to be a good listener is regarded as one of the most important communication skills. Why? Because most people don't realize that it's just as important to show you are listening as it is to hear and understand what is being said. And since nearly 75 percent of Fortune 500 business executives rate the ability to listen as "extremely important," it's one of the easiest ways to make a good impression. Body Language Tips: Don't touch your face or scratch your head. These are signs of indecision and uncertainty that will undo the authority you're working hard to establish. Make and hold eye contact. If you lack confidence, following this rule will disguise it and, in turn, serve to increase your confidence level. Don't cross you arms or legs - these are "closed" stances that will turn your audience off.

Be an Active Listener: When you're the one running the meeting, using active listening techniques while you and others speak keeps you connected and responsive to your audience. As a participant, effective listening skills help you focus, tune in to the speaker, and make the most of what you're hearing. Do not interrupt. Be patient when someone else is talking. Maintain eye contact. Watch the speaker even if the speaker is not looking at you. When you are given an opportunity to speak, try to repeat a few key points back to the speaker. This will illustrate that you have listened and comprehended -- something that will certainly be appreciated.

When you're writing interoffice memos and business letters remember to write for the reader rather than for yourself. People in a hurry often tend to leave out important facts and give too much extraneous detail, so it takes more time to read than it should. As a result, your memos run the risk of being transferred directly into the trash, and your business letters can get you remembered for the wrong reasons.

White space: Balancing white space is half the battle. Too much white space and your reader will doubt that you have anything to say; too little, and the content you have worked so hard to produce will seem too dense to read. Create white space by limiting most paragraphs to five or six sentences and double-spacing between them. Lists: Never pass up an opportunity to organize the important points of your message into lists. This makes the heart of your message easier to understand at first glance and find again later.

Headlines: Headlining paragraphs - every single one if you like - not only helps your reader, it will also help you to distill your ideas with ease. Boldfacing your headlines is additional way to add emphasis

Verbal Impact: Using your dictionary regularly will improve your verbal skills more rapidly than you can imagine. This is perhaps the single most efficient way to make your work stand out and convey that you are of exceptional intelligence. Good spelling, word choice, and grammar make you look smart.

Communicating Effectively by Voice and E-mail: Voice and e-mail have something in common that paper communications lack: immediacy.

E-mail is largely regarded as a more casual mode of communication, but that's no excuse for errors, vagueness, or inappropriate content. To stand out from the crowd, always use proper grammar and punctuation in all your business e-mails, and watch your tone. Avoid using all capitals. IT'S THE E-MAIL EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING. Conversely, avoid using all lower-case. If your message exceeds the length of one screen, put it into an attachment. Hold the humor. It doesn't translate well in e-mail, even when flagged by "emoticons". Voice Mail: When leaving voice mail messages, all the rules of common telephone courtesy apply. Always give your name, your company or department, and your telephone number first, then state your message briefly.