Main Trends in Business Communication

Business communication can mean many things, but in this article, it refers to the communication between a business and its customers, whether the business is selling to the general public or business-to-business. There are various passive platforms that a business can use to communicate with their customers, such a TV adverts and leaflets, but this article considers direct contact, such as person-to-person and over the phone etc. Technology is having a large impact on business communication in the same way that it always has. Technology has always been the driving force behind change in business communication.

business communication
Image by Baltic Development Forum

The olden days

Technology was the reason why people stopped communicating via telegram and went onto the telephone. It was the reason why person-to-person communication became more prevalent as people bought vehicles. The trends will always be dictated by technology.

Person-to-person

There is no denying that traditional person-to-person communication has taken a nosedive in the west. Businesses seem to be using passive communication (advertising) more. This is partly due to the fact that there are now more places to advertise than ever. There were four TV channels and now there are four hundred. People no longer need to visit stores when they can order things to their house. This also means that complaints and other forms of communication are going to be done less via person-to-person communication.

Written literacy

For some reason we live in a time when the written word is as popular as ever, and yet so few people are any good at using it. Never has the written word been so popular, to the point where all sophisticated technology revolves around it, and yet literacy is still very low. The trend in the business world seems to have followed suit, where businesses are demonstrating lower literacy standards. Emails and text messages seem to be showing an all time poor written standard. This is probably due to the fact that these electronic messages are very cheap or free. This seemed to have made businesses less careful about what they do. For example, could you imaging a batch of leaflets being printed without being proofread? Yet email communication is rife with poor spelling, poor grammar and txt talk.

Multilingual Communication

This seems to have taken a sharp rise in prevalence. It now appears that businesses are prepared to translate their messages into another language. Ironically, this is not in order to communicate with people from other countries, but to communicate with people in their own country. For example in America a lot of communications are done in Spanish to accommodate the massive influx of Hispanic immigrants that have taken residence there.

Mobile communication

Many people will tell you that mobile communication is higher in prevalence where business communication is concerned. This is not true, because even though a lot of advertising happens online, and is aimed at mobile users, it is not actually a bigger means of communication. For example, if a company were going to call someone’s mobile phone ten years ago, that is still the way they would contact them today. Companies who give results via SMS, still do! Nothing has changed. But because mobile Internet is used more, and mobile apps are used more, people assume that this means businesses are communicating with peoples mobile devices more–but this is not the case.

Social media

This actually is one of the newer trends that has affected business communication. More businesses are using social media to communicate with clients. Some use social media that are aimed at business-to-business traders (LinkedIn) and others are using social media as an FAQ and helpline forum.

Author’s bio: My name is Sonia Jackson. I represent the UK web-site http://www.royal-essays.com. We’ll help you to solve all problems with writing different essays and research papers according to the rules in the UK.

Top Benefits of 0800 Numbers for Small Businesses

If you want to experience a significant growth in your business, you must find and exhaust all the strategies available to advance your business objectives. If you don’t know where to start, you’re strongly suggested to begin your journey by opening all communication channels between you and your target market. There are several methods to achieve this, but as a small business owner, you must choose the most cost-effective of them. Large companies employ a complicated and costly method, but you may want to go for something much simpler, yet truly effective. One of these cost-effective strategies is through the use of 0800 numbers.

What is an 0800 number?

An 0800 number is sometimes called a toll-free number, a business phone line that consumers can freely and conveniently use to communicate their concerns, needs, and demands. Many consumers want to share their experience and help you improve your products or services. But sometimes, if there is an expensive phone bill or charges involved, they will change their mind. So to make sure that your target market constantly gets in touch with you, provide them with a convenient communication platform that they can use anytime they want and anywhere they are in the country.

What are the top benefits of having an 0800 number?

The main objective of 0800 numbers is to build a strong relationship with your customers. A strong relationship is not built overnight, but if you constantly talk to them and address their concerns properly, you will be able to expand your clientele. Consumers trust only a company that listens to their needs. So if you have a toll free number they can use, expect to attract more customers in just a few months.

Next, an 0800 number saves you money on all types of consumer surveys. These surveys are meant to know what the target consumers want, so many large companies conduct these surveys to understand what their customers need. But if you have an 0800 number, you don’t have to conduct these surveys or have another company do them for you. All you have to do is to pick up your phone and listen carefully to what your customers tell you. Doing this will lead you to fully understand what you can do to be able to provide what your customers want and need.

Last, an 0800 number helps you increase your sales volume. Studies show that if more customers get in touch with you to ask more about your products or services, the big tendency is, these phone calls or inquiries will eventually be translated into sales. As long as you answer your customers as honest and as prompt as possible, you will experience a significant increase in your sales volume in no time.

To know more about 0800 numbers, you’re strongly suggested to go over different materials that can help you understand the benefits that you can get from these numbers. You can find these materials on the Internet in the form of articles, videos, and websites. If you don’t know where they are located, all you have to do is to put your favorite search engine to good use.

By 0800 Business Number Article Writer